Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years developing iconic titles such as Burnout and the Need for Speed series while at Criterion, the 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 studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. Three and a half years later the fledgling studio is preparing to ship 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, the 2002 release *Racer Revenge*. In the intervening decades racing games have generally lost some of their mainstream appeal.
Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating, “we didn’t see a real fit in the market for that game.” Meanwhile Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racing, has shifted its focus to the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a market for a Star Wars racing experience still exists. “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 from the response to our videos and articles it seems many fans feel the same way.” He points out that gaming genres tend to be cyclical.
“We went through a period where shooters dominated, but that’s not the whole story. As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a sizable audience.” Webster argues that 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 is to create something fresh, blending classic arcade thrills with imaginative, physics‑defying tracks.
“We wanted to capture the instant gratification of an arcade racer while also asking what’s possible when you’re not limited by real‑world tyres and tarmac,” he explains. “One of our courses actually climbs the side of an active volcano – it feels like a roller‑coaster at times.” Beyond the spectacle, the game seeks to overturn long‑standing genre conventions. Traditional racing games have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades. Webster wants to rip that formula up and borrow mechanics from other genres.
“We’re building a racing experience around consequential decision‑making,” he says. In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates the impact of mistakes. Fuse wants to restore meaning to crashes: too many crashes send you back to the start, but you retain a portion of meta‑progression, putting you in a stronger position for the next run.
This risk‑reward loop mirrors the design philosophy of roguelikes such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*, which prioritize infinite replayability—a natural fit for a racing title. The consequence system forces players to weigh each mistake.
“When you’re on your last crash and the system is critical, you start to feel the weight of that risk,” Webster notes. This approach marks a deliberate departure from the hand‑holding common in many AAA releases, especially as the industry prepares for heavyweight launches like *GTA 6*. *Galactic Racer* is slated for release on October 6, a comfortable gap before the anticipated November 19 launch of *GTA 6*, yet it still lands in a busy window that includes titles such as *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* (both due September 24).
Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar but remains confident. “I’ve always been told good games find a way,” he says. “We have a healthy sense of 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 own long tenure.
He recalls a previous bout of cuts fifteen years ago and emphasizes a timeless truth: great teams make great games, and great games attract audiences. He also observes a growing aversion to risk among publishers, which creates openings for developers willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to risk, you limit opportunity,” he warns. Funding, however, has been a notable hurdle for Fuse.
“People said, ‘You’re brave starting an indie studio in 2023,’” he recalls. After thirty‑two years at EA, Webster found himself navigating a new reality.
He leaned on core principles: assemble a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that plans are always imperfect and must be iterated upon. “Engaged, motivated talent produces great work, so it’s our job to keep them inspired,” he adds. Fuse’s team is relatively small for a game of AAA ambition—about 75 people.
The studio deliberately avoids the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow” cycle, instead relying on external partners to fill skill gaps. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing for asset creation with deeper co‑development relationships where external studios attend stand‑ups, join Slack channels and contribute directly to the codebase. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaboration, noting that today many companies willingly partner on diverse projects rather than guarding every resource. According to Webster, this approach proves that a AAA‑scale game can be delivered on a sustainable budget when a compact core team is augmented by trusted external studios that share the same values.
The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer*—starting in January 2023 and reaching a launchable product in just three and a half years—demonstrates the model’s viability. “We built a studio, a team, and a game on Unreal Engine 5, a tool none of us had mastered before. It feels like an achievement, and we did it in a healthy, sustainable way,” he says. Fuse also benefits from a surge of young talent.
Many of the developers on *Galactic Racer* are early‑career professionals, and one producer had never worked in games before joining the project. Webster is impressed by their performance: “They’re smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age.
We’ve actually seen greater success with our younger talent than with some senior hires.” He argues that seasoned developers often prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, which can stifle mentorship opportunities. By focusing on nurturing junior staff, Fuse hopes to create a more dynamic and motivated workforce. Looking ahead, Webster would like to formalize an internship program to further cultivate fresh talent, though the studio remains pre‑revenue at this stage. He points to Criterion’s historic intern initiatives as a model and acknowledges the costs involved in developing new talent, but believes the long‑term payoff justifies the investment.
Reflecting on the boom years when abundant funding allowed successful teams to spin off their own studios, Webster cautions against the “single creative visionary” myth. “It’s bullshit to think a game is the product of one genius,” he says. “Games are collaborations of many individuals.” He believes that money should be allocated to strong teams rather than idolized founders.
As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster admits the future is still being mapped out. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to new opportunities while staying flexible and adaptable—qualities he deems essential for independent developers in today’s ever‑changing market.