Matt Webster appeared destined for a lifelong career at Electronic Arts. He started with the company back in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years developing titles for Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed, which 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 studio is poised 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—2002’s Racer Revenge—and it does so at a time when traditional racing franchises have struggled to maintain mainstream appeal. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with UK studio Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis commenting that the market simply didn’t have room for another racer.
Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted its focus away from racing toward the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists.
“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 response we get from people watching our videos and reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical. “We went through a period where shooters dominated, but that’s only one part of the picture. As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a sizable audience.” According to Webster, modern players crave “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before,” and he believes Galactic Racer delivers exactly that.
The studio set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What can we do when we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?” The answer includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel more like roller‑coasters than conventional circuits. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game aims to subvert long‑standing racing conventions.
“The core loop in most racing games has been car collection for the past two decades,” Webster notes. “We wanted to tear that apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.” One of those borrowed ideas is the emphasis on meaningful consequences.
In many arcade racers a rewind button eliminates the penalty for crashing, but Galactic Racer re‑introduces risk. “If you crash too often you’re sent back to the start, though you keep some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position,” he explains. “When you’re on your last crash, the stakes feel real and you start weighing the risk of each maneuver.” The design is also inspired by roguelike principles found in titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built for infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability, so marrying it with roguelike structures feels like a perfect match,” Webster says.
Launching the game on October 6 positions it well ahead of the highly anticipated GTA 6 release slated for November 19, yet still close to other major titles like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, both due on September 24. Webster acknowledges the crowded pre‑holiday window but points out that the industry has weathered busier schedules before. “People used to call September ‘murderer’s row,’ and October was always packed,” he recalls. “We have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out.” He reflects on the current wave of layoffs, noting that his long tenure in the business has shown him a recurring truth: great teams make great games, and great games find audiences.
“There’s a growing aversion to risk in the industry,” Webster observes. “That creates opportunities for those willing to take calculated bets and push forward.
When you avoid risk, you limit yourself and the market.” Funding, however, has not been easy for an independent studio launched in 2023. “People told me I was brave to start an indie studio now,” he says. “After 32 years at EA I was used to a bubble. The new reality forced me to lean on core principles: build a strong team, refine a clear creative vision, and stay disciplined while remaining adaptable.” Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 staff members—by design.
Rather than expanding and contracting staff in waves, the studio leans on external partners for additional capacity. “We’re proving a model where a small permanent team works with trusted external studios that share our values,” Webster explains. “Outsourcing can be transactional, but co‑development feels like an extension of our own team—they join our stand‑ups, our Slack channels, even our codebase.” The UK, he adds, is an ideal hub for this collaborative approach because of its mature development ecosystem.
“In the past, other studios would only help you reluctantly, needing to keep their lights on. Now there are companies eager to work on diverse projects, keeping their talent fresh and motivated.” Webster is convinced this hybrid model can deliver AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity on a sustainable budget. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—just three and a half years from Fuse’s founding to a finished UE5 product—demonstrates the viability of the approach. “We built a studio, a team, and a game on technology none of us previously mastered.
It feels like an achievement, and we did it in a healthy, sustainable way.” A notable aspect of Fuse’s workforce is the infusion of younger developers. One producer on Galactic Racer had never worked in games before joining the project. “Our young talent is incredibly smart and effective—often more so than I was at their age,” Webster says.
“We’ve had greater success with them than with some senior hires. Senior developers sometimes prefer working with peers who need little guidance, but nurturing younger talent energizes the whole team.” Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program, though the studio remains pre‑revenue at this stage. He points to Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model and acknowledges the cost of cultivating new talent.
“You have to go into it with your eyes open and understand the investment required,” he cautions. Reflecting on the boom years about half a decade ago, Webster recalls how many teams received funding simply because they had delivered a hit, only to discover that running a studio is far tougher than anticipated. He argues that money should be allocated to strong teams rather than to a mythic “single creative visionary.” “That idea is complete bullshit,” he asserts.
“Games are collaborative creations, not the product of a lone genius—unless you’re a solo developer.” As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster admits the future is still being charted. “The launch is just the beginning. We’ll be talking to partners about new opportunities and have ideas for where we want to go, but as an independent studio you have to stay flexible and adaptable.”