Forza Horizon may soon have some competition. Amazon Games announced today that it has struck a deal with Maverick Games for a “narrative-led open-world driving game,” which is set to release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Maverick Games, a studio spearheaded by numerous Playground Games veterans, is leading development on the new project. The studio’s leadership includes Forza Horizon 5 creative director Mike Brown.
“We founded Maverick Games with a clear vision: to build a developer-first studio that would foster an environment of creativity and risk-taking,” Brown said in a statement. “This approach empowers our team to produce the most exceptional work of their careers. And ultimately, that means we are creating a game that our players are going to fall in love with.
“As we got to know the team at Amazon Games it quickly became clear that we had a shared ethos – a commitment to giving developers the space to really innovate in service of crafting experiences that players will find truly special. Without giving too much away, I will share that the team here is buzzing with excitement about our game and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
Billed as a AAA project, the untitled game may be more story-driven than the Forza Horizon games. Its lead writer is Jamie Brittain, whose work includes the British teen drama Skins. In a 2023 interview with RPS, Brittain talked about bringing a TV writing process to the studio.
“Narrative and storytelling is fundamental to being a human being, and people who are good writers are just a little bit better at expressing that,” he said. “If you talk to anyone for long enough, they’ve got a story. And if you tell someone a story, people have got opinions on it. For me, that’s always been the magic of a writers’ room. Ninety percent of all the best TV shows you’ve ever seen are made that way. And it’s a gloriously fun way of doing things.”
Amazon Games has not announced a release date or a title for the new game. Its other upcoming projects include Tomb Raider, a new Lord of the Rings MMO, and NCSoft’s Throne and Liberty. Expect more news from Amazon Games when Summer Game Fest and IGN Live kick off next week.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
