Ex-Forza devs' new racing game Clutch aims to be a "benchmark in car customization"

While EA may be taking a break from making new Need for Speed games, one new studio made up of former Forza Horizon team members looks to be stepping up to the task. Today, following a long countdown stream, Maverick Games announced Clutch, a brand-new racing entry that will offer a story-driven campaign, deep car customizations, and multiplayer action.

The story will tell the tale of two siblings regarded as racing prodigies who are entering a historic driving series dubbed R1K to claim the top spot. Outside of the official races, an underground driving club has also formed around this circuit, bringing in an open-world sandbox and even getaway gameplay that looks to involve cops.

The Forza Horizon series' former creative director Mike Brown is leading this project, with several ex‑Playground Games developers also being involved.

“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.”

Being built on a custom version of Unreal Engine 5 with its own physics system, Maverick Games is aiming to deliver an extremely detailed sandbox where players can create their own one-of-a-kind vehicle to race in.

"It's not just a static presentation," adds Brown. "A part of the joy of car ownership is that sense of connection between the car and the driver, and that's why we've pushed to set a new benchmark in car customization."

Clutch will be releasing in spring 2027 across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Deeper details about the title and its world are slated to be revealed on June 5, 2026, at the Summer Game Fest Showcase.