Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He began his tenure in 1990 and spent almost twenty years at Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed that 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 the independent UK studio 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 moment when traditional racing games have slipped out of the mainstream spotlight.
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 project didn’t fit the market. Criterion itself has shifted focus away from pure racing, devoting its resources to the Battlefield franchise.
Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still demand for a Star Wars 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 feedback we get from our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that gaming genres tend to be cyclical. “We’ve had a period where shooters dominated, but that’s not the only genre that can thrive.
As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger following.” Webster believes players are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The studio’s vision was to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What can we do when we’re not limited by tyres and tarmac?” The answer, he says, includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel like roller‑coasters, offering thrills that go beyond ordinary road racing.
Beyond the arcade spectacle, Galactic Racer aims to upend long‑standing genre conventions. Most racing games have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades.
Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. The game introduces meaningful consequences for player actions, such as crashes.
In many modern racers a rewind button erases penalties, but Fuse wants those mistakes to matter. “If you crash too often you’re sent back to the start, though you retain some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position,” he explains.
“When you’re on your last crash, the risk feels real and you have to weigh your choices carefully.” The design is heavily inspired by roguelike titles like Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built for infinite replayability. Webster notes that racing inherently benefits from repeat play, making the marriage of roguelike persistence and high‑speed competition a “match made in heaven.” This approach encourages players to experiment, learn from failures, and keep returning for fresh runs, rather than simply grinding for new cars. Launching the game on October 6 places it between two heavyweight releases: Rockstar’s highly anticipated GTA 6 slated for November 19, and September’s blockbuster titles Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall. Some industry observers warned that September would be crowded, but Webster recalls that even October has historically been jam‑packed, referring to past “Murderer’s Row” release windows.
He acknowledges the competition but says Fuse Games approaches it with “a healthy sense of confidence” tempered by a realistic outlook. “Good games find a way,” he says, echoing a mantra that has guided him through industry cycles.
Webster also reflects on the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector. Having lived through a similar downsizing period fifteen years ago, he stresses that strong teams create great games, and great games attract audiences.
He warns that an industry-wide aversion to risk can stifle innovation, but also creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. Starting a new studio in 2023 has not been easy. Funding was scarce, and many questioned the wisdom of launching an independent studio after three decades at EA.
Webster describes the experience as “a bubble” he had to burst, relying on core principles: building a talented team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve. He emphasizes that engaged, motivated talent is the engine behind any successful project. Fuse Games remains relatively small for a title of AAA ambition, employing about 75 people.
This deliberate size avoids the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow” cycle. Instead, the studio leans on external development partners to fill gaps, ranging from transactional outsourcing to full co‑development where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and codebases as if they were internal teams.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting a cultural shift from reluctant assistance to enthusiastic partnership. The result, he believes, is a sustainable model for producing AAA‑scale games on a more manageable budget. The rapid development timeline—starting Fuse in January 2023 and delivering a finished UE5‑based game in just three and a half years—demonstrates the viability of this approach.
A notable aspect of Fuse’s roster is the infusion of younger developers alongside Criterion veterans. Some producers have never worked in games before. Webster praises this fresh talent, saying they often outperform more senior colleagues in creativity and efficiency.
He argues that nurturing young talent is as rewarding for veterans as it is for newcomers, prompting the studio to adjust its hiring strategy toward emerging talent. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program, though the studio is still pre‑revenue. He points to Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model, while acknowledging the cost and effort required to develop new talent. Reflecting on a period when the industry was flush with cash, Webster recalls how many successful teams received funding to start their own studios, only to discover the challenges were greater than expected.
He criticizes the lingering fixation on the “single creative visionary” myth, calling it “bullshit” and insisting that games are always collaborative endeavors. As for Fuse’s next steps, the future remains open‑ended.
The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio is already contemplating new opportunities. Webster stresses that independent developers must stay flexible and adaptable, ready to pivot as market conditions evolve. In sum, Matt Webster’s journey from EA veteran to indie studio founder illustrates a belief that even the smallest niches can thrive when they offer fresh, compelling experiences. By blending arcade thrills, roguelike depth, and a collaborative development model, Fuse Games aims to prove that a well‑crafted Star Wars racing game can capture the imagination of both longtime fans and a new generation of gamers.