Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He began his tenure at EA in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises through Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. However, in early 2023 Webster, together with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to break away and launch their own independent UK studio, Fuse Games. Just over three years later the fledgling studio 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. It arrives roughly twenty‑four years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing game, 2002’s *Racer Revenge*, and it does so during a period when traditional racing titles have struggled to capture mainstream attention. Recent industry headlines illustrate this shift: Amazon cancelled a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving game called *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating, “we didn’t see a real fit in the market for that game.” Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has redirected its resources toward the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains confident that a market exists for a Star Wars racing experience.
“Clearly we think there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We don’t think we’re the only ones. I can see from the comments on our videos and articles that we’re not alone.” He argues that gaming genres are inherently cyclical. “We went through a phase where shooters dominated the conversation, but that’s not the only genre that can thrive.
As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger 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 team set out to capture the instant‑gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring what’s possible when you’re no longer limited by realistic tyres and tarmac.
“We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explains. “Sometimes it feels like a roller‑coaster.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre.
Traditionally, racers revolve around a car‑collection model that has remained largely unchanged for two decades. Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most striking innovations is the emphasis on consequential decision‑making, especially around crashes.
In many modern racers a rewind button eliminates any penalty for failure, but *Galactic Racer* re‑introduces meaningful consequences. “If you crash too many times you’re sent back to the start, but you retain some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position,” he says.
“When you’re on your last allowed crash, the risk feels real and you have to weigh your actions carefully.” The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*, games built for infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability, so combining it with roguelike loops feels like a match made in heaven,” Webster notes.
This approach encourages players to experiment, learn from failures, and return stronger—a cycle that fuels long‑term engagement. Releasing the game on October 6 places it in a crowded autumn window, sandwiched between blockbuster releases like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* (both September 24) and the highly anticipated *GTA 6* slated for November 19. Webster acknowledges the competitive landscape but points out that busy release calendars are nothing new.
“I remember hearing about ‘Murderer’s Row’ years ago—October was always packed,” he recalls. “We have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things may turn out.” The conversation inevitably turns to the broader industry climate, especially the wave of layoffs that has swept through major studios. Having lived through a similar downsizing period fifteen years prior, Webster observes a pattern: “Great teams make great games, and great games find an audience.” He warns that an industry-wide aversion to risk can stifle innovation, but also creates openings for studios willing to take calculated bets. Funding, however, remains a major hurdle for new independents.
“People told me it was brave to start an indie studio in 2023 after 32 years at EA,” Webster says. He emphasizes a disciplined approach: building a solid team, refining a clear creative vision, and remaining adaptable even when plans inevitably shift.
“Engaged and motivated talent produces great work, so it’s our job to keep that talent inspired.” Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 people—by design. Rather than inflating the team for a single project and then downsizing, they rely on a network of external partners to fill gaps. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing for asset creation with deeper co‑development relationships where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even the codebase. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s studios are more willing to work together than in the past.
According to Webster, this model proves that a AAA‑scale game can be delivered 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—demonstrates the efficacy of this approach. A noteworthy aspect of Fuse’s culture is its embrace of young talent. While the studio includes veterans from Criterion, many of its developers are newcomers, with at least one producer who had never worked in games before joining the project.
“The younger talent we’ve brought in is often smarter and more effective than I was at that age,” Webster admits. He argues that focusing exclusively on senior hires can be counter‑productive; nurturing fresh perspectives not only motivates the newcomers but also revitalizes seasoned staff. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue. He points to Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model and acknowledges the cost and commitment required to develop the next generation of creators.
Reflecting on a period when the industry was flush with capital, Webster recalls how many developers who rode the wave of a hit title were encouraged to spin off their own studios, only to discover the reality was far tougher than anticipated. He criticizes the lingering myth of the “lone creative visionary,” calling it “bullshit.” In his view, games are always the product of collaborative effort, not solitary genius.
As for Fuse’s future beyond *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, Webster admits the roadmap is still taking shape. “The launch is just the beginning,” he says. “We’ll be talking to partners about new opportunities, and we have ideas about where we want to go next.
As an independent developer you have to stay flexible and adaptable.”