Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years working on iconic franchises such as Burnout and Need for Speed through Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and founded the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Just over three years later the fledgling studio is on the brink of releasing its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, a project published by the newly independent label 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 traditional 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 product didn’t fit the current market landscape. Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has pivoted its focus toward the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster is convinced there remains a viable audience for a Star Wars racing experience.
"Clearly we think there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game," he told GamesIndustry.biz. "We’re not the only ones who feel that way, and the reaction we get from people watching our videos and reading our 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 resurface. "As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience," Webster added.
According to Webster, modern gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before," and he believes Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The team set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racing while also asking, "What can we do when we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?" The answer, he explains, is tracks that climb the side of an active volcano, courses that feel like roller‑coasters, and environments that defy the physics of traditional road racing. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer aims to upend long‑standing conventions of the genre. Most racing games have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades, a formula Webster describes as "stale." He wants to tear that structure apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many contemporary racers, a rewind button eliminates risk, but Webster wants crashes to matter.
When a player crashes too often, they are sent back to the start of the run, yet they retain a portion of their meta‑progression, emerging in a slightly stronger position. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they are on their final allowable crash.
The game’s design is also heavily inspired by roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, which prioritize infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes, "so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven." By embedding procedural elements, branching pathways and persistent upgrades, Galactic Racer encourages players to experiment with different strategies on each run, keeping the experience fresh long after the initial launch.
Webster acknowledges that releasing a new IP in a crowded calendar is risky, especially with blockbuster titles like GTA 6 slated for November 19. Galactic Racer is set for an October 6 launch, a comfortable window that avoids direct competition while still landing amid a busy September‑October period that includes releases such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall.
He recalls past years when September felt “busy,” yet developers still managed to cut through the noise. "Someone said September looks crowded, but I remember the old ‘murderer’s row’ in the industry – October was always packed," he says, emphasizing that confidence tempered with realism is essential. The conversation inevitably turns to the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry.
Webster, who has witnessed a previous round of cuts about fifteen years ago, believes great teams produce great games, and great games find their audiences regardless of market turbulence. He argues that the current climate shows an aversion to risk, which paradoxically creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. "If you’re not willing to risk, you limit your own opportunities," he warns. Funding, however, has been a persistent obstacle for the newly formed studio.
"People told me it was brave to start an independent studio in 2023," he recalls. After 32 years at EA, the transition felt like stepping out of a bubble.
Webster’s answer was to lean on core principles: assemble a talented team, crystalize a creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that any plan will evolve. He stresses that engaged, motivated talent is the engine of success, and that leadership’s role is to nurture that motivation. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core team of around 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle.
Instead, the studio supplements its capabilities through external development partners. These collaborations range from straightforward outsourcing of assets to full co‑development arrangements where external studios participate in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and even share the codebase. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such partnerships, noting how attitudes have shifted from reluctant, transactional assistance to enthusiastic, values‑aligned cooperation.
Webster believes this hybrid model—small permanent core plus trusted external partners—offers a sustainable path to delivering AAA‑scale experiences on a reasonable budget. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer illustrates this point. Fuse Games was founded in January 2023; just three and a half years later the team has built a studio, assembled a team, learned Unreal Engine 5 from scratch, and produced a polished, high‑fidelity racing title. "It feels like an achievement, and we did it in a healthy, sustainable way," he says.
A notable aspect of Fuse’s culture is the blend of veteran expertise and fresh, younger talent. While several Criterion veterans anchor the studio, many of the developers are newcomers to the industry; one producer has never worked on a game before. Webster is enthusiastic about this dynamic, stating, "The young talent we’ve got is smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age.
It’s extraordinary. In fact, we’ve seen greater success with our younger developers than with some of the senior hires we’ve made." He observes that seasoned developers often prefer senior colleagues who can work independently, which can limit mentorship opportunities.
By focusing on nurturing younger staff, Fuse creates an environment where both senior and junior members feel engaged and motivated. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and must be realistic about the costs involved. He reflects on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with capital and many successful developers were encouraged to spin off their own studios, only to discover the challenges of independent operation.
"Money should go to great teams, not just to superstar creators," he argues, calling the myth of the solitary creative visionary "complete bullshit." In his view, games are always the product of collaborative effort. As for Fuse Games’ future beyond Galactic Racer, Webster remains cautiously optimistic. The launch is just the beginning, and the studio is already contemplating new opportunities and directions.
However, he stresses that flexibility and adaptability are essential for independent developers in today’s market. "We have ideas about where we want to go next, but we have to stay agile," he concludes.