After teasing its debut title in a series of bizarre livestreams featuring a Fiat Multipla, Maverick Games has unveiled Clutch, a new AAA, open-world action-driving game set to launch in spring 2027.
In 2023, Forza Horizon 5’s former creative director, Mike Brown, announced he had left Playground Games to form independent rival studio Maverick Games and work on a new narrative-led, open-world driving game, alongside a team of Codemasters and Playground Games veterans.
Now, over three years later, the studio has finally announced its mystery project during a livestream hosted by Brown.
Featuring an “immersive narrative” penned by Skins co-creator Jamie Brittian, Clutch combines professional circuit competitions with underground street racing and cinematic chases.
A story campaign sees two sibling racing prodigies compete in the prestigious R1K race series, a “proving ground for the world’s top drivers for 100 years.” Contrasting the R1K is the underground Midnight Collective street racing gang, who “love showing off their style and the raw thrill of speed.”
Set in a “living PvPvE action-driving world” based on the French Riviera, players will take on spontaneous missions and races that will “break the mould of modern driving games.”
As for the cars, the trailer showcases a variety of vehicles, from the 930-series Porsche 911 Turbo and Aston Martin Vantage shown in teaser screenshots to the BMW 850 CSi and Nissan 350Z. There’s even a BMW M3 GTR in a nod to Need for Speed Most Wanted.
So far, the car list primarily features European and Japanese models, with a Land Rover Defender also confirming SUVs will form part of the roster.
There is a strong focus on personalisation. Highly detailed vehicles showcased in the announcement video sport bespoke liveries reminiscent of GRID Legends and DriveClub. Deep customisation options will let players create “a true one-of-one car”, with the ability to fit aftermarket wheels, spoilers and underglows, among other parts.
This also extends to the interior, where you can swap the seats, change the steering wheel and fit hanging air fresheners. You can even add drinks to the cupholder. Aftermarket parts are licensed too, with brands including Recaro, Corbeau, Kirkeys and HRE Wheels.
Clutch’s blend of circuit racing, open-world driving, underground street racing and cinematic chases is certainly intriguing. The storytelling and fictional teams remind us of GRID Legends, while the underground street racing could fill the void left by Need for Speed.
Meanwhile, the cinematic chase scenes are seemingly inspired by Fast & Furious. The announcement video’s final scene shows a daring heist and getaway, leading to a police chase with cars smashing through buildings, though no vehicle damage is shown during the chaos.
Weapons are also teased, with a Nissan Skyline attaching a grappling hook to a pole to swing around a corner.
If everything can come together to form a cohesive package, then Forza Horizon could have a new challenger next year.
“Maverick has assembled a dream team of car lovers and driving fans with decades of experience building genre-defining open-world racing games,” said Mike Brown, Creative Director and Founder of Maverick Games.
“Our mission from day one is for Clutch to push the genre into a new era, innovate through new types of open-world sandbox gameplay and deliver a generational leap on the staples of why we love driving games.”
Clutch is set to launch in spring 2027 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but a release date is yet to be confirmed.
More details about the story, actors and world will be revealed in an upcoming trailer during the Summer Game Fest Showcase this week on 5 June.
