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 developing titles for Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed that 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 launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games.
Just over three years later the fledgling company is on the brink of releasing its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will be published by the newly independent label 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 time when the racing genre has generally lost some of its mainstream shine.
Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the market simply didn’t have room for another racer. Criterion itself has shifted its focus away from cars and onto the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience 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, and the response we get from our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that video‑game genres are cyclical. “We went through a phase where shooters dominated everything, but that’s not the whole story.
As more and more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a sizable crowd.” For Webster, gamers are looking for fresh, compelling experiences they haven’t seen before, and he believes Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The studio’s vision was to create an arcade‑style racer that captures the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade cabinets while also exploring what can be done when you’re no longer bound by realistic tyres and tarmac.
“We have tracks that climb up the side of an active volcano,” he explains. “Sometimes it feels like a roller‑coaster.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Most racing games have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades, a formula Webster wants to dismantle. He looks to other genres for inspiration, borrowing mechanics from roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire.
Those games are built around infinite replayability and meaningful decision‑making, qualities that dovetail nicely with racing’s inherent replay value. In Galactic Racer, crashes carry weight.
While many modern racers offer a rewind button that erases mistakes, Fuse wants consequences to matter. “If you crash too many times you’re sent back to the start, but you keep some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position,” Webster says. “When you’re on your last allowed crash, you feel the tension and have to weigh the risk of pushing harder.” Webster acknowledges that launching a new IP in a crowded calendar is risky, especially with heavyweight titles like GTA 6 slated for November 19.
Galactic Racer is scheduled for release on October 6, giving it a modest window before the GTA launch but still landing amid other major releases such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall (both September 24). He notes that the industry has always had busy periods; “people used to call October ‘Murderer’s Row’ because it was packed with games,” he recalls. Fuse approaches the market with “a healthy sense of confidence” tempered by realism: “Good games find a way, so we’re hoping ours does too.” When discussing the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his long tenure.
He remembers a similar bout of cuts fifteen years ago and stresses a timeless truth: great teams make great games, and great games attract audiences. He warns that an industry-wide aversion to risk can stifle innovation, but also creates openings for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to risk, you limit opportunity,” he says. Funding an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy.
“People told me it was brave to start an indie studio now,” Webster admits. After three decades at EA, he stepped out of his comfort zone and leaned on core principles: assemble a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will inevitably change. He emphasizes that a motivated, engaged team is the engine of quality work.
Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 staff, a deliberate choice to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles common in AAA development. Instead, the studio augments its capabilities through external partners, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where external studios sit in on daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and even share the code base. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations. “In the past, other studios would help you only because they needed the cash.
Now there are companies eager to work on varied projects with different teams, keeping everyone fresh and motivated.” Webster believes this hybrid model—small permanent core plus trusted external partners—offers a sustainable path to AAA‑scale production on a reasonable budget. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer showcases the model’s effectiveness: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and three and a half years later the team has built a studio, assembled a game on Unreal Engine 5 (a tool none of them previously mastered), and prepared a launch, all while maintaining a healthy, sustainable workflow. Another striking aspect of Fuse’s approach is its focus on nurturing young talent. Alongside veteran Criterion alumni, the studio has recruited many newcomers, even hiring a producer with no prior game‑development experience.
“Our younger developers are often smarter and more effective than we were at that age,” Webster says. He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, but that dynamic can hinder growth. By deliberately hiring and mentoring younger staff, Fuse aims to create a culture where fresh perspectives drive innovation. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and financially cautious.
He draws inspiration from Criterion’s successful intern pipelines and acknowledges the costs involved in developing talent, but stresses the long‑term payoff. Reflecting on the industry’s past focus on “singular creative visionaries,” Webster dismisses the notion as “bullshit.” He argues that great games are the product of collaborative effort, not the whims of a lone auteur. The money that once poured into star‑studios should have been directed toward strong teams instead. As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster remains open‑ended.
The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio is already contemplating future projects. However, he stresses that independence requires flexibility: “We have ideas about where we want to go, but as an indie developer you have to stay adaptable and ready to pivot.” In summary, Matt Webster’s journey from EA veteran to independent studio founder illustrates a belief that even niche genres can thrive when they evolve, embrace risk, and leverage a blend of seasoned expertise and youthful energy. Star Wars: Galactic Racer aims to prove that a fresh take on arcade racing—complete with volcano‑side tracks, meaningful crash consequences, and roguelike‑inspired replay loops—can capture the imagination of a growing gaming audience, even in a market dominated by heavyweight releases.