Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within Electronic Arts. He started at the company in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to titles from the Criterion stable, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed, which EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch an independent studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. 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.
Galactic Racer arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing game, 2002’s Racer Revenge, and it does so at a moment when the racing genre has generally receded from the spotlight. Recent industry news underscores that shift: Amazon walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating the project didn’t fit the market. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has moved away from pure racing experiences to focus on the Battlefield franchise.
Despite those signals, Webster is convinced there is still a viable audience for a Star Wars racing experience. “We clearly believe there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We’re not the only ones who think that, and the reaction we get from our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably re‑emerge as players seek fresh, compelling experiences they haven’t yet encountered.
In Webster’s view, Galactic Racer is designed to satisfy that craving for novelty. The design philosophy behind the game is rooted in classic arcade gratification while also exploring what becomes possible when developers are no longer constrained by realistic physics.
“We wanted to capture the instant thrill of arcade racing, but also ask what you can do when you’re not limited by tyres and tarmac,” Webster explained. This freedom manifests in tracks that climb the side of an active volcano or twist through environments that feel more like roller‑coasters than conventional circuits. Beyond the high‑octane visuals, Galactic Racer deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions.
Traditionally, racing games have relied on a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades. Webster argues it’s time to tear that model apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One such mechanic is meaningful consequence for crashes.
In many modern racers, a rewind button nullifies the impact of a mistake, removing tension. Fuse’s approach restores risk: crashing too often forces the player back to the start, though some meta‑progression carries over, placing the player in a slightly stronger position. This creates a palpable sense of stakes, especially when a player is on their final allowable crash and must weigh risk versus reward.
The game’s structure also draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire, which are built for infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability,” Webster notes, “so marrying it with roguelike loops feels like a match made in heaven.” The result is a title that encourages players to experiment, learn from failure, and return for another run, each time with a small but meaningful advantage. Webster acknowledges that launching a new IP in a crowded calendar is risky, especially with heavyweight releases like GTA 6 slated for November 19. Galactic Racer’s October 6 launch lands a few weeks before that blockbuster but after other major titles such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, which dropped on September 24.
He reflects that crowded September windows have been a longstanding reality in the industry—historically referred to as “Murderer’s Row”—and that October has always been busy. Fuse Games therefore approaches the market with “a healthy sense of confidence,” tempered by realistic expectations.
The conversation also turned to the broader industry climate, including recent waves of layoffs. Webster, who has witnessed a similar contraction about fifteen years ago, believes great teams produce great games, and great games find audiences. He warns that an industry-wide aversion to risk can stifle innovation, yet it also opens doors for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to risk, you limit opportunity,” he says.
Funding an independent studio in 2023 has been far from easy. Webster recounts how peers questioned his decision to leave a secure EA position after 32 years and start a new venture. He emphasizes a core set of principles: assemble a talented, engaged team; refine a clear creative vision; maintain disciplined planning while accepting that plans will evolve; and constantly motivate the talent.
These tenets, he believes, are essential for sustainable development. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 people—by design.
Rather than expanding and contracting staff in the typical AAA fashion, the studio relies heavily on external partners to fill skill gaps. This model ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even the codebase. Webster highlights the UK’s mature game‑development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s external studios are eager to work on varied projects, keeping their teams fresh and motivated. Webster is convinced that this hybrid model can deliver AAA‑level scope, scale, and visual fidelity on a sustainable budget.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—starting in January 2023 and reaching a launch-ready state in just three and a half years—demonstrates the viability of the approach. The team also integrated many younger developers, some of whom had never worked in games before.
“Our young talent is often smarter and more effective than I was at their age,” he says, adding that nurturing junior staff has proven more successful than relying solely on senior hires. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate fresh talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully. He reflects on a period five or six years ago when abundant funding allowed successful teams to spin off their own studios, only for many to discover the challenges of independence. He criticizes the industry’s lingering obsession with a single “creative visionary,” calling it “bullshit” and insisting that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors.
As for Fuse Games’ next steps, the future remains open‑ended. The studio plans to treat the launch of Galactic Racer as just the beginning, remaining flexible and adaptable to new opportunities as they arise.
The overarching message is clear: with a committed team, innovative design, and a willingness to embrace risk, even niche concepts like a Star Wars arcade racer can find a growing audience in today’s diverse gaming landscape.