Clutch: Developer talk from Gamescom reveals details about the driving experience and the open world

At the Future Games Show during Gamescom 2026, Maverick Games provided a deeper insight into Clutch with a developer diary. Incidentally, the upcoming open-world racing game will now be published by Focus Entertainment.

Two siblings, a double life

In Clutch, you take on the roles of Theo and Cass, two highly talented racing siblings who live as outlaws, racing through the streets of the French Riviera and Monaco by night as street racers. Creative Director Mike Brown, known for his work on Forza Horizon, emphasises in the video that, despite – or perhaps because of – all the drama, the story thrives above all on its characters: flawed, sometimes annoying, but endearing. According to the announcement, the story centres on a major conspiracy that throws both the official R1K racing series and the underground Midnight Collective into disarray.

Driving physics with rough edges

When it comes to gameplay, the team has opted for a challenging driving model: players who drive too aggressively in Clutch will be penalised, but this is intended to make every step of progress all the more satisfying. According to the development team, each vehicle has its own distinct, distinctly mechanical handling. The open world recreates Monaco with all its real-life streets, completely free of copy-and-paste buildings, and features collectables and challenges along the route. Find out more in the video.

Clutch is due for release in spring 2027 on PC.