Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to remain within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years developing iconic titles such as Burnout and Need for Speed at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, chose to break away and launch an independent studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. Three and a half years later the fledgling studio is on the brink of releasing 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 quarter‑century the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream shine.
Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with UK studio Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating, “we didn’t see a real fit in the market for that game.” Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus from pure racing experiences to the massive‑scale shooter franchise *Battlefield*. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is a viable market 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. From the people who watch our videos and read our articles, it seems we’re not alone.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical.
“We went through a phase where shooters dominated, but that’s not the only genre. As more people play games, even the tiniest niches find larger audiences.” 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 studio set out to capture the instant gratification of an arcade‑style racer while also exploring what becomes possible when you are no longer bound by the physics of real‑world 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 deliberately subverts several long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditional racers have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades; Webster wants to tear that apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
One key innovation is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many modern racers a rewind button eliminates penalty, but *Galactic Racer* brings the risk back.
“If you crash too many times you’re sent back to the start, but you carry some meta‑progression forward, putting you in a stronger position,” he says. “When you’re on your last crash, you feel the weight of the decision and the risk you’re taking.” The design philosophy also draws heavily from roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*. Those games are built for infinite replayability, a trait that dovetails naturally with racing, which thrives on repeated runs. By integrating procedural elements, persistent upgrades, and a loop that rewards learning from failure, *Galactic Racer* aspires to become a “match made in heaven” for fans of both genres.
Launching the game on October 6 places it in a crowded release window that includes heavyweight titles like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* (both released September 24) and the much‑anticipated *GTA 6* slated for November 19. Webster acknowledges the competition but points out that crowded launch months are nothing new. “People used to call September ‘Murderer’s Row,’ and October has always been packed,” he notes. “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 large publishers.
Webster, who has witnessed a similar contraction a decade and a half ago, observes that 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 opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets.
“If you’re not willing to risk, you limit yourself,” he says. Funding an independent studio in 2023 has been far from easy. “People told me I was brave for starting an indie studio now,” Webster recalls.
After 32 years at EA, he was stepping out of a bubble. His guiding principles remained the same: assemble a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that any plan is provisional and must be iterated upon. He stresses that an engaged, motivated team is the engine behind any successful project.
Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 staff members—by design. Rather than scaling the internal team up and down, the studio leans heavily on 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 eager to work across multiple projects, keeping talent fresh and excited. According to Webster, this approach proves that a AAA‑scale game can be built on a sustainable budget when a small, permanent core is supplemented by trusted external teams that share the same values. The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer*—just three and a half years from Fuse’s founding to a near‑complete product built on Unreal Engine 5—demonstrates the viability of the model.
Another notable aspect of Fuse’s strategy is its emphasis on youthful talent. Alongside the Criterion veterans, the studio has recruited many younger developers, even hiring a producer with no prior game‑industry experience. “The young talent we have is smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age,” Webster says proudly.
He argues that nurturing junior staff not only accelerates innovation but also creates a more dynamic workplace than relying solely on seasoned veterans who may prefer minimal interaction. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalise an internship programme to further cultivate emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must balance ambition with financial reality. He reflects on a period five or six years ago when abundant capital allowed successful developers to spin off their own studios, only to discover the challenges of independent operation. He criticises the industry’s lingering fixation on a “single creative visionary,” calling it “bullshit” and insisting that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors.
As for Fuse Games’ next steps, Webster admits the future is still being mapped out. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to new opportunities and ideas. Flexibility and adaptability, he says, are essential for independent developers navigating today’s ever‑shifting market.