Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while they were under the Criterion banner, a studio 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 release its debut title, *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, published by the newly autonomous label Secret Mode.
The timing of *Galactic Racer* is noteworthy. The last Star Wars‑themed racing game, *Racer Revenge*, hit shelves in 2002 – a full 24 years ago. In the intervening decades, the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream appeal.
Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market didn’t seem to accommodate that kind of game. Meanwhile Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has shifted its focus to the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a market exists for a Star Wars racing experience. “We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told *GamesIndustry.biz*.
“Our community, the people who watch our videos and read our articles, tells us we’re not alone in that belief.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical. While shooters dominated the conversation for a while, other genres inevitably resurface as the player base broadens. “As more and more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience,” Webster said.
Webster believes gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before," and he feels *Galactic Racer* delivers exactly that. The studio’s vision is to blend the instant gratification of classic arcade racing with imaginative, physics‑defying environments that would be impossible in a conventional car‑on‑asphalt setting.
“We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explained. “Sometimes it feels like a roller‑coaster.” Beyond the thrill rides, Fuse is deliberately subverting long‑standing racing conventions. Most racing games rely on a car‑collection model that has barely changed in two decades. Webster wants to tear that structure apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
The game incorporates meaningful consequences for player actions, especially crashes. In many modern racers a rewind button erases failure, but *Galactic Racer* re‑introduces risk: crashing too often sends you back to the start, though you retain a degree of meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position the next run. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they’re on their final allowable crash.
The design is also inspired by roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*, which emphasize infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability," Webster noted, "so pairing it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven." The game’s procedural elements, persistent upgrades, and the ever‑present threat of resetting the run aim to keep players engaged long after they finish the initial campaign. Releasing the game in October also reflects a strategic awareness of the crowded release calendar.
*Galactic Racer* is slated for launch on October 6, a comfortable gap before the highly anticipated *GTA 6* due November 19, yet it follows other major releases such as *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* on September 24. Webster acknowledges the competitive environment but maintains a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered by realism. “Good games will find a way,” he said, echoing a mantra that has guided him through industry ups and downs. Speaking about the broader context, Webster reflected on the wave of layoffs that has swept the sector.
Having witnessed a similar contraction fifteen years ago, he stresses that strong teams produce great games, and great games attract audiences. He also observes a pervasive aversion to risk among large publishers, which he sees as opening opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to risk, you limit yourself,” he warned.
Funding, however, remains a hurdle for new independent studios. Webster recounted the skepticism he faced when announcing Fuse in 2023: “People were like, ‘you’re brave doing an independent studio in 2023.’” After 32 years at EA, he had to adopt a different mindset—building a tight‑knit team, sharpening a clear creative vision, and staying disciplined while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve.
Fuse operates with a relatively modest core team of around 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles that plague many AAA projects. Instead, the studio leans on external partners for additional capacity.
This hybrid model ranges from straightforward outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development, where external studios attend daily stand‑ups, join Slack channels, and contribute directly to the codebase. Webster highlighted the UK’s mature development ecosystem as especially conducive to such collaborations, noting a cultural shift from reluctant, transactional assistance to enthusiastic, values‑aligned partnerships.
According to Webster, this approach proves that a AAA‑scale game—by scope, visual fidelity and ambition—can be delivered on a sustainable budget when a small permanent team is supplemented by trusted external contributors. The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer* underscores this point: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and three and a half years later the team has produced a complete UE5‑based title despite initially lacking deep Unreal Engine expertise. The studio’s talent mix also reflects a commitment to nurturing the next generation of developers. Alongside the veteran Criterion alumni, Fuse has recruited many younger creators, even hiring a producer with no prior game‑industry experience.
"The young talent we have is incredibly smart and effective—often more so than I was at their age," Webster said. He believes that fostering junior staff not only fuels innovation but also creates a more engaging work environment than relying solely on seasoned developers who may prefer minimal interaction. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship pipeline to further develop emerging talent, though he cautions that Fuse is still pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully. He draws inspiration from Criterion’s successful intern programs and acknowledges that building talent requires upfront investment and realistic expectations.
Reflecting on a period when the industry was flush with capital, Webster recalls how many successful developers were given the chance to start their own studios, only to discover the challenges of independent production. He argues that funding should target strong teams rather than singular “creative visionaries,” which he dismisses as a myth. "Games are made by collaborations of individuals," he insisted.
As for Fuse’s future beyond *Galactic Racer*, Webster admits the roadmap is still forming. The launch will be just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities while staying flexible and adaptable—a necessity for independent developers navigating today’s volatile market.