Amazon breaks its ties with Maverick Games and leaves its open-world car game in limbo

Amazon Game Studios has decided to end its publishing agreement with Maverick Games, which directly impacts the development of its highly anticipated open-world game. This decision adds to a series of recent setbacks for the company, which includes the closure of its MMORPG New World: Aeternum and the more recent King of Meat, which ended its cycle just five months after its launch. It’s not you, it’s me. 2024 had begun with the hope of a new alliance between Amazon and Maverick Games, announced in May and promising a AAA narrative project under the […]

Amazon Game Studios has decided to end its publishing agreement with Maverick Games, which directly impacts the development of its highly anticipated open-world game.

This decision adds to a series of recent setbacks for the company, including the closure of its MMORPG New World: Aeternum and the more recent King of Meat, which ended its cycle just five months after its release.

It’s not you, it’s me

2024 had begun with the hope of a new alliance between Amazon and Maverick Games, announced in May and promising an AAA narrative project under the direction of veterans like Mike Brown, co-founder of Maverick and former creative director of the Forza Horizon saga.

However, Amazon has strategically changed its focus, prioritizing projects that align with its business vision, such as the relaunch of its Luna platform and a new partnership with Crystal Dynamics for the development of Tomb Raider.

In a statement, Amazon emphasized its intention to release Maverick Games from the agreement so that the studio could continue its development without the shadow of a collaboration that no longer fit the company’s direction.

Despite the loss of Amazon as a publishing partner, Mike Brown and Harinder Sangha have stated that work on their game is ongoing and that they are seeking new allies to bring their vision to life, promising more updates throughout the year.

The situation is not isolated, as last year Amazon laid off a large part of its staff dedicated to MMOs, affecting not only New World, which will shut down permanently in 2026, but also other projects in development, such as an unannounced MMO based on The Lord of the Rings.

For now, the futures of these projects are uncertain without Amazon’s backing, although the intellectual property remains in the hands of the developers.

Author: Jesús Bosque

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