Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He arrived at the company in 1990 and spent almost twenty years working on iconic franchises such as Burnout and Need for Speed through Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004.
Yet in early 2023 Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to step away and launch an independent studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. Three and a half 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 marks the first Star Wars‑themed racing game in roughly twenty‑four years, the previous effort being 2002’s Racer Revenge. In the intervening period, the racing genre has generally lost steam.
Amazon recently abandoned a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market simply didn’t have room for another racer. Meanwhile Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style car games, has pivoted toward the Battlefield franchise, leaving a noticeable gap for high‑octane, Star‑Wars‑flavored competition. Despite these signals, Webster is convinced that a viable audience exists. “We clearly believe there’s a demand for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“We’re not the only ones thinking that, and the response we get from our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that gaming trends are cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other genres inevitably resurface as player tastes diversify.
“As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience,” Webster added. According to Webster, gamers are hungry for fresh, compelling experiences that feel novel. He sees Galactic Racer as delivering exactly that. The studio set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What can we do once we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?” The answer, he says, includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano, roller‑coaster‑like loops, and other physics‑defying shortcuts that would be impossible in a realistic driving simulator.
Beyond the thrill‑rides, Galactic Racer aims to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditionally, racers have relied on a car‑collection model that has remained unchanged for about two decades.
Webster wants to rip that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other types of games. One key innovation is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing.
In many modern racers, a rewind button erases the impact of mistakes, reducing tension. Fuse Games intends to restore risk: repeated crashes send a player back to the start, though a small amount of meta‑progression carries over, giving a sense of forward momentum despite setbacks.
This design draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, which emphasize infinite replayability and strategic decision‑making. Webster explains that each crash forces the player to weigh risk versus reward, especially when they are on their final allowed crash and the system is critical.
“You start to feel the pressure, you lean forward, and you think about the gamble you’re taking,” he says. This approach represents a deliberate departure from the hand‑holding that has become commonplace in AAA releases, a move Webster believes is necessary to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Timing the launch is also a strategic decision. Galactic Racer is slated for release on October 6, well before the anticipated drop of Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, yet after other major titles such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, which launched on September 24. Webster acknowledges that the pre‑holiday window is traditionally busy, recalling past industry chatter about “murderers’ row” in September.
Nonetheless, he remains confident, noting that “good games will find a way” and that Fuse Games maintains a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered with realistic expectations. The conversation then turns to broader industry trends, particularly the wave of layoffs that has swept through major publishers. Having lived through a similar contraction fifteen years ago, Webster observes that great teams produce great games, and great games attract audiences. He argues that the current climate shows an aversion to risk, which paradoxically creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets.
However, he also admits that securing funding for an independent studio in 2023 has been challenging. “People thought we were brave to start an indie studio now,” he recalls, noting that after 32 years at EA he had to adapt to a new reality focused on building a strong team, refining a clear creative vision, and staying disciplined while remaining flexible.
Fuse Games operates with a relatively small core team—around 75 people—by design. Rather than inflating and deflating staff numbers as projects come and go, the studio leans on external development partners to fill gaps. This hybrid model ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to deep co‑development relationships where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even the codebase. Webster highlights the UK’s mature game development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaboration, noting that today’s studios are eager to work across multiple projects, keeping talent fresh and motivated.
Webster believes this lean‑core‑plus‑partners approach can deliver AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity on a more sustainable budget. The rapid development cycle of Galactic Racer—just three and a half years from Fuse’s founding to a near‑ready product built on Unreal Engine 5—demonstrates that the model works when executed with discipline and shared values. Another striking aspect of Fuse’s journey is the infusion of young talent.
While the studio’s leadership includes veterans from Criterion, many of the developers are newcomers, and one producer had never worked in games before joining the project. "The younger talent we’ve brought in is often smarter and more effective than I was at that age," Webster says, emphasizing that nurturing fresh perspectives has yielded greater success than relying solely on senior hires. He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer to work with peers who need little guidance, which can stifle growth.
By contrast, investing in mentorship and an intern program—though still in the planning stages—has the potential to create a pipeline of skilled creators. "We haven’t made any money yet; we’re pre‑revenue," he admits, but points to Criterion’s historic intern initiatives as a model he hopes to emulate.
Reflecting on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with capital, Webster recalls how many successful teams received funding to spin off their own studios, only to discover that building a sustainable operation is far harder than it appears. He criticizes the industry’s lingering fixation on the myth of the solitary creative visionary, calling it "bullshit" and insisting that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors. Looking ahead, Fuse Games remains open‑minded about its next steps. While the launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, the studio is already contemplating future projects and potential partnerships.
Webster stresses that flexibility and adaptability are essential for independent developers today. "We’ll talk to anyone about opportunities, we have ideas for where we want to go, but we have to stay agile," he concludes.
In summary, Matt Webster’s vision for Star Wars: Galactic Racer combines nostalgic arcade thrills with innovative roguelike mechanics, a lean development structure bolstered by external partners, and a commitment to cultivating new talent. He believes that as the gaming audience expands, even the most niche concepts can find a substantial following, and he is confident that his team’s fresh approach will resonate with players hungry for something both familiar and daring.