Amazon Steps Back as Publisher for Ex-Forza Horizon Devs' Open-World Racer
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Amazon has ended its publishing agreement for Maverick Games' upcoming narrative open-world driving game, prompting the ex-Forza Horizon developers to seek a new publishing partner as Amazon narrows its focus to Tomb Raider and cloud streaming.
Amazon has officially stepped down from its publishing duties for the upcoming story-driven open-world driving game from Maverick Games, as reported by The Game Business and covered by Rock Paper Shotgun. The UK-based studio, founded in 2022 by industry veterans including former Forza Horizon 5 creative director Mike Brown, is now searching for a new partner to bring its debut title to market. Amazon confirmed the shift as part of a broader corporate strategy to narrow its internal focus toward major projects like Tomb Raider and its Luna cloud gaming ecosystem, a pivot that has already resulted in layoffs and the wind-down of other titles like New World.
Despite losing their publisher, studio leadership remains optimistic about the project's trajectory. Maverick co-founder Brown and studio head Harinder Sangha stated that development is moving forward strongly and that they are already in active conversations with alternative partners who share their long-term vision for the intellectual property. The team plans to share more details later this year, suggesting the split was mutual or at least anticipated enough to avoid throwing the studio into complete disarray.
What makes this project worth watching is its ambition to shake up a traditionally mechanical genre by prioritizing character and narrative. Maverick brought in Jamie Brittain, co-creator of the television series Skins, to serve as lead writer, aiming to build flawed, relatable characters rather than the one-dimensional avatars typical of racing games. While story-heavy racers have historically delivered mixed results, the pedigree of the development team means this open-world project remains one of the most intriguing upcoming titles on the horizon.
Tags: Maverick Games, Amazon Games, Racing Games, Industry News, Rock Paper Shotgun
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun