Maverick Games announced that it has fully modeled all the streets of Monaco in its open-world racing game, Clutch. Recognizing this as a poetic license, the studio intentionally enlarged the principality beyond real proportions to provide sufficient driving space. Thus, it is a complete Monaco, but larger than reality.
The British studio, composed of veterans from Playground Games, is led by Mike Brown, former creative director of Forza Horizon 5. He presented a new gameplay trailer for the game at the Future Games Show—a digital event held parallel to Gamescom in Cologne.
The game map is located on the French Riviera and extends far beyond the principality itself, including coastal roads, mountains, gorges, vineyards, and cities. Within Monaco, players can drive on both classic Formula 1 tracks and regular streets, with buildings individually modeled to avoid repeating standard facades.
The storyline follows brothers Theo and Cassian Marcial, professional racers by day and secret rivals by night. They participate in both the official RK1 tournament and street races.
The physics engine is the studio's own development and, according to the developers, is calibrated to penalize inaccuracy. However, one element deviates from realism: the cars are equipped with so-called Clutch Tech—'Forza'-style equipment. In the displayed images, one such car uses a harpoon to make a turn while hanging from a cable.
The game also features police chases, escape missions, collectibles, and a general open world. The Steam page offers single-player, multiplayer, and cross-platform multiplayer modes.
One detail that received little attention: Clutch changed distributors shortly before Gamescom. Initially, the game was supposed to be released through Amazon Games, but both companies terminated the partnership. On August 24th, the contract was signed with the French company Focus Entertainment, marking the publisher's first entry into the open-world racing genre.
The game is scheduled for release in Spring 2027 in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning between March and June, without a precise date set. The game will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The public was able to try a demo version for the first time in Cologne.