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 contributing to the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises through Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004.
Yet in early 2023 he, along with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires, and Alan McDairmant, chose to leave that long‑standing path and launch an independent studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. Just over three years later the fledgling company is on the verge of releasing its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will be published by the newly autonomous 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 moment when racing games have generally slipped out of the mainstream spotlight. Amazon recently scrapped a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the project didn’t seem to fit the current market.
Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus away from pure racing and now works on the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists for a Star Wars racing experience. "Clearly there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game," he told GamesIndustry.biz.
"We’re not the only ones who think that, 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 tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other styles inevitably resurface. "As more people play games, even the tiniest niche can find a larger following," Webster added. According to Webster, gamers today are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he believes Galactic Racer delivers exactly that.
The team set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, "What can we do when we’re not limited by real‑world tyres and tarmac?" The answer includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano, courses that feel like roller‑coasters, and other fantastical environments that would be impossible in a conventional racing simulator. Beyond the arcade thrills, Galactic Racer aims to upend several entrenched conventions of the genre. Most racing games have relied on a static car‑collection model for the past two decades; Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates penalty, but Fuse wants crashes to matter.
When a player crashes too often, they are sent back to the start of the run, though they retain a portion of meta‑progress that places them in a stronger position the next attempt. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they are on their final allowed crash. Webster cites roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire as inspirations for the game’s structure. Those games are built around infinite replayability, a quality that dovetails naturally with racing, a genre that thrives on repeated runs and incremental improvement.
By blending the procedural, high‑stakes nature of roguelikes with the speed and excitement of racing, Fuse hopes to create a "match made in heaven." The timing of the launch is also strategic. Galactic Racer is slated for release on October 6, a comfortable window before the highly anticipated GTA 6, scheduled for November 19, yet after other major releases like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall on September 24.
Webster acknowledges that the pre‑holiday calendar is crowded, but points out that the industry has long dealt with busy periods. "People used to call September ‘murderers’ row,’" he recalled, noting that October has historically been packed with major launches. He believes Fuse’s confidence is balanced with a realistic view of market dynamics.
When discussing the broader industry climate, Webster reflects on the wave of layoffs that has swept through major studios. Having witnessed a similar contraction about fifteen years ago, he emphasizes that great teams create great games, and great games find audiences.
He argues that the current risk‑averse mindset among publishers creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. "If you shy away from risk, you limit your chance to innovate," he said. Funding an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy. Webster describes the challenge of convincing investors that a small team could tackle a AAA‑scale project.
After 32 years at EA, he found himself stepping out of a comfortable bubble and relying on core principles: assembling a talented team, sharpening a creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while recognizing that any plan will evolve. He stresses that motivation and engagement are crucial; a well‑fostered team can achieve extraordinary results. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of around 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the industry’s typical pattern of rapid expansion followed by contraction.
Instead, the studio supplements its capabilities through external development partners. These collaborations range from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where external studios participate in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even share the code base. Webster highlights the UK’s mature game‑development ecosystem as an ideal environment for such partnerships, noting that today many studios are eager to work on diverse projects with different teams, keeping talent fresh and enthusiastic. Webster believes this hybrid model—small permanent core plus trusted external partners—offers a sustainable path to delivering AAA‑level scope, scale, and visual fidelity without ballooning budgets.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer validates the approach: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years the team built a studio, assembled a workforce, and created a game on Unreal Engine 5—a technology none of them had mastered at the outset. The studio’s composition also reflects a generational shift. Alongside the Criterion veterans, Fuse has recruited many younger developers, including a producer who had never previously worked in games.
Webster is enthusiastic about this infusion of fresh talent, claiming that the younger cohort often outperforms senior hires in creativity and efficiency. He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer to work with equally senior colleagues who require minimal guidance, a dynamic that can stifle mentorship. By focusing on nurturing junior staff, Fuse hopes to build a culture of mutual growth. Looking ahead, Webster envisions establishing a formal internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must balance ambition with financial reality.
He references Criterion’s successful intern initiatives as a model, acknowledging that developing talent carries costs but can yield long‑term dividends. Reflecting on a period five or six years ago when the industry enjoyed abundant capital, Webster notes that many developers received funding based on the success of a single hit, only to discover that launching a studio is far more challenging than anticipated.
He criticizes the industry’s lingering fascination with the myth of the solitary creative visionary, calling it "bullshit" and insisting that games are inherently collaborative endeavors. As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster admits the future is still taking shape.
The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities and ideas. He emphasizes that independent developers must stay flexible and adaptable in a constantly shifting market.
"We have a sense of where we want to go, but we also understand that we need to be ready to pivot when the landscape changes," he concluded.