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 developing the iconic Burnout and Need for Speed franchises through 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, decided to strike out on their own and launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games.
Three and a half years later, that fledgling team is on the brink of releasing its debut 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 racing game—2002’s Racer Revenge—at a time when the racing genre has generally slipped out of the mainstream spotlight. Recent industry moves illustrate this trend: Amazon cancelled a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the project didn’t fit the market’s current appetite.
Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has shifted its focus to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a viable audience for a Star Wars‑themed racer.
“We clearly see demand for a Star Wars racing experience,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community feedback and the interest we see online tell us we’re not the only ones who think this genre still has life.” Webster points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical.
After a period dominated by shooters, other styles inevitably resurface. “As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can grow into sizable markets,” he explained.
He believes players are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that fresh take. The design philosophy behind Galactic Racer is rooted in classic arcade gratification while also pushing the boundaries of what a racing game can be when it’s no longer tied to realistic physics, tyres, and tarmac. “We wanted to ask what’s possible when you free yourself from the constraints of real‑world racing,” Webster said.
The result is a series of fantastical tracks that climb the sides of active volcanoes, zip through zero‑gravity tunnels, and feel more like roller‑coaster rides than conventional circuits. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing genre conventions. Traditionally, racing titles have centered on car collection—a model that has remained largely unchanged for two decades. Webster wants to “rip that up and steal from other genres.” To that end, Galactic Racer incorporates consequential decision‑making reminiscent of roguelike design.
Crashing isn’t just a momentary setback; it carries weight. In many modern racers, a rewind button erases mistakes, but Fuse Games re‑introduces lasting consequences. Too many crashes send the player back to the start, yet they retain a portion of meta‑progress, emerging from the reset in a stronger position. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they’re on their final allowable crash.
Webster cites games like Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire as inspirations for the game’s replayability loop. Those titles are built around infinite replay, and racing, by nature, thrives on repeated runs. By blending roguelike persistence with high‑speed competition, Fuse hopes to create a “match made in heaven.” The design encourages players to experiment, learn from failures, and return stronger—mirroring the iterative mindset of modern game development.
Timing the launch is another strategic decision. Galactic Racer is slated for release on October 6, positioning it comfortably before the anticipated arrival of GTA 6 on November 19, yet after other major releases such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall on September 24. Webster acknowledges the crowded pre‑holiday calendar but notes that the industry has always dealt with busy windows. “People used to call September ‘murderer’s row,’ and October was always packed,” he recalled.
He believes confidence in the product, paired with a realistic outlook on market performance, will help the title stand out. The conversation also turned to the broader industry climate, particularly the wave of layoffs and risk‑averse funding. Webster, who has witnessed a previous round of layoffs about fifteen years ago, emphasizes that great teams make great games, and great games find their audience. He argues that the current aversion to risk actually creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets.
“If you’re not willing to push boundaries, you’ll miss the chance to innovate,” he said. Funding an independent studio in 2023 has been challenging.
Webster describes the skepticism he faced when announcing Fuse Games: “People told me I was brave to start an indie studio now.” After 32 years at EA, he had to adapt to a new reality—building a team, refining a creative vision, and maintaining discipline while accepting that any plan is provisional. His mantra: engage and motivate talent, because a motivated team produces outstanding work. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of around 75 staff, a deliberate choice to avoid the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow” cycle. Instead, the studio leans on external partners to fill skill gaps, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full‑scale co‑development where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and code repositories.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations. “Companies now hire people who want to move between projects and teams, keeping the work fresh and exciting,” he explained. This hybrid model, Webster believes, demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game can be produced on a sustainable budget when a small, permanent core team is complemented by trusted external partners. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—starting Fuse in January 2023 and delivering a finished UE5‑based product in just three and a half years—serves as proof of concept.
An unexpected advantage of the studio’s composition is the infusion of youthful talent. Many of the developers on Galactic Racer are early‑career professionals, and one producer has never worked in games before. Webster praises their energy and effectiveness, noting that the younger cohort has often outperformed more senior hires.
He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer working alongside equally senior colleagues, which can limit mentorship opportunities. In contrast, nurturing young talent creates a dynamic where both mentors and mentees are motivated. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further develop emerging talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue. He references Criterion’s successful intern initiatives as a model and stresses that any such program must be entered with clear eyes regarding the costs involved.
Reflecting on a period a few years ago when the industry was flush with capital, Webster recalls how many developers who rode the wave of a hit title were given the chance to start their own studios, only to discover the reality was far tougher than expected. He criticizes the industry’s lingering fixation on the myth of the “single creative visionary,” calling it “bullshit.” For him, games are always collaborative endeavors, built by teams of individuals rather than lone geniuses. As for Fuse Games’ next steps, Webster admits the future is still being charted. The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities while staying flexible and adaptable—qualities he deems essential for independent developers in today’s fast‑changing market.