If you have ever wished Forza Horizon leaned harder into its story rather than just racing from event to event, the team behind Maverick Games might be building exactly what you are looking for. The studio was founded by some of the same people who shaped Forza Horizon 5 into one of the best open-world racing games ever made, which means there is a genuine pedigree here. After years of working quietly in the background and navigating a rocky publishing situation, they are finally ready to show the world what they have been building.

Who Is Maverick Games

Maverick Games was founded in 2022 by Mike Brown, who served as Creative Director on Forza Horizon 5. He was joined by several other former Playground Games staff, including producer Tom Butcher, technical director Matt Craven, audio director Fraser Stachan, and art director Ben Penrose. The studio is based in Leamington Spa, the same town as Playground Games, and has been quietly working on its debut project for several years.

The road to this point has not been completely smooth. Amazon was originally set to publish the game but pulled out of the deal earlier this year after making significant changes to its games business. Rather than shelving the project, Brown confirmed publicly that development was continuing and that an announcement will be made soon.

What the Game Is About

The project is described as a narrative-led open-world driving experience, which immediately sets it apart from Forza Horizon in terms of intent. Where Forza prioritises variety and breadth of events, Maverick's car racing game sounds like it is putting the story at the center of everything. The game is being written by Jamie Brittain, and the open-world setting suggests it will share some DNA with the team's previous work while carving out its own identity.

Details beyond that are genuinely scarce. The studio has been teasing the reveal through a countdown livestream running inside a modified Fiat Multipla placed in their office, which is either charming or bizarre depending on your perspective. The full reveal will take place on June 2, 2026, timed a few hours ahead of PlayStation's State of Play event. We will be covering everything as it comes in.