Ex-Forza Horizon devs reveal Clutch, their own open-world racing game

Maverick Games, the studio founded by former Forza Horizon developers, has revealed its debut game.

Clutch is an open-world racing game set for release in Spring 2027, and is led by former Forza Horizon creative director Mike Brown.

The game will have a narrative written by Scottish writer Jamie Brittain, best known as the co-creator of the British TV show Skins.

Using a custom version of Unreal Engine 5, Clutch has been in development for the past three and a half years, and is “about the love of driving, about the connection between car and driver, and the raw thrill of speed”, according to Brown in a new video revealing the game (seen below).

Clutch follows the story of a pair of racing siblings – who are competing in a prestigious and historic racing series called the R1K – as well as the Midnight Collective, a group of car enthusiasts who “don’t care about the money and the fame of the R1K” and only care about the love of driving.

According to Brown, Clutch will have a strong focus on accurate car models, including making older cars look authentically old, rather than showroom quality.

“On this project, we’ve really had the benefit of time,” he said. “It’s actually the longest development of any game I’ve ever worked on, and that’s allowed us to make some big investments that I know you’re going to really appreciate.

“Using our custom version of Unreal Engine 5, we’ve been able to achieve a level of detail and accuracy never before seen in in-game car models.

“Every exterior curve, every fleck of paint, every interior stitch, every groove of tire wear recreated perfectly. And on older cars, there’ll be signs of wear, signs of love, signs that the cars have actually been driven, being on an adventure.”

The full trailer for Clutch will be shown during Summer Game Fest, according to Maverick Games.