Amazon is no longer publishing Maverick Games developed open world driving games that are expected to compete Forza Horizon. The shift is yet another reflection of Amazon's declining 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 former SEGA Hardlight studio head Harinder Sangha. Amazon signed on in May 2024 to publish the studio's unannounced open-world narrative racing game for PC and current-gen 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 working with Maverick on the untitled project.
Great racing games like Forza Horizon 5 (for those who don't own an Xbox)
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Maverick and Amazon's agreement expires 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 reflects a “strategic evolution” aimed at focusing on projects that leverage the company's “unique strengths and scale.” The two recently announced Tomb Raider games published by Amazon were cited as an example of such titles. An Amazon representative said of the breakup that the tech giant unilaterally released Maverick from its existing publishing deal.
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Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
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Maverick's debut title could have a new publisher by the end of 2026
Amazon said freeing Maverick from its obligations would give the British studio greater flexibility to seek a publishing partner better suited to bring its game to market. Maverick later acknowledged the split in a social media post, saying development on its open-world racing game is ongoing despite 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 looks forward to having more to share “later this year.” It remains unclear whether the company is signaling that a new publishing deal could be announced before the end of 2026 or is just planning to reveal more details about the project to attract a partner.
Although Maverick was founded by experienced developers and executives with extensive industry ties, a public reveal of its upcoming title could strengthen its position in negotiations by showing market interest. The company's open-world racing game has been in development for about three years as of February 2026, though it's 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. Although Maverick says work continues, the terms of its previous deal with Amazon have not been disclosed. If the deal included direct financing, the studio could face cost savings depending on how long it takes to secure a new partner, potentially delaying the project.
Maverick is still hiring for its mystery racing game
Issues with publishers 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 taking in 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, it is unclear to what extent the studio relies on outside partners.
As things currently stand, Mavericks' debut title could end up being a cross-generational release, even though it was originally announced for 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 “the game looks great.”
Sources: Maverick Games, Maverick Games / Twitter
