Amazon Abandons Its Open World Driving Game with Maverick Games

Amazon has officially terminated its publishing agreement with UK-based developer Maverick Games for an unannounced open-world driving title. This decision marks a continuation of Amazon’s broader strategic shift to scale back its internal game development and publishing operations. The move follows a series of recent organizational changes at Amazon Game Studios, including the departure of head Christoph Hartmann and the cancellation or divestment of several other projects, such as the New World: Aeternum MMO and the MOBA March of Giants.

Despite the loss of its publishing partner, Maverick Games—a studio founded in 2022 by former Forza Horizon creative director Mike Brown—confirmed that development of the AAA narrative-led project remains ongoing. The studio is currently seeking a new publishing partner to bring the title to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X. Both parties characterized the separation as a mutual decision intended to provide the developer with greater flexibility to align with a partner whose strategic priorities better match the game’s long-term vision.

Amazon intends to narrow its focus toward specific core strengths, most notably the continued support of its Luna cloud gaming service and its ongoing partnership with Crystal Dynamics on the Tomb Raider franchise. The company remains committed to the release of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis in 2026 and Tomb Raider Catalyst in 2027, alongside a television adaptation currently in production. This pivot reflects a refined corporate strategy aimed at prioritizing established intellectual property and platform infrastructure over a broader portfolio of experimental game publishing ventures.