Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He began at EA in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the iconic Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while they were under the Criterion banner, a studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires, and Alan McDairmant to launch an independent UK studio called Fuse Games. Just over three years later, Fuse is poised to release 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. In the intervening decades, the racing genre has struggled to maintain a high profile. Amazon recently withdrew from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the project didn’t fit the market.
Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus from pure racing experiences to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a market exists for a Star Wars racing adventure. “We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We’re not the only ones who think that, and the reaction to our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that gaming genres are cyclical.
“Shooters dominated for a while, but that’s just one phase. As more people play video games, even the tiniest niche can grow into a sizable audience.” Webster believes players 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 feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, "What can we do when we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?" The answer, he says, includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel more like roller‑coasters than traditional circuits. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer aims to upend long‑standing racing conventions. Most racing games have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades. "Let’s rip that up and borrow from other genres," Webster declares.
The game introduces meaningful consequences for player actions, especially crashes. In many modern racers, a rewind button erases any penalty, but Galactic Racer restores risk: crashing too often forces a restart, though players retain some meta‑progression that puts them in a stronger position the next run. This design draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire, which prioritize infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability, so pairing it with roguelike mechanics feels like a match made in heaven," he explains.
The consequence system forces players to weigh risk versus reward. When a driver is on their final allowed crash, they feel the tension of a system‑critical moment, prompting careful decision‑making rather than reckless speed. This approach marks a deliberate move away from the hand‑holding typical of many AAA releases, a shift Webster believes is necessary to stand out in a crowded market, especially in a year slated for the launch of GTA 6.
Galactic Racer is scheduled for release on October 6, giving it a comfortable gap before GTA 6’s November 19 debut, yet it still lands close to other major titles like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, both arriving on September 24. Webster notes that crowded pre‑Christmas windows are nothing new. "People used to call September ‘murderers’ row,’ and October was always packed," he recalls.
He acknowledges the competitive landscape but says Fuse Games approaches it with a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered by realism. "Good games will find a way," he adds, echoing a mantra that has guided him through industry upheavals.
Speaking on the wave of layoffs that has swept the sector, Webster reflects on his long tenure. He remembers a previous round of cuts about fifteen years ago and notes a pattern: great teams make great games, and great games attract audiences. He warns that the industry’s current aversion to risk can stifle innovation, but also creates openings for studios willing to take calculated bets.
"If you’re not willing to risk, you limit opportunity," he says. Starting an independent studio in 2023 has not been without obstacles.
Funding proved elusive; many questioned the wisdom of launching a new studio in a turbulent climate. After 32 years at EA, Webster found himself in unfamiliar territory. He relied on core principles: building a talented team, sharpening a creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while recognizing that any plan is provisional and must be iterated upon.
Engaged, motivated talent, he argues, is the engine of great games. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of around 75 staff, a size more typical of a mid‑tier studio than a traditional AAA developer.
This intentional choice avoids the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles that plague many large publishers. Instead, Fuse supplements its core with external partners, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where external studios attend daily stand‑ups, participate in Slack channels, and share codebases.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations. "In the past, other studios helped you only grudgingly, but now there are firms eager to work across multiple projects, keeping their teams fresh and excited," he observes. The hybrid model, he believes, demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game—judged by scope, visual fidelity, and ambition—can be delivered on a sustainable budget when a small permanent team leverages trusted partners.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer validates this approach: Fuse launched in January 2023, and three and a half years later the studio has built a functional team, created a game on Unreal Engine 5 (a technology none of them initially mastered), and prepared for launch. "It feels like an achievement, and we’ve done it in a healthy, sustainable way," Webster says. Fuse’s roster blends veteran Criterion talent with a wave of younger developers, some of whom have never worked in games before.
One producer, for instance, came from outside the industry entirely. "The young talent we have is incredibly smart and effective—often more so than I was at their age," Webster remarks. He notes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, but that environment can hinder mentorship.
By deliberately nurturing junior staff, Fuse has discovered a productivity boost and a more dynamic workplace culture. Webster hopes to formalize an internship program in the future, though he reminds readers that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully. Looking back to the mid‑2010s, when the industry enjoyed abundant capital, Webster recalls how successful games often spawned spin‑off studios led by “superstar” creators who received generous funding. He argues that this model was flawed.
"Money should go to great teams, not to the myth of a single creative visionary," he says, calling the notion "bullshit." Game development, he insists, is inherently collaborative. As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster remains open‑ended.
The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio is already exploring future opportunities. However, he emphasizes that independent developers must stay flexible and adaptable in today’s market. "We have ideas about where we want to go, but we’ll have to adjust as circumstances change," he concludes.