Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within Electronic Arts’ walls. He started at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years developing titles for Criterion, 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 UK studio called Fuse Games. Just over three years later the fledgling company is poised to ship its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, under the banner of the newly autonomous 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 time when racing games have generally slipped out of the spotlight. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking that the market simply didn’t have room for another racer.
Meanwhile Criterion itself has shifted focus from pure racing to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars‑styled speed experience.
“We clearly see a demand for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community feedback and the interest we get from videos and articles tell us we’re not the only ones who think so.” He points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical.
After a period dominated by shooters, other types inevitably resurface. “As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger audience,” Webster said. He believes players are craving "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. Fuse’s design philosophy embraces the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What could we do if we weren’t limited by tyres and tarmac?” The answer includes wildly imaginative tracks that climb the side of an active volcano or twist like a roller‑coaster.
Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions. Traditionally, racers have relied on a car‑collection model that has remained unchanged for two decades. Webster wants to tear that model apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
One of those borrowed ideas is the emphasis on meaningful consequences. In many modern racers, a rewind button erases the impact of a crash, diluting tension.
Galactic Racer re‑introduces stakes: crashing too often sends you back to the start, though you retain a sliver of meta‑progression that puts you in a slightly stronger position. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they’re on their final allowed crash and the race is entering a critical phase. The game’s structure also draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability.
"Racing thrives on replayability," Webster explains, "so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven." The result is a title that encourages players to experiment, learn from failures, and keep coming back for fresh runs. Launching in a crowded calendar, Galactic Racer is set for October 6, comfortably ahead of GTA 6’s November 19 release but close to other heavyweight launches like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall on September 24.
Webster acknowledges the competitive environment, noting that September has historically been a busy month, yet he remains confident. "Good games will find a way," he says, echoing a mantra that has guided him through industry downturns. Speaking about the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, Webster reflects on his long tenure.
He recalls a previous round of cuts about fifteen years ago and observes that great teams produce great games, which in turn attract audiences. He warns that an industry-wide aversion to risk can stifle innovation, but also creates opportunities for studios willing to make calculated bets. Funding an independent studio in 2023 proved challenging. After three decades at EA, Webster found himself navigating a new reality where investors were skeptical of indie ventures.
He emphasizes the importance of core principles: assembling a talented team, sharpening a creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve. "Engaged and motivated talent makes great things," he says, underscoring the studio’s commitment to nurturing its people. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core team of around 75 developers, a deliberate choice to avoid the typical industry pattern of rapid expansion and contraction.
Instead, the studio leans on external partners for additional capacity, ranging from transactional outsourcing to full co‑development where outside studios participate in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and code repositories. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s external studios are eager to work on varied projects, keeping their staff fresh and enthusiastic. Webster believes this hybrid model—small permanent core plus trusted external partners—offers a sustainable path for AAA‑scale projects on a reasonable budget.
The speed at which Galactic Racer has been built supports that claim: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years the team delivered a UE5‑powered game despite none of them having prior experience with the engine. A notable aspect of Fuse’s roster is the infusion of younger talent alongside Criterion veterans. Some producers have never worked in games before.
"The young developers we’ve hired are often smarter and more effective than we were at their age," Webster remarks, adding that nurturing junior staff has proven more successful than relying solely on senior hires. He envisions an intern program in the future, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must manage the costs of talent development wisely. Looking back to a time when the industry was flush with cash, Webster recalls how successful teams were given seed money to spin off their own studios, only to discover the reality was far tougher than expected. He critiques the lingering myth of the "lone creative visionary," calling it "bullshit" and insisting that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors.
As for what lies beyond Galactic Racer, Webster admits the roadmap is still forming. The launch is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities, always keeping flexibility and adaptability at the forefront.
The overarching message is clear: by combining a focused core team, strategic external partnerships, and a willingness to experiment with genre conventions, Fuse Games hopes to prove that even niche ideas—like a Star Wars arcade racer—can capture the imagination of a growing, diverse gaming audience.