Maverick Games says its upcoming racer Clutch is not designed to replace Forza Horizon, even though the new studio includes several developers who previously worked on Playground Games' successful open world racing series.
Creative director Mike Brown says the team's goal is to build something complementary to Forza Horizon by putting much more emphasis on characters and story.
Clutch is planned for release on Xbox Series X and Series S in spring 2027 and has already been confirmed as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.
| Detail | Clutch |
|---|---|
| Developer | Maverick Games |
| Publisher | Focus Entertainment |
| Genre | Action, adventure, driving, racing |
| Main focus | Open world driving with stronger character and story elements |
| Xbox platforms | Xbox Series X and Series S |
| Xbox Play Anywhere | Confirmed |
| Release window | Spring 2027 |
| Creative director | Mike Brown |
Maverick Games Wants Clutch to Complement Forza Horizon
Brown says the studio understands that comparisons with Forza Horizon are unavoidable.
Clutch will still feature desirable cars, large environments, and open world driving, which naturally puts it in similar territory.
However, Maverick Games does not appear interested in directly competing with Forza Horizon on every front.
Brown says the project was always intended to exist alongside the series rather than replace it.
That approach reflects the studio's awareness of the risks involved in trying to challenge an established market leader with a new intellectual property.
Story and Characters Are the Main Difference
The biggest distinction is expected to be narrative.
Brown believes Forza Horizon has traditionally placed less emphasis on character development and story than on driving, exploration, events, and car collection.
Clutch is being designed around a stronger narrative structure.
The studio wants characters and story progression to play a more meaningful role rather than serving mainly as background to races and activities.
According to Brown, this is an area where the racing genre still has room to grow, particularly in modern open world games.
Former Forza Horizon Developers Are Building the Game
Maverick Games includes several veterans of Playground Games.
Brown himself previously worked on the Forza Horizon series and says the team's experience gives it a clear understanding of ideas that were difficult to pursue within that franchise.
That background should give the studio useful knowledge of open world racing design, vehicle handling, progression systems, and large scale environments.
At the same time, Clutch is intended to establish its own identity rather than function as another version of Horizon.
The studio appears to be using its previous experience as a foundation while exploring areas it believes were underdeveloped in its earlier work.
Maverick Games Does Not Want to Promise a Forza Killer
Brown is also avoiding aggressive claims about overtaking Forza Horizon.
He says pitching a new game as something that will defeat the dominant title in its genre would create unnecessary risk.
The studio instead wants to prove itself through the quality of Clutch.
That is a more cautious position than presenting the project as a direct competitor to one of Microsoft's strongest racing properties.
Forza Horizon already has an established audience, mature technology, and years of brand recognition.
A new studio would face significant difficulty trying to compete with that scale immediately.
Clutch Mixes Racing With Action and Adventure
Clutch is being described as a narrative action racer rather than a traditional racing game.
That suggests the project will combine driving with broader adventure and story mechanics.
Its official genre classification includes action, adventure, driving, and racing.
The game is still expected to feature open world environments and high performance cars, but the surrounding structure should place more importance on narrative progression.
That could give Clutch a different rhythm from games that focus mainly on races, challenges, and vehicle collection.
Xbox Play Anywhere Support Is Confirmed
Clutch will support Xbox Play Anywhere.
That means buyers should be able to access the game across supported Xbox consoles and PC with a single digital purchase, with progress and saves typically shared through the Xbox ecosystem.
For players who move regularly between console and PC, that can make the game easier to continue across different devices.
The feature also places Clutch firmly within Microsoft's broader cross platform Xbox strategy.
Spring 2027 Release Is Planned
Clutch is currently expected to launch in spring 2027 on Xbox Series X and Series S.
A PS5 version is also planned.
Maverick Games has already shown an extended gameplay presentation, but the supplied information does not include a final release date.
The key question will be whether the studio can successfully combine strong driving mechanics with a more substantial story.
Maverick Games is not positioning Clutch as a direct replacement for Forza Horizon. Instead, it is trying to create a racer that uses similar open world appeal while putting characters and narrative much closer to the center of the experience.
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