Amazon Game Studios has confirmed that it will no longer be publishing the narrative-focussed racing game in development at Maverick Games.
Speaking in a statement to The Game Business, a spokesperson for Amazon had the following to offer:
As part of our strategic evolution to focus on projects that leverage Amazon’s unique strengths and scale, including the recent re-launch of Luna and our Tomb Raider franchise partnership with Crystal Dynamics, we have decided to release Maverick Games from their publishing agreement with Amazon Game Studios.
We have tremendous respect for the Maverick Games team and the compelling narrative-led driving experience they’re creating. This decision allows Maverick Games the flexibility to find a publishing partner whose strategic priorities are better aligned with bringing their game to market. We’re proud of what we accomplished together during our partnership and wish them every success in the future.
Maverick Games was established in 2022 and fronted by Mike Brown, who served as creative director on Forza Horizon 5. The team is comprised of a number of veterans from Playground Games, and had confirmed previously it was working on a “premium open-world game for consoles and PC.”
Back in October 2025, it was reported that Amazon Games has cancelled its The Lord of the Rings MMO following a number of layoffs were announced at the company. In addition, the studio revealed that it was stepping away from the development of MMO titles, which would explain why the Lord of the Rings title was apparently scrapped.
[Source – The Game Business]