CLUTCH Aims to Take on Forza Horizon with a Narrative Racing Game on the French Riviera

Maverick Games announces CLUTCH for spring 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The British studio, founded in 2022, brings together veterans from Playground Games who worked on the Forza Horizon franchise. At the helm is Mike Brown, the former creative director of Forza Horizon 5 and designer on Forza Horizon 2, 3 and 4.

The studio initially signed a publishing deal with Amazon Games, but that partnership fell through in early 2026. That didn’t stop Maverick Games from pushing ahead on its debut title. CLUTCH is built on a custom version of Unreal Engine 5 and has been in development for over three and a half years. The new publishing structure behind the project hasn’t been officially confirmed yet.

CLUTCH‘s story is penned by Jamie Brittain, the Scottish co-creator of cult British show Skins. The plot follows two racing-prodigy siblings, Theo Martial voiced by Tosin Cole (Doctor Who, House of the Dragon), and Cass Martial played by Little Simz, the mainstream British rapper. After a troubled upbringing in the UK, the siblings are adopted by Ludo Martial, a former Riviera 1000 superstar, played by French actor Gregory Montel (Call My Agent).

The story unfolds across the French Riviera and weaves between two distinct racing worlds. By day, the protagonists compete in the prestigious Riviera 1000 (R1K), a historic championship that has served as the proving ground for top drivers for the past century. By night, they dive into the Midnight Collective, an underground street racing scene where outlaw spirit trumps official glory. The hero will get pulled into shady affairs that uncover the dark underbelly of the R1K.

Unlike the festival sandbox approach of the Forza Horizon franchise, CLUTCH doubles down on a cinematic narrative campaign with written characters and a dramatic through-line. Mike Brown describes the project as a game « about the love of driving, the connection between car and driver, and the raw thrill of speed ». The multiplayer format dubbed PvPvE blends player-vs-player competition with co-op missions to outrun common threats, a system never seen in Forza Horizon.

The trailer dropped during the Summer Game Fest showcases several signature mechanics: a grappling hook for traversal and getaways, a nitro system, and police chases. Maverick Games also leans on a deep customization system called Clutch Tech mods, which goes beyond cosmetic tweaks to deliver a unique mechanical bond between each driver and their car. The studio teases a varied car roster already including the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, the Mazda RX-7 FD, the Aston Martin Valhalla, and the BMW M3 GTR E46.

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