Video Game Director Launches New Studio to Blend Racing and Crime Stories

Mike Brown, who directed Forza Horizon 5, a popular racing game from Microsoft, has started his own company called Maverick Games. Their first game, Clutch, combines racing with crime storylines set in the French Riviera. It arrives spring 2027. The move shows talented game creators are increasingly leaving big companies to build games independently, though games mixing crime and racing have historically sold less well than pure racing or action games.