Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years developing iconic titles such as Burnout and Need for Speed at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster, together 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. Three and a half years later the fledgling studio is poised to launch 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 the racing genre has struggled to maintain mainstream appeal. Amazon recently cancelled 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 racing, has shifted its focus to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing experience.
“We clearly see a demand for a Star Wars‑based racer,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community feedback – video views, article reads – tells us we’re not alone in thinking there’s a market.” Webster points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other categories inevitably resurface.
As the overall player base expands, even the most niche interests can find a sizable following. He believes gamers are seeking "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that fresh perspective. The design philosophy behind the game embraces the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring what becomes possible when developers are no longer limited by realistic tyres and tarmac.
"Imagine tracks that climb the side of an active volcano or twist like a roller‑coaster," Webster explains. These over‑the‑top environments are meant to evoke the thrill of arcade‑style speed without the constraints of real‑world physics.
Beyond the visual spectacle, Galactic Racer aims to overturn long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditionally, racers have relied on a car‑collection model that has remained largely unchanged for two decades. Webster wants to "rip that up" and borrow mechanics from other genres.
One major innovation is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many modern racers, a rewind button erases any penalty, but Fuse wants crashes to matter. When a player crashes too often, they are sent back to the start of the run, yet they retain a portion of meta‑progress that makes the next attempt slightly stronger. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh the danger of aggressive driving against the safety of a more cautious approach.
The game’s structure also draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, which are built around infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes, "so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a perfect match." Each run is procedurally varied, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies, upgrade paths, and vehicle configurations. Launching in October 6 places Galactic Racer between two heavyweight releases: the highly anticipated GTA 6 slated for November 19, and earlier September launches like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall.
While some industry observers warned that September would be a crowded window, Webster recalls that even in earlier eras, October was historically packed with major titles – the infamous "Murderers’ Row" of releases. He acknowledges the competition but says Fuse Games approaches it with a "healthy sense of confidence" tempered by realistic expectations. "Good games find a way to an audience," he says, echoing a mantra that has guided him through industry ups and downs. Speaking about the broader context of layoffs and risk aversion in the sector, Webster observes that many studios now shy away from bold experiments.
This conservatism, he argues, creates opportunities for developers willing to take calculated risks. However, building an independent studio in 2023 has not been without hurdles. Securing funding proved difficult; many investors were skeptical about the viability of a small, self‑funded team. After 32 years at EA, Webster found himself navigating a completely new landscape, relying on core principles he’d learned: assemble a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, and remain disciplined while staying adaptable.
Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 people – small for a title with AAA aspirations. This deliberate size avoids the typical "grow‑shrink‑grow" cycle that plagues many large studios. Instead, Fuse supplements its internal talent with external partners, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where external studios participate in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and code repositories.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a key advantage, noting that today’s external studios are eager collaborators rather than reluctant contractors. The hybrid model, he believes, proves that a AAA‑scale game can be produced on a sustainable budget when a stable core team is bolstered by trusted partners who share the same values. The rapid development timeline – Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years they have built a studio, assembled a team, and delivered a game on Unreal Engine 5 – serves as evidence that the approach works.
Another noteworthy aspect is the infusion of young talent. While the studio benefits from veteran Criterion alumni, many of its developers are fresh faces, some even new to the industry. One producer on Galactic Racer had never worked in games before joining the project.
Webster praises this new generation, saying they often bring smarter, more efficient ideas than he could have imagined at their age. He also observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who need minimal interaction, which can stifle mentorship. By focusing on nurturing younger staff, Fuse has discovered a more dynamic and motivated workforce.
Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalise an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and financially cautious. He reflects on a period five or six years ago when abundant funding allowed successful teams to spin off their own studios, only to discover that money alone does not guarantee success. The industry’s previous obsession with the "single creative visionary" – a myth Webster calls "fucking bullshit" – is, in his view, outdated. Game development is a collaborative effort, and the best products emerge from teams rather than solitary geniuses.
As for Fuse Games’ next steps, the future remains open‑ended. The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio is already exploring potential follow‑up projects.
Webster emphasizes the need for flexibility and adaptability in today’s independent landscape, suggesting that while they have ideas for future titles, they will remain responsive to market conditions and opportunities. In summary, Matt Webster’s journey from EA veteran to founder of an agile, youth‑driven studio illustrates a broader shift in the gaming world: as the player base broadens, even the smallest niches can attract sizable audiences, and innovative, risk‑taking teams can thrive by combining classic arcade thrills with modern design philosophies, all while championing collaboration over the myth of the lone auteur.