Focus Entertainment has announced a publishing partnership with Maverick Games for CLUTCH, a new open-world racing game from a team of experienced developers who previously worked on the Forza Horizon series. The partnership marks Focus Entertainment’s first move into the open-world racing genre, with both companies aiming to establish CLUTCH as a major new name in racing.
CLUTCH is scheduled to launch in Spring 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
The game follows a new generation of racing outsiders living a double life. During the day, players compete at the highest levels of professional motorsport. After dark, they enter a dangerous underground racing scene where reputation, rivalries, and pursuit become just as important as winning races.
Maverick Games was founded by award-winning developers including Mike Brown, who previously served as Creative Director on Forza Horizon 5. The studio’s goal with CLUTCH is to create the kind of open-world racing experience its team has wanted to make for years.
The game is also putting a strong emphasis on narrative. CLUTCH features an original story from Jamie Brittain, co-creator of the television series Skins, bringing a more character-driven and cinematic approach to the open-world racing formula.
Alongside its story, CLUTCH will feature extensive vehicle customization, allowing players to personalize their cars while shaping their progression through the game’s racing world. The combination of customization, professional motorsport, and underground racing is intended to give players multiple ways to experience the game’s open world.
Focus Entertainment says the partnership reflects its desire to work with developers pushing their respective genres in new directions. Maverick Games, meanwhile, sees Focus as a partner that shares the studio’s creative ambitions for CLUTCH.
With a team of Forza Horizon veterans behind the wheel and a story-driven approach to open-world racing, CLUTCH is shaping up to be an interesting new contender in the genre when it launches in 2027.