Matt Webster appeared destined for a lifelong career at Electronic Arts. He started with the company back in 1990 and spent nearly 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 studio is poised to ship 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 time when the racing genre has lost much of its mainstream momentum. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking that the market simply didn’t have room for another driving game. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted its focus away from racing toward the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster is convinced a niche exists 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 thinking that, and the response we get from our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” 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, allowing even the smallest niches to find larger follow‑ups. Webster argues that players are hungry for “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before,” and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that.
The studio set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also exploring what’s possible when you’re no longer limited by realistic tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explains.
“Sometimes it feels more like a roller‑coaster than a race.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions. Traditionally, racing games revolve around collecting cars—a formula that has stayed largely unchanged for two decades. Webster wants to tear that model apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
The title incorporates meaningful decision‑making, especially around crashes. In many modern racers, a rewind button nullifies the impact of a mistake; Galactic Racer re‑introduces consequences, making each crash matter.
If a player crashes too often, they’re sent back to the start, but they retain a portion of meta‑progress that puts them in a stronger position for the next attempt. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh their actions carefully, especially when they’re on their final allowed crash.
The design is also inspired by roguelike principles seen in games like Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, which prioritize infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability, so marrying it with roguelike structures feels like a match made in heaven,” Webster says. The idea is to create a game that feels fresh each time you play, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies and vehicle builds.
Releasing the game on October 6 places it a month before the highly anticipated GTA 6 launch on November 19, yet it follows other major releases such as Control Resonant and Silent Hill: Townfall on September 24. Webster notes that crowded pre‑Christmas windows are nothing new. “People used to call September ‘murderer’s row’ and October was always packed,” he recalls. He admits the market is competitive but maintains that Fuse Games approaches it with a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered by realistic expectations.
“Good games will find a way,” he adds, echoing a mantra that has guided him through industry ups and downs. Speaking about the recent wave of layoffs across the sector, Webster reflects on his long tenure. He remembers a similar contraction fifteen years ago and emphasizes that great teams produce great games, which in turn find audiences. He warns that the industry’s current aversion to risk can limit opportunities, but for those willing to take calculated bets, there’s room to innovate.
Funding an independent studio in 2023 proved challenging. “People said, ‘You’re brave starting an indie studio now,’” Webster recalls. After thirty‑two years at EA, the transition was a steep learning curve.
He leaned on core principles: assemble a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, and build disciplined plans that are always adaptable. He stresses that engaged, motivated talent is the engine of success, and that leadership’s role is to keep that talent inspired. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 staff members—by design.
Rather than expanding and contracting teams in the typical AAA fashion, the studio relies heavily on external partners to fill gaps. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing for asset creation with deeper co‑development relationships where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and even the codebase. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaboration, noting that today’s studios are eager to work across projects, keeping their workforce fresh and enthusiastic. Webster believes this small‑core‑plus‑trusted‑partners approach can deliver AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity on a sustainable budget.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—founded in January 2023 and ready for launch just three and a half years later—demonstrates the model’s viability. “We built a studio, a team, and a UE5‑powered game that none of us had previously mastered,” he says, describing the achievement as both impressive and sustainable.
The studio’s talent mix is another point of pride. While veteran Criterion alumni provide seasoned expertise, many younger developers have joined the project, including a producer with no prior game‑industry experience. “Our young talent is often smarter and more effective than I was at their age,” Webster admits.
He observes that senior developers sometimes prefer to work with equally senior peers, which can limit mentorship opportunities. By focusing on nurturing younger staff, Fuse Games has found a surprising edge.
Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to cultivate fresh talent, though the studio remains pre‑revenue at present. He cites Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model, acknowledging the costs involved but emphasizing the long‑term payoff. Reflecting on the industry’s past excesses, Webster recalls a period when successful games attracted abundant funding, prompting many creators to launch their own studios—often with unrealistic expectations. He argues that money should be directed toward strong teams rather than idolized “single creative visionaries,” a notion he calls “bullshit.” In reality, games are collaborative endeavors.
As for Fuse Games’ next steps, Webster admits the future is still being charted. The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to new opportunities while staying flexible and adaptable—a necessity for independent developers in today’s ever‑shifting market.