Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at the company in 1990 and spent almost twenty years developing titles for the Criterion studio, the creators of 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 an independent UK studio called Fuse Games. Just over three years later, the fledgling studio is poised to release its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, under the banner of the newly independent publisher Secret Mode.
The announcement comes roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing game, 2002’s Racer Revenge, and it arrives at a time when the racing genre has struggled to maintain mainstream appeal. 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 racing experience. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has pivoted away from pure racing projects to focus on the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster is confident that a market exists for a new Star Wars racing game.
“We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars racing title,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community, the people who watch our videos and read our articles, seem to think we’re not alone in that belief.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably re‑emerge. As more people worldwide pick up video games, even the most niche sub‑genres can attract larger follow‑ups.
Webster believes gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The studio set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring what becomes possible when you free yourself from the constraints of realistic tyres and tarmac. "Imagine tracks that climb the side of an active volcano or loop around a massive roller‑coaster‑like structure," he explains.
These over‑the‑top environments are meant to evoke the thrill of arcade‑style play while still feeling fresh within the Star Wars universe. Beyond the high‑octane visuals, Galactic Racer seeks to overturn 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 discard. He plans to borrow mechanics from other genres, especially roguelikes, to create a game that rewards risk, decision‑making and replayability. "We’re inspired by games like Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, which are built around infinite replay value," he says. "Racing naturally thrives on replayability, so combining it with roguelike principles feels like a perfect match." One of the core innovations is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing.
In many modern racers, a rewind button erases mistakes, reducing tension. Galactic Racer, however, will penalise repeated crashes by sending the player back to the start of a run, though some meta‑progression carries over to make the next attempt slightly stronger. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh aggression against caution, especially when they are on their final allowed crash. Webster acknowledges that this design philosophy departs from the hand‑holding typical of many AAA titles, but he sees it as a way to stand out in a crowded marketplace, especially in a year that will see heavyweight releases like GTA 6, Control: Resonance, and Silent Hill: Townfall.
Galactic Racer is slated for an October 6 launch—well before GTA 6’s November 19 release, but still within a busy pre‑holiday window. "People always say September is crowded, but historically October has been just as packed," Webster notes, recalling the industry’s old nickname “Murderer’s Row” for a densely scheduled launch month. The studio’s confidence is tempered by realism.
"Good games will find a way," Webster says, echoing a mantra he’s heard throughout his long career. He draws a parallel between this optimism and the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry.
Having witnessed a similar contraction fifteen years ago, Webster stresses that strong teams produce great games, and great games attract audiences. Risk aversion, he observes, is a major driver behind the current layoffs. Companies are hesitant to fund experimental projects, which creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated risks.
Yet securing funding for a new independent studio in 2023 has been far from easy. "People told me it was brave to start an indie studio this year," he recalls.
After thirty‑two years at EA, he found himself navigating an entirely new landscape, relying on core principles: building a capable team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning while staying adaptable. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core team—about 75 people—for a project of AAA scope.
This size is intentional; the studio wants to avoid the boom‑and‑bust cycle of rapidly expanding and contracting staff that many larger studios experience. Instead, Fuse supplements its core with external partners, ranging from transactional asset‑outsourcing to full co‑development arrangements where outside studios attend daily stand‑ups, join Slack channels and contribute directly to the codebase.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a key advantage, noting that today’s external studios are eager to collaborate on diverse projects rather than merely keeping the lights on. According to Webster, this hybrid model enables a AAA‑level game to be built on a sustainable budget.
The rapid development timeline—starting Fuse in January 2023 and delivering a finished product in just three and a half years—demonstrates that the approach works. The team learned to use Unreal Engine 5 despite none of them having prior experience with the engine, an achievement Webster describes as “a healthy, sustainable way to create something ambitious.” Fuse’s roster blends veteran Criterion talent with a wave of younger developers, some of whom have never worked in games before. "Our young talent is often smarter and more effective than I was at that age," Webster says, praising the fresh perspectives they bring. He argues that nurturing junior staff is more beneficial than relying solely on seasoned developers who may prefer minimal interaction.
The studio plans to eventually launch an internship program, though it remains pre‑revenue and financially cautious. Webster points to Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model he hopes to emulate, while acknowledging the costs involved in developing new talent. Reflecting on an era when the industry was flush with capital, Webster recalls how many successful developers were given the chance to start their own studios, only to discover the challenges were greater than expected.
He criticises the industry’s lingering fixation on the “single creative visionary” myth, calling it “bullshit.” In reality, games are collaborative endeavours, and the best outcomes arise from teams of individuals working together. Looking ahead, Fuse Games remains open‑ended about its next steps. While the launch of Galactic Racer marks a major milestone, Webster says the studio will explore new opportunities and remain flexible, a necessity for independent developers today.
The company’s philosophy—small core team, strategic external partnerships, and a willingness to experiment—could serve as a blueprint for sustainable AAA‑scale development in the years to come.