Matt Webster appeared destined for a lifelong career at Electronic Arts, having joined the company in 1990 and spending nearly twenty years at Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed that EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, he and several former Criterion colleagues—Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant—decided to break away and launch 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, 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 lost some of its mainstream steam. 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 didn’t seem to have a clear fit for the project. Meanwhile Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has shifted its focus to the Battlefield franchise.
Despite these signals, Webster is convinced a market exists for a new 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 to our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that gaming trends are cyclical. “Shooters dominated for a while, but that’s not the only genre that can capture players’ attention.
As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger audience.” Webster argues that gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he sees Galactic Racer as delivering exactly that. The team set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also asking, "What can we do once we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?" The answer, he says, includes tracks that climb the sides of active volcanoes and courses that feel like roller‑coasters. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions.
Traditional racers have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades; Webster wants to tear that apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. He emphasizes consequential decision‑making, using crashes as a meaningful penalty. In many modern racers a rewind button eliminates risk, but Fuse re‑introduces stakes: too many crashes send you back to the start, though you retain some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position on the next run. This risk‑reward loop, he explains, forces players to weigh their actions, especially when they’re down to their final crash.
The game’s structure draws inspiration from roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—titles built around infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes, "so pairing it with roguelike design feels like a match made in heaven." By blending procedural elements, persistent upgrades, and permanent consequences, Galactic Racer aims to keep players returning for fresh runs, each with new strategic considerations.
Launching on October 6, the title lands well before the highly anticipated GTA 6 release slated for November 19, yet after other major September launches like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall. Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar but reminds us that busy release windows are nothing new. "People used to call October ‘murderers’ row,’" he says, noting that Fuse approaches the market with a "healthy sense of confidence" tempered by realism.
"Good games find a way," he adds, echoing a mantra he’s heard throughout his long industry career. Reflecting on the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, Webster stresses that great teams produce great games, which in turn find audiences. He observes a pervasive aversion to risk in today’s studios, arguing that this creates opportunities for those willing to make calculated bets.
Yet he admits that founding an independent studio in 2023 has been challenging, particularly in securing funding. After 32 years at EA, he found himself navigating a new reality, relying on core principles: building a strong team, refining a clear creative vision, and staying disciplined while remaining adaptable. Fuse Games operates with a relatively small core staff—about 75 people—by design. Rather than expanding and contracting teams in the classic AAA fashion, they supplement their internal talent with external partners.
This hybrid model ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development, where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even the codebase. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as especially conducive to this collaborative approach, noting that many companies now hire developers eager to work across varied projects, keeping the workforce fresh and motivated.
Webster believes this lean‑plus‑partner model can deliver AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity on a more sustainable budget. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—just three and a half years from Fuse’s founding to a near‑complete product built on Unreal Engine 5—demonstrates the viability of the approach. "We started Fuse in January 2023 and have built a studio, a team, and a game on an engine none of us previously mastered," he says, calling the achievement both impressive and sustainable. A notable aspect of Fuse’s workforce is the infusion of younger talent alongside seasoned veterans.
One of the producers on Galactic Racer had never worked in games before joining the project. Webster praises the energy and ingenuity of these newcomers, claiming they often outperform older developers in both creativity and efficiency. He argues that nurturing young talent is more beneficial than relying solely on senior staff who may prefer minimal interaction. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further develop emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue.
He draws on Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model, acknowledging the cost and commitment required to cultivate the next generation of developers. When recalling the industry’s boom years five or six years ago, Webster notes that many well‑funded studios handed money to star developers who later struggled to run their own studios. He criticizes the fixation on a singular creative visionary, calling it "bullshit" and emphasizing that games are always collaborative efforts. "Unless you’re a solo indie, games are made by teams of individuals," he asserts.
As for Fuse’s future beyond Galactic Racer, Webster admits plans are still fluid. The launch is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to new opportunities and ideas. Flexibility and adaptability, he says, are essential for independent developers navigating today’s unpredictable market.