Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He began his tenure at the publisher in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed, before EA acquired it in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster joined forces with fellow Criterion alumni—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 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 time when the racing genre has struggled to maintain mainstream appeal. 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 seem to need another racer. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus away from racing and now works on the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars‑based racing experience.
“We clearly 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 response we get from people watching our videos and reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical. “Shooters dominated for a while, but that’s not the only genre that can thrive.
As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger following.” Webster believes gamers are looking for “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before,” and he feels *Galactic Racer* delivers on that promise. The team set out to capture the instant gratification of an arcade‑style racer while also asking, “What can we do when we’re not limited by tyres and tarmac?” The answer, according to Webster, is tracks that climb the sides of active volcanoes and courses that feel more like roller‑coasters than traditional circuits.
Beyond the high‑octane thrills, *Galactic Racer* seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Most racers have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades, a formula Webster describes as “ready‑made and stale.” Instead, his studio is borrowing mechanics from other genres, particularly roguelikes such as *Hades*, *Returnal*, and *Slay the Spire*.
Those games are built around infinite replayability, a quality that dovetails naturally with racing’s competitive loop. In *Galactic Racer*, crashes carry weight: a player who crashes too often is sent back to the start, but they retain a portion of meta‑progression that puts them in a stronger position for the next run.
This risk‑reward system forces players to weigh the consequences of reckless driving, re‑introducing stakes that many modern AAA racers have softened with rewind features. Webster sees this design philosophy as a bold departure from the hand‑holding that has become commonplace in big‑budget titles.
He acknowledges that the game will launch into a crowded calendar—October 6, sandwiched between the massive releases of *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* on September 24, and a few weeks ahead of the highly anticipated *GTA 6* slated for November 19. Yet he points out that the industry has weathered even busier pre‑Christmas windows before. “People used to call September ‘murderers’ row,’ and October was always packed,” he notes.
“We have a healthy confidence, tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out.” When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his long tenure and the earlier round of cuts fifteen years ago. “Great teams make great games, and great games find an audience,” he says. He observes a current aversion to risk, which he believes creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to push boundaries, you limit your own chances,” he adds.
Funding, however, has not been easy for Fuse Games. Starting an independent studio in 2023, after three decades at EA, was a steep learning curve. Webster describes the process as “brave” and emphasizes the importance of building a solid core team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining discipline while staying adaptable.
The studio now consists of roughly 75 people—a modest size for a AAA‑scale project. This deliberate limitation is meant to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles that plague many larger developers.
Instead, Fuse relies heavily on external partners to fill gaps, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development where outside studios sit in on daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even share codebases. The UK, Webster argues, is an ideal hub for this collaborative model due to its mature game‑development ecosystem. In the past, external studios were reluctant to assist, preferring to focus on their own projects.
Today, many companies hire talent eager to work across different teams, keeping the workforce fresh and motivated. “From our perspective, you can deliver a AAA‑level game in scope, scale, and visual fidelity on a sustainable budget by leveraging trusted partners,” he says, noting that the rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer* proves the model works. “We started Fuse in January 2023; three and a half years later we have a studio, a team, and a game built on Unreal Engine 5 that none of us knew at the outset.” Fuse’s roster blends veteran Criterion staff with a wave of younger developers, some of whom have never worked in games before.
Webster is enthusiastic about this infusion of fresh talent. “They’re smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age,” he remarks, adding that the studio has seen greater success with younger hires than with some senior recruits.
He believes nurturing junior talent not only benefits the newcomers but also energizes seasoned developers, creating a mutually motivating environment. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue. He cites Criterion’s historic intern initiatives as a model and acknowledges the cost of developing talent but sees it as an investment in the studio’s long‑term health.
Reflecting on the industry’s past fixation on the “lone creative visionary,” Webster dismisses the notion as “bullshit.” He argues that games are always the product of collaborative effort, and the focus on singular auteurs has diverted resources away from strong teams. “If you’re not a solo developer, you need a crew,” he says bluntly. As for Fuse’s next steps, the future remains fluid. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and Webster hints that the studio is already brainstorming new opportunities.
“Independent developers need to stay flexible and adaptable,” he concludes, underscoring the studio’s commitment to evolving with the market while staying true to its core values.