"As gaming expands, even the smallest niches attract larger audiences" – Why Matt Webster believes Star Wars: Galactic Racer will resonate

Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to remain within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years contributing to the acclaimed Burnout and Need for Speed series through Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, together with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and establish the independent UK studio Fuse Games.

Just over three years later the fledgling company stands on the brink of releasing its debut title, *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, which will be 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 struggled to maintain mainstream appeal. Amazon recently abandoned a publishing agreement with UK studio Maverick Games for its upcoming driving game *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the market simply didn’t have room for another racing title.

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 demand exists. "Clearly we 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 gaming trends are cyclical.

While shooters dominated the market for several years, other genres inevitably rise again as the player base expands. "The more people play video games, the more even the tiniest niches can find a sizable audience," Webster explained.

According to Webster, modern gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he believes *Galactic Racer* delivers exactly that. The team set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring what becomes possible when a game is no longer tied to the physical constraints of tyres and tarmac. "We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano," he said, describing courses that feel more like roller‑coasters than traditional circuits.

Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game seeks to upend long‑standing racing conventions. Most racing titles rely on a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades.

Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many contemporary racers, a rewind button nullifies mistakes, making crashes feel inconsequential. Fuse Games decided to restore stakes: repeated crashes send the player back to the start, though a portion of meta‑progression carries over, placing the player in a stronger position for the next attempt.

This risk‑reward loop, Webster says, forces players to weigh their actions more carefully, especially when they are on their final allowed crash. The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*—games built around infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability, so marrying it with roguelike structures feels like a match made in heaven," Webster noted.

The idea is to create a game that feels fresh each run, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies, upgrades and shortcuts. Releasing *Galactic Racer* on October 6 positions it in a crowded autumn window that also includes heavyweight launches like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* (both on September 24) and the much‑anticipated *GTA 6* slated for November 19.

Webster acknowledges the competitive landscape but points out that crowded release calendars are nothing new. He recalls past years when September was labeled “murderers’ row” and October was equally packed. "We have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things may turn out," he said.

"Good games will find a way." Webster’s optimism is partly shaped by his perspective on recent industry layoffs. Having witnessed a wave of cuts a decade and a half ago, he believes that great teams produce great games, and great games attract audiences. He sees the current risk‑averse climate as an opening for studios willing to take calculated bets.

"When you avoid risk, you limit opportunity," he warned. "Those willing to push boundaries can capture the market share that larger, more cautious publishers leave behind." Funding, however, remains a major hurdle for independent studios in 2023. Webster admits that securing capital was difficult, with many investors questioning the wisdom of launching a new studio in a turbulent market. After 32 years at EA, he had to relearn how to operate without the safety net of a large corporation.

His guiding principles became building a strong team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while accepting that any plan is provisional and must be constantly reviewed and adapted. Fuse Games has deliberately kept its core staff small—around 75 people—eschewing the typical “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle that plagues many AAA projects. Instead, the studio leans on external partners to fill skill 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 many studios are eager to work on varied projects rather than being locked into a single title. From his perspective, this approach proves that a AAA‑scale game can be delivered on a sustainable budget when a lean core team is augmented by trusted partners who share the same values.

The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer*—just three and a half years from Fuse’s founding to a near‑ready product built on Unreal Engine 5—demonstrates the viability of this model. Another striking element of Fuse’s strategy is its emphasis on youthful talent. While the studio includes seasoned veterans from Criterion, a significant portion of the team consists of younger developers, some of whom have never worked in games before.

"The young talent we’ve brought in is smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age," Webster said. He observes that seasoned developers often prefer senior colleagues who need minimal guidance, which can stifle mentorship.

By deliberately nurturing junior staff, Fuse hopes to foster a more dynamic, innovative environment. Webster envisions formalizing this mentorship through an intern program, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must be realistic about the costs involved. He references Criterion’s successful internship pipeline as a model he hopes to emulate once the studio reaches a more stable financial footing.

Reflecting on the industry’s past excesses, Webster recalls a period five or six years ago when abundant funding allowed developers attached to hit titles to spin off their own studios—often with unrealistic expectations. He argues that money should have been allocated to strong teams rather than idolizing a single “creative visionary,” a notion he calls "fucking bullshit." In his view, games are inherently collaborative endeavors. Looking ahead, Fuse Games does not have a fixed roadmap beyond *Galactic Racer*.

The studio plans to treat the launch as a springboard, remaining flexible and open to new opportunities as they arise. "For an independent developer these days, you have to be adaptable," Webster concluded. "We have ideas for what we want to do next, but we’ll let the market and our own growth dictate the path forward."