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 contributing to iconic franchises such as Burnout and Need for Speed while working at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, along with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and founded the independent UK studio Fuse Games.
Just over three years later the fledgling company is poised to launch its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, under the banner of the newly autonomous 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 the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream sparkle. Recent industry news underscores this shift: Amazon abandoned a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the project didn’t fit the market.
Meanwhile Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has redirected its energies toward the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing experience. "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 or reading our articles suggests we’re not alone." He points out that gaming genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably resurface. "As more and more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience," Webster added.
According to Webster, modern players are craving "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that 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 asking, "What can we do when we’re no longer limited by tyres and tarmac?" The answer, he says, is tracks that climb the sides of active volcanoes, courses that feel like roller‑coasters, and other over‑the‑top environments that would be impossible in a realistic simulation. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions. For decades, most racing games have hinged on a car‑collection model—players earn new vehicles over time, a formula that hasn’t changed much in twenty years.
Webster wants to tear that structure down and borrow mechanics from other genres. The game incorporates consequential decision‑making, especially around crashes. In many contemporary racers, a rewind button eliminates any penalty for a mistake; Fuse wants to restore weight to failure.
"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," he explains. "When you’re on your last allowed crash, the risk feels real and you have to weigh your choices carefully." The design philosophy also draws heavily from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability.
Racing, by its nature, thrives on repeated runs, so Webster sees a natural synergy: a game that encourages you to try again, learn from each attempt, and gradually improve. This approach marks a bold departure from the hand‑holding that has become common in AAA releases, especially as the industry gears up for heavyweight launches like GTA 6. Galactic Racer is slated for release on October 6, comfortably spaced before GTA 6’s November 19 launch but still landing amid a crowded autumn window that includes titles like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall (both arriving September 24). Webster acknowledges the competitive landscape but remains confident.
"Someone said September looks busy, but I remember the old ‘murderer’s row’ in October years ago. The market is always busy; we just need a healthy sense of confidence tempered by a realistic view of outcomes," he said. When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflected on his long tenure. He recalls a previous round of cuts about fifteen years ago and notes a recurring truth: great teams make great games, and great games find audiences.
He argues that the current risk‑averse climate actually creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. "If you shy away from risk, you limit yourself. Those willing to push boundaries can capture the space left vacant," he observed.
Starting a new studio in 2023 has not been without hurdles. Funding, in particular, proved elusive. "People said, ‘You’re brave doing an independent studio in 2023,’" Webster laughed. After thirty‑two years at EA, he was stepping out of a protective bubble.
He relied on core principles he’d learned: build a strong team, refine a clear creative vision, maintain discipline in planning (while accepting that plans will inevitably be wrong), and constantly review and adapt while staying true to values. Engaged, motivated talent, he believes, is the engine that drives great games. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 people—by design. Rather than inflating the team for a single project and then shrinking it afterward, the studio leans on external development partners to fill gaps.
This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing (pure 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 collaborations, noting that today’s studios are eager to work on diverse projects rather than cling to a single proprietary title. Webster is convinced this balanced approach can deliver AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity on a sustainable budget. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—founded in January 2023 and ready for launch just three and a half years later—serves as proof of concept.
"We built a studio, a team, and a UE5‑based game that none of us previously knew inside‑out. It feels like an achievement, and we did it in a healthy, sustainable way," he said. A notable aspect of Fuse’s workforce is the infusion of young talent alongside seasoned veterans. Some team members, including a producer, had never worked in games before joining the project.
"The younger developers are often smarter and more effective than I was at their age. It’s extraordinary," Webster remarked. He observes that senior developers sometimes prefer working with equally senior colleagues who need little guidance, but that environment can stifle growth.
By nurturing younger staff, Fuse not only cultivates fresh ideas but also keeps experienced team members engaged. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further develop emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully. He reflects on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with capital, noting that many teams received funding simply because they had delivered a hit, only to discover that running a studio is far tougher than anticipated.
He criticizes the lingering myth of the "single creative visionary" as "fucking bullshit," emphasizing that games are collaborative endeavors. As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster admits the future is still being written.
The launch of 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‑shifting market.