The bet is about to be revealed to the world.
Four years after leaving one of gaming's most celebrated open-world racing franchises, Mike Brown and his founding team at Maverick Games are stepping into the light with their debut project — an independent AAA driving game built without the safety net of an established brand or a major platform holder. The studio weathered the loss of its Amazon publishing deal earlier this year, found new footing, and now stands at the threshold of a reveal that will test whether the craft behind Forza Horizon 5 belongs to a franchise or to the people who shaped it.
- A studio built by Forza Horizon 5 veterans is hours away from unveiling its first game — a moment four years in the making and freighted with industry significance.
- Amazon's abrupt withdrawal from its publishing deal earlier in 2026 threatened to silence the project before the world ever saw it.
- Mike Brown moved quickly to contain the damage, taking to social media to confirm the reveal was still on and that development had not broken stride.
- New publishing arrangements were secured, and the team — six senior leads drawn from Playground Games' racing division — kept building.
- The announcement now lands as a live question: can the architects of a beloved franchise create something equally compelling on their own terms?
Mike Brown spent years as creative director on Forza Horizon 5, helping define what a modern open-world racer could be. In 2022, he and five colleagues left Playground Games to build something independent. That studio, Maverick Games, will reveal its debut project on June 2 — an AAA open-world action-driving game for consoles and PC.
The road to this moment was not smooth. Earlier in 2026, Amazon stepped away from its publishing partnership with the studio. For many projects, that kind of disruption ends the story. Brown responded publicly, reassuring followers that development was continuing and the reveal was still coming. New publishing arrangements were made. The team held together.
And what a team it is. Alongside Brown, the founding group includes a producer, a technical director, leads in technical art, audio, and art direction — all veterans of Playground Games' racing division. These are people who have already delivered something millions of players love. Their last official word on the project came in January 2023, when they confirmed they were making a premium open-world game. Everything since has been silence.
What the reveal represents is larger than any single title. It is a test of whether the experience and instinct that made Forza Horizon 5 work can survive outside that franchise's infrastructure — without Microsoft's backing, without an established name to lean on. The fact that Maverick Games is still standing, still moving forward, still ready to show what they've built, suggests the answer may already be yes.
Mike Brown spent years shaping one of gaming's most successful open-world racing franchises. As creative director on Forza Horizon 5, he helped define what a modern arcade racer could be—vast, beautiful, full of possibility. Then he left. In 2022, Brown and five colleagues walked away from Playground Games to start something of their own. Now, four years later, that bet is about to be revealed to the world.
Maverick Games, the independent studio Brown founded, will show its debut project on June 2 at 11am London time. It's an AAA open-world action-driving game built for consoles and PC. The announcement comes after a turbulent spring. Earlier in 2026, Amazon—the studio's publishing partner—stepped back from the deal. For most projects, that would be a death knell. For Maverick Games, it was a setback that didn't stick. Brown quickly reassured people on social media that development was moving forward, that the reveal was still coming, that the team had found its way through.
The studio itself is a collection of senior talent drawn from Playground Games' racing division. Alongside Brown, the founding team includes Tom Butcher as producer, Matt Craven handling technical direction, Gareth Harwood leading technical art, Fraser Stachan overseeing audio, and Ben Penrose directing art. These are not junior developers learning on the job. These are people who have already made something that millions of players know and love. In January 2023, the studio confirmed it was working on a premium open-world game. That was the last official word until now.
What makes this moment significant is what it represents: a test of whether the people who made Forza Horizon 5 work can do it again outside that franchise's infrastructure, outside Microsoft's backing, without the weight of an established brand. Amazon's exit created real uncertainty. New publishing arrangements had to be made. Development had to prove it could survive the disruption. The fact that Brown and his team are still here, still moving forward, still ready to show what they've built, suggests they did.
In less than twelve hours from the time this story was published, the world will see what Maverick Games has been building in private. Whether it's a game that can stand alongside the work they did before, whether it can find its own identity in a crowded racing space, whether the team's experience translates into something players want to play—those questions will finally have answers. For now, the studio is ready. The announcement is coming.
Notable Quotes
Development was continuing to progress strongly and the game's announcement was still coming— Mike Brown, via social media, after Amazon's publishing exit
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that these specific people left Playground Games to start their own studio?
Because they didn't leave as junior developers or mid-level staff. Brown was the creative director of Forza Horizon 5—one of the most successful racing games of the last decade. When someone at that level walks away, it signals confidence in their own vision and usually means they felt constrained by the structure they were in.
And Amazon pulling out of the publishing deal—how serious was that?
It could have been fatal. Publishing deals are how independent studios fund development. When a major partner backs out mid-project, it often means the game dies or gets shelved indefinitely. The fact that Maverick Games didn't collapse suggests they either had savings, found another publisher quickly, or both.
What's the real question people should be asking about this reveal?
Whether these people can make something great without the Forza Horizon name attached. They proved they could execute at the highest level within an established franchise. But can they build something new that stands on its own? That's what this announcement will start to answer.
Why reveal it now, after Amazon's exit?
Probably because they needed to stabilize the project first. You don't announce a game while your publishing situation is in chaos. The fact that they're announcing now suggests they've solved that problem and are confident enough to show the world what they've made.
What should people watch for in the reveal?
The scope and ambition. Whether it feels like a spiritual successor to Forza Horizon or something genuinely different. And whether the team's experience shows in the polish and vision of what they're showing.