CLUTCH from Maverick Games Previews Revealed—Game Might Be Serious Competitor to Forza Horizon

Despite the recent release of Forza Horizon 6 last month— one of the highest-rated games of the year and a standout entry in the franchise—a potential competitor is set to arrive next year. Maverick Games is working on a new title called CLUTCH. What makes this especially intriguing isn’t just that it’s being developed by former creators of the series, but that the studio is focusing on a rich, story-driven experience, along with an open world and incredibly detailed cars.

During Summer Game Fest, the developers unveiled the first trailer for CLUTCH and revealed that their debut project is not just another racing game but a "cinematic, open-world, action-driving experience," which only heightened anticipation ahead of the full gameplay reveal the following day. Gaming press had the opportunity to get a firsthand look at the game, and according to their impressions, CLUTCH feels like a blend between the best elements of Need for Speed and Forza Horizon, while offering a completely unique experience.

At the release, CLUTCH is expected to feature over 150 cars, each of which can be finely tuned in detail. Moreover, it won’t feel like you’re just driving into a garage and picking parts to install—the developers have confirmed that you’ll be able to get out of the car, walk around the interior, and explore specially designated areas.

Regarding the gameplay, it is known that CLUTCH will feature both elite R1K races and illegal street competitions called the Midnight Collective, where encounters with the police are inevitable. However, players will have special gadgets at their disposal to deal with pursuers. One such device is a built-in harpoon that can even latch onto a flying helicopter for spectacular jumps and enable daring drifts.

Maverick Games is said to have done an impressive job with Unreal Engine 5, which is being used to develop CLUTCH. According to PC Gamer, even the game's demo version stands out for its optimization, while Jordan Middler from VGC praised CLUTCH for its stunning visuals, calling it one of the best-looking games he has ever seen.

Regarding the plot, the main characters of the game are siblings Theo and Cass Martial, who are striving to become top-tier racers. In addition to the story mode, Maverick Games has confirmed that the game will feature multiplayer and four-player cross-platform co-op. The exact release date is still unknown, but it is tentatively scheduled for spring next year on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.

Are you excited about CLUTCH—the new racing open-world video game from Maverick Games? Share your thoughts in the comments below!