Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to remain within the walls of Electronic Arts. He first joined the company in 1990 and spent almost twenty years contributing to the legendary Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while they were under the Criterion umbrella, a 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 an independent studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. Just three and a half years later, the fledgling studio is poised to ship its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will be published by the newly autonomous label Secret Mode.
Galactic Racer marks the first Star Wars‑themed racing game in roughly 24 years, the previous effort being 2002’s Racer Revenge. In the intervening quarter‑century, the racing genre has lost much of its mainstream sheen.
Amazon recently walked away from 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 seem to fit the product. Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has shifted its focus to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists for a new Star Wars racing experience.
“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 we get from people watching our videos or reading articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical.
After a period dominated by shooters, other types inevitably re‑emerge. “As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger fan base,” Webster added. According to Webster, modern gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he believes Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The studio’s vision is to blend the instant gratification of classic arcade racing with the creative freedom that comes from shedding the constraints of real‑world physics.
“We wanted to ask what’s possible when you’re not limited by tyres and tarmac,” he explained. The answer includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano, courses that feel like roller‑coasters, and other over‑the‑top set‑pieces that would be impossible in a conventional racing simulator.
Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the genre. Most racing games have relied on a static car‑collection model for the past two decades. Webster wants to rip 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 any penalty, but Fuse wants crashes to matter. “If you crash too often you’re sent back to the start, but you keep some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position the next run,” he said. This risk‑reward loop is inspired by roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire, which are built around infinite replayability.
Racing, by its nature, thrives on repeated attempts, making the marriage of roguelike persistence and high‑speed competition a “match made in heaven.” Webster acknowledges that this design philosophy is a bold departure from the hand‑holding typical of many AAA releases, especially in a year when Rockstar’s GTA 6 looms on the horizon. Galactic Racer is slated for an October 6 launch, comfortably ahead of GTA 6’s November 19 release but still close to other high‑profile drops like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall on September 24. “September always looks busy,” he noted, recalling older industry chatter about a “murderers’ row” of releases.
“October has always been packed, too. We just have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out.” When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflected on his own long tenure.
He remembered a similar contraction about fifteen years ago and observed a pattern: great teams make great games, and great games find an audience. He warned that the current climate is marked by an aversion to risk, which paradoxically creates openings for studios willing to make calculated bets. “If you shy away from risk, you limit opportunity,” he said. Starting a new studio in 2023 has not been without hurdles.
Securing funding proved difficult; many investors viewed an independent studio launch as a gamble. After 32 years at EA, Webster found himself navigating an unfamiliar landscape.
He relied on core principles he’d learned: assemble a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that plans are always provisional. He emphasized that an engaged, motivated team is the engine behind any successful project. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles common in larger studios. Instead, the studio leans on external development partners to fill gaps, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where outside studios sit in on daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even share codebases.
Webster highlighted the United Kingdom as an ideal hub for such collaboration, citing a mature development ecosystem where companies are eager to work across multiple projects and keep their talent fresh. This hybrid model, he believes, demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game—both in scope and visual fidelity—can be produced on a sustainable budget.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer underscores this point: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and just three and a half years later they have delivered a UE5‑based title despite none of the team having prior experience with the engine. “It feels like an achievement, and we’ve done it in a healthy, sustainable way,” Webster said. Another noteworthy aspect of Fuse’s approach is its emphasis on young talent.
Alongside the veteran Criterion alumni, the studio has recruited many developers early in their careers, even hiring a producer who had never worked in games before. “Our young talent is often smarter and more effective than we were at that age,” Webster remarked.
He observed that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, but that dynamic can stifle growth. By nurturing junior staff, Fuse has discovered a source of energy and innovation that rivals the contributions of more experienced hires.
Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to continue feeding fresh talent into the studio, though he cautions that Fuse is still pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully. He reflected on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with cash and many successful developers received funding to start their own studios, only to discover the reality was far tougher than anticipated. He criticized the lingering industry obsession with the “single creative visionary” myth, calling it “bullshit.” In his view, games are always the product of collaborative effort, not solitary genius.
As for Fuse’s next steps, the future remains fluid. While the launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, the studio is already considering potential follow‑up projects and partnerships. “Independent developers need to stay flexible and adaptable,” Webster concluded.
"We have ideas, we have a direction, and we’ll keep moving forward as opportunities arise."