Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He began his tenure at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years contributing to the iconic Burnout and Need for Speed series while working at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004.
Yet in early 2023 Webster, together with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Just three and a half years later the fledgling studio is poised to release its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, under the banner of the newly independent publisher Secret Mode.
The timing of Galactic Racer’s arrival is noteworthy. The last Star Wars‑themed racing game, Racer Revenge, hit shelves in 2002 – a full 24 years ago.
In the intervening decades, pure racing games have struggled to maintain a prominent place in the market. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the project didn’t fit the current market landscape. Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has pivoted to focus on the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists for a Star Wars racing experience.
“We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars‑based racer,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community feedback – video views, article reads – suggests we’re not the only ones who think there’s appetite for this.” He points out that gaming genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other genres inevitably resurface as player tastes evolve.
"As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger audience," Webster added. Webster believes gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers on that promise. The studio’s design philosophy embraces the instant gratification of classic arcade racing while also asking, "What can we do when we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?" This question leads to wildly imaginative tracks that climb the side of an active volcano or twist like a roller‑coaster, offering a sense of spectacle that traditional simulators rarely provide. Beyond visual flair, Galactic Racer aims to overturn long‑standing conventions of the racing genre.
For roughly two decades, the core loop of most racers has revolved around collecting cars, upgrading them, and then racing again. Webster wants to "rip that up" and borrow mechanics from other genres. One such influence is the roguelike tradition exemplified by games like Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire. These titles are built around infinite replayability, procedural variation, and meaningful consequences for player choices – elements that Webster believes align perfectly with the repeat‑play nature of racing.
A concrete example of this hybrid design is the handling of crashes. In many modern racers, a "rewind" button erases the penalty of a mistake, making crashes feel inconsequential. Galactic Racer reintroduces stakes: each crash pushes the player closer to a reset, but some meta‑progression carries over, granting a stronger starting position on the next attempt.
As Webster explains, "When you’re on your last crash and your systems are critical, you actually feel the risk and have to decide whether to push forward or play it safe." This risk‑reward dynamic marks a deliberate departure from the hand‑holding typical of many AAA releases. Yet Webster acknowledges the competitive environment, especially with heavyweight titles like GTA 6 slated for a November 19 launch. Galactic Racer is set for an October 6 release, giving it a respectable window before the blockbuster, but still landing amid a busy September–October slate that includes releases such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall.
Webster is undaunted by crowded release calendars. He recalls past industry chatter about "murderers' row" in September and notes that October has historically been packed as well. "The market is competitive, but we have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might unfold," he says. "Good games find a way, and we’re hoping ours does too." When the conversation turns to the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, Webster draws on his decades‑long perspective.
He remembers a similar contraction fifteen years ago and emphasizes a timeless truth: great teams produce great games, and great games attract audiences. He warns that an industry-wide aversion to risk can stifle innovation, yet he also sees opportunity for studios willing to take calculated bets. "If you’re not willing to risk, you limit yourself and miss the chance to create something unique," he notes.
Launching an independent studio in 2023 has not been without its hurdles. Funding proved elusive; many investors questioned the wisdom of starting a new studio in a turbulent market. Webster reflects on his 32‑year tenure at EA, describing the transition as stepping out of a bubble into a world where the only constants are a solid team, a clear creative vision, disciplined planning, and the willingness to adapt when plans inevitably go awry. He stresses that motivated talent is the engine of success, and that nurturing that talent is a core responsibility of leadership.
Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core team of about 75 people – a size more typical of a mid‑tier studio than a traditional AAA developer. This intentional decision avoids the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles that have plagued many large developers. Instead, Fuse relies heavily on external partners to fill skill gaps, employing a hybrid model that blends pure outsourcing (transactional asset creation) with deep co‑development (external studios participating in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even sharing codebases).
Webster highlights the UK’s mature game development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s studios are eager to work across multiple projects, keeping their staff fresh and motivated. According to Webster, this blended approach proves that a AAA‑scale game – in terms of scope, visual fidelity, and ambition – can be produced on a sustainable budget when a small permanent core is supplemented by trusted external teams that share the same values. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer underscores this point: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years the team built a studio, assembled a workforce, learned Unreal Engine 5 from scratch, and delivered a polished, market‑ready title.
Another noteworthy aspect of Fuse’s strategy is its emphasis on young talent. While the studio includes several Criterion veterans, many of its developers are newcomers to the industry, with at least one producer who had never worked on a game before joining the project.
Webster praises this fresh perspective, claiming that younger staff often bring a level of intelligence and efficiency that surpasses what he could achieve at the same age. He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who require minimal interaction, a mindset that can hinder mentorship and growth.
By actively seeking and nurturing younger creators, Fuse hopes to build a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Looking ahead, Webster envisions formalizing an internship program to further develop emerging talent, though he acknowledges that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must tread carefully.
He draws inspiration from Criterion’s successful intern pipelines, emphasizing that such programs come with costs but also with long‑term benefits for both the individuals and the studio. Reflecting on the era when the industry was flush with cash, Webster recalls how many successful teams received funding to spin off their own studios, only to discover the challenges of operating independently. He argues that money should be allocated to strong teams rather than to the myth of a single "creative visionary" – a notion he dismisses as "fucking bullshit." In his view, games are the product of collaborative effort, not solitary genius.
As for Fuse Games’ next steps, the future remains fluid. The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio is already exploring potential follow‑up projects. However, Webster stresses that independent developers must stay adaptable, ready to pivot based on market conditions and creative opportunities. The journey from EA veteran to indie studio founder has been fraught with obstacles, but Webster’s belief in risk‑taking, youthful energy, and a balanced development model suggests that Fuse Games is positioned to navigate the ever‑changing landscape of the video‑game industry.