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 contributing to the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises through Criterion, the studio 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 the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Just over three years later the fledgling team is poised to release its debut title, *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, under the banner of the newly independent publisher Secret Mode.
The timing of *Galactic Racer* is noteworthy. The last Star Wars‑themed racing game, *Racer Revenge*, hit shelves in 2002 – a full twenty‑four years ago. Since then, the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream shine.
Amazon recently withdrew from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking that the project didn’t fit the current market. Criterion itself has shifted focus away from racing toward the *Battlefield* series. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing experience.
"We clearly see a market for a Star Wars racing game," he told GamesIndustry.biz. "Our community, the people who watch our streams and read our posts, also seem to think we’re onto something." He points out that genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably resurface. As the overall player base grows, even the most niche interests can find a sizable following.
Webster believes gamers are craving "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences 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 asking, "What could we do if we weren’t limited by tyres and tarmac?" The answer, according to Webster, 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, Fuse is deliberately subverting long‑standing racing conventions.
The typical model of collecting cars and gradually upgrading them has been the backbone of the genre for roughly two decades. "Let’s tear that up and borrow ideas from other genres," Webster says.
One of those borrowed concepts is the emphasis on meaningful consequences. In many modern racers, a rewind button can erase mistakes, diluting the impact of crashing. Fuse wants crashes to matter. When a player crashes too often, they’re sent back to the start of the run, but they retain a sliver of meta‑progress that puts them in a slightly stronger position the next attempt.
This risk‑reward loop, Webster explains, forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they’re down to their final allowed crash. The game’s design is also inspired by roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*, which prioritize infinite replayability. Racing, by nature, thrives on repeated play, making the marriage of roguelike mechanics and high‑speed competition a “match made in heaven,” in Webster’s words.
Launching *Galactic Racer* on October 6 places it in a crowded autumn window, with heavyweight releases like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* arriving just weeks earlier and the much‑anticipated *GTA 6* slated for November 19. Yet Webster isn’t nervous. He recalls past years when September felt jam‑packed and notes that October has historically been a bustling month for game launches.
"We have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out," he says. The conversation turns to the broader industry climate, especially the wave of layoffs that has swept through major publishers. Webster, who has witnessed a similar downsizing period fifteen years ago, argues that great teams make great games, and great games find their audience.
He sees the current risk‑averse environment as an opening for studios willing to take calculated bets. "If you’re not willing to risk, you limit opportunity," he warns.
Funding an independent studio in 2023 has been far from easy. Many questioned why Webster would leave a secure EA position after 32 years to start a new venture. His answer hinges on core principles: assemble a talented team, hone a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning while staying adaptable.
He emphasizes that a motivated, engaged team is the engine behind any successful project. Fuse’s team size—about 75 people—is intentionally modest for a title with AAA aspirations. Rather than inflating and deflating staff numbers, the studio relies heavily on external development partners. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing for asset creation with deeper co‑development relationships where outside studios attend daily stand‑ups, join Slack channels and contribute directly to the codebase.
Webster praises the UK’s mature development ecosystem for facilitating such collaborations, noting that today’s external partners are eager to work across diverse projects, keeping their talent fresh and enthusiastic. According to Webster, this approach proves that a AAA‑scale game can be delivered on a sustainable budget without the traditional massive in‑house workforce.
The rapid development timeline—starting Fuse in January 2023 and delivering a complete UE5‑based game in just three and a half years—demonstrates the model’s viability. A notable aspect of Fuse’s culture is its blend of veteran expertise and youthful energy.
Alongside the Criterion veterans, many younger developers have joined the project, including a producer with no prior gaming experience. "The young talent we’ve recruited is often smarter and more effective than I was at their age," Webster admits. He observes that senior developers sometimes prefer working with equally seasoned colleagues, which can stifle mentorship.
Fuse, however, has pivoted its hiring strategy to nurture and develop emerging talent, even contemplating an intern program in the future—though the studio remains pre‑revenue and financially cautious. Reflecting on a period when the industry was flush with capital, Webster recalls how successful studios would hand out funding to individuals attached to hit games, only to see many of those new studios struggle. He criticizes the industry’s lingering fascination with the myth of the solitary creative visionary, calling it "bullshit." In reality, he insists, games are collaborative efforts.
Looking ahead, Fuse Games does not have a fixed roadmap. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities while staying flexible and adaptable—an essential mindset for any independent developer navigating today’s ever‑changing market.