Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within Electronic Arts. He began at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years collaborating with Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed, before EA acquired the developer in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games.
Three and a half years later the fledgling studio is poised to debut its inaugural title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will be published by the newly independent 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 the racing genre has generally slipped out of the mainstream spotlight.
Recent industry news underscores this trend: Amazon walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis noting that the product didn’t seem to fit the current market. Meanwhile, Criterion, once a racing powerhouse, has shifted its focus to the Battlefield franchise. Despite those signals, Webster is convinced there remains a viable audience for a Star Wars racing experience. “We clearly think there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“We’re not the only ones who feel that way, and the reaction to our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical. “We’ve had a period where shooters dominated, but that’s not the only genre that can thrive. As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger fanbase.” 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 team set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, "What can we do once we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?" The answer, he says, is tracks that climb the side of an active volcano, courses that behave like roller‑coasters, and other over‑the‑top environments that would be impossible in a realistic simulation.
Beyond the arcade thrills, Galactic Racer is designed to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditionally, racing games revolve around car collection—a formula that hasn’t fundamentally changed in two decades. Webster wants to tear that model apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashes.
In many modern racers, a rewind button erases failure, but Fuse wants the penalty to matter. "If you crash too many times you’re sent back to the start, but you keep some meta‑progression," he explains.
"When you’re on your last crash, you feel the weight of the risk you’re taking." The game’s structure draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built for infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes, "so marrying it with roguelike loops feels like a match made in heaven." Each run through a track can yield different power‑ups, shortcuts or upgrades, encouraging players to experiment and adapt. Launching in a crowded calendar, Galactic Racer will hit shelves on October 6, positioning itself between the massive releases of Control: Resonance, Silent Hill: Townfall (both September 24) and the highly anticipated GTA 6 slated for November 19. Webster acknowledges the competition but points out that the industry has weathered even busier pre‑Christmas schedules before.
"People used to call September ‘murderer’s row,’ and October was packed as well," he says. "We have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out." When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, Webster reflects on his long tenure. He recalls a similar downsizing period fifteen years ago and notes a recurring truth: great teams make great games, and great games find an audience. He argues that a pervasive aversion to risk is limiting opportunities, and that studios willing to take calculated bets can thrive.
Funding an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy. "People told me I was brave to start an indie studio now," Webster recalls. After three decades at EA, he found himself outside the safety of a corporate bubble. He leaned on principles he’d learned: build a strong team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve.
"Engaged, motivated talent produces great work, so it’s our job to keep them inspired," he adds. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—around 75 staff members—by design. Rather than inflating and deflating headcount, the studio relies heavily on external partners to fill skill gaps.
This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing (pure asset creation) with deep co‑development, where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and even share codebases. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaboration, noting that today’s studios are eager to work across multiple projects, keeping their teams fresh and enthusiastic. Webster believes this approach demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game can be produced on a sustainable budget when a small, permanent core is augmented by trusted partners who share the same values. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—just three and a half years from Fuse’s founding to a near‑ready product built on Unreal Engine 5—serves as proof of concept.
Another noteworthy aspect of Fuse’s strategy is its emphasis on youthful talent. While the studio includes several Criterion veterans, many of its developers are newcomers, and one producer had never previously worked in games. "The young talent we’ve brought in is often smarter and more effective than I was at that age," Webster says. He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who require little guidance, but nurturing junior staff can be equally motivating for both parties.
The studio is already considering an internship program, though it remains pre‑revenue and financially cautious. Looking back to the era when the industry was flush with capital, Webster notes that many successful games spawned spin‑off studios funded by their own profits.
He argues that money should have been allocated to strong teams rather than to the myth of a singular creative visionary—a notion he calls "fucking bullshit." In reality, games are collaborative creations. As for Fuse’s future beyond Galactic Racer, Webster admits plans are still forming. The launch will be just the first chapter, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities, always aiming to stay flexible and adaptable in a fast‑changing market.
"We have ideas about where we want to go next, but as an independent developer you have to be ready to pivot," he concludes.