Amazon no longer publishes Maverick Games' in-development open-world driving game expecting to compete. Forza Horizon. The shift is another reflection of Amazon's shrinking video game ambitions, which forced the studio founded by the former. Forza Horizon Developers to find a new publisher.
Incorporated in Royal Leamington Spa, England, Maverick Games was founded in 2022 by a number of playground game veterans, including Tom Butcher and Michael Brown, former SEGA Hardlight Studio head Harinder Sangha. Amazon signed on in May 2024 to publish the studio's unannounced, story-driven open-world racing game for PC and current-generation consoles, positioning it as a potential challenger. Forza Horizon. Amazon's Vice President of Audio, Twitch and Games Steve Boom recently revealed in October 2025 that the company is collaborating with Maverick on a still-untitled project.
Great racing games like Forza Horizon 5 (for those who don't have an Xbox)
Gamers who don't own an Xbox or a gaming PC but want to play something like Forza Horizon 5 should check out the following games.
Maverick and Amazon's deal fell through after 2 years
Maverick and Amazon's partnership ends in early 2026. In a statement to The Game Business, an Amazon spokesperson said the split reflects a “strategic evolution” aimed at focusing on projects that leverage the company's “unique strengths and scale.” Recently these two have announced Tomb Raider Games published by Amazon were cited as examples of such titles. Elaborating on the breakup, an Amazon representative said the tech giant unilaterally released Maverick from its existing publishing deal.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
get started
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)
Maverick's first title could be a new publisher by the end of 2026
Amazon said releasing Maverick from its obligations would give the British studio more flexibility to find a suitable publishing partner to bring its games to market. Maverick later acknowledged the split in a social media post, saying that development of its open-world racing game was continuing despite the setback. In a separate statement to The Game Business, the studio said it is “in active dialogue with partners” as part of its efforts to find a new publisher, and that it looks forward to having more to share “later this year.” It is unclear whether the company is indicating whether a new publishing deal could be announced before the end of 2026 or if it plans to reveal more details about the project to attract a partner.
Although Maverick was founded by experienced developers and executives with extensive industry connections, 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 about three years, until February 2026, though it's unclear how much time has been spent in active production. Equally unclear is whether the publisher's loss will affect the timeline of the studio's debut title. While Maverick says the work is ongoing, the terms of its previous deal with Amazon have not been disclosed. If the deal includes direct funding, the studio may 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 mystery racing game
Publisher issues aside, Maverick is still on the job, 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 asking for speculative applications. Maverick had fewer than 50 employees as of early 2026, according to its LinkedIn page. While outsourcing is common in modern game development, the extent to which studios rely on external partners is unclear.
As things currently stand, Maverick's first title could be a cross-gen release, although it was originally announced for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Before the publisher split, Maverick took to social media to congratulate the late January 2026 playground games. Forza Horizon 6 Reveal, referring to the Microsoft-owned studio as “big bro” and “the game looks great.”
Sources: Maverick Games, Maverick Games / Twitter
