Amazon is no longer publishing Maverick Games’ in-development open-world driving game expected to rival Forza Horizon. The shift is yet another reflection of Amazon’s narrowing video game ambitions, forcing the studio founded by former Forza Horizon developers to seek a new publisher.
Incorporated in Royal Leamington Spa, England, Maverick Games was founded in 2022 by several Playground Games veterans, including Tom Butcher and Michael Brown, along with the former SEGA Hardlight studio head Harinder Sangha. Amazon signed on in May 2024 to publish the studio’s unannounced, narrative-led open-world racing game for PC and current-generation consoles, positioning it as a potential challenger to Forza Horizon. Steve Boom, Amazon’s vice president of Audio, Twitch and Games, said as recently as October 2025 that the company was still collaborating with Maverick on the untitled project.
Great Racing Games Like Forza Horizon 5 (For Those Who Don’t Own An Xbox)
Players who don’t own an Xbox or gaming PC but want to play something like Forza Horizon 5 should take a look at the following games.
Maverick and Amazon’s Deal Falls Through After 2 Years
Maverick and Amazon’s partnership ended in early 2026. In a statement to The Game Business, an Amazon spokesperson said the split reflected a “strategic evolution” aimed at focusing on projects that leverage the company’s “unique strengths and scale.” The two recently announced Tomb Raider games that are being published by Amazon were cited as an example of such titles. Elaborating on the breakup, an Amazon representative said that the tech giant unilaterally released Maverick from its existing publishing agreement.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Maverick’s Debut Title May Have a New Publisher by the End of 2026
Amazon said that releasing Maverick from its obligations would give the British studio greater flexibility to seek a publishing partner better suited to bringing its game to market. Maverick later acknowledged the split in a social media post, saying development of its open-world racing game is ongoing in spite of this setback. In a separate statement to The Game Business, the studio said it was “in active dialogue with partners” as part of efforts to find a new publisher, adding that it is looking forward to having more to share “later this year.” It remains unclear whether the company is signaling that a new publishing agreement could be announced before the end of 2026 or simply planning to reveal additional details about the project to attract a partner.
Although Maverick was founded by experienced developers and executives with extensive industry ties, publicly unveiling its upcoming title could strengthen its position in negotiations by demonstrating market interest. The company’s open-world racing game has been in development for approximately three years as of February 2026, though it is unclear how much of that time, if any, has been spent in active production. Equally unclear is whether the loss of a publisher will affect the timeline of the studio’s debut title. While Maverick says work continues, the terms of its previous agreement with Amazon have not been disclosed. If the deal included direct funding, the studio could face cost-cutting measures depending on how long it takes to secure a new partner, potentially delaying the project.
Maverick Is Still Hiring for Its Mysterious Racing Game
Publisher troubles aside, Maverick is still hiring, with the company’s official website currently listing several open positions, including a 12-month contract assignment for a technical animator and a permanent position for a vehicle handling designer. The British studio is also soliciting speculative applications. According to its LinkedIn page, Maverick had fewer than 50 employees as of early 2026. While outsourcing is common in modern game development, the extent to which the studio relies on exernal partners is unclear.
As things currently stand, Maverick’s debut title could end up being a cross-gen release, even though it was originally announced for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Ahead of the publisher split, Maverick took to social media in late January 2026 to congratulate Playground Games on its Forza Horizon 6 reveal, referring to the Microsoft-owned studio as “big bro” and saying that the “game looks great.”
Sources: Maverick Games, Maverick Games / Twitter
