Maverick Games unveiled its flagship title Clutch on Tuesday. Former Forza Horizon director Mike Brown leads the new studio project.

The studio has released the first few images and videos for Clutch, with a full reveal expected soon. This will be Maverick's first official game launch, and fans are getting excited with what they have seen so far.

Clutch's hype is because of Mike Brown's presence. Brown served as a designer for the initial Forza games and was also the creative director for Forza Horizon 5.

The initial glimpse of Clutch displays a visually intense open-world exploration racing game similar to the recently released Forza Horizon 6.

However, Clutch also has elements of other racing genres and doesn't just limit itself to road racing. There are elements of track racing, along with a heavy commitment to a storyline-driven gameplay, something that is missing from the Forza franchise.

While not much has been revealed, the storyline and narrative have been confirmed for Clutch, which almost makes it fall in line with the Need For Speed series, and according to Brown, depicts the connection between a car and its driver.

More details are likely to emerge at the upcoming Summer Game Fest 2026.

How Clutch Can Fit Right Into a Gap in the Racing Genre

Fans are currently searching for grittier racing experiences. Forza Horizon 6 is a visual delight. But it looks delicate on the eyes, and while it is a wonderful experience for the users, the genre is still missing the Need for Speed vibes.

Need for Speed was a breath of fresh air, especially the Most Wanted title that propelled the series to the top of the racing genre.

But right now, Need for Speed doesn't release as often, and even when it does, it doesn't deliver the same kind of action it used to. Clutch is showing early promise, and the glimpses suggest a storyline that will drive home the racing-action feel to fans who want it.

Clutch could fill that gap and also become an alternative for fans who want to get into a darker theme of racing, with the game likely to feature street racing as well.

The game is expected to release in Spring 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. With all eyes on Summer Game Fest 2026, we could soon see just how real the hype around Clutch is.

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Written by

Abhisek Bajaj

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav