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 titles for Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed that 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 leave the corporate giant and launch their own independent studio in the United Kingdom, Fuse Games. Three and a half years later the fledgling studio is on the verge 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‑themed racing game, 2002’s Racer Revenge, and it does so at a time when the racing genre has generally lost steam. Amazon recently cancelled a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis noting that the market simply didn’t seem to have room for another racer. Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racing, has pivoted to the Battlefield franchise, signaling a broader industry shift away from pure‑speed experiences.
Despite these trends, Webster is convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing game. “We clearly believe there’s a fanbase for a Star Wars‑based racer,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“We’re not the only ones thinking that, and the response we get from people watching our videos and reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other genres inevitably re‑emerge. "As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger audience," he added. Webster argues that modern players are craving "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences 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 asking, "What could we do if we weren’t limited by tyres and tarmac?" The answer is a series of over‑the‑top tracks that climb the sides of active volcanoes, zip through zero‑gravity tunnels, and feel like roller‑coaster rides at times. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditionally, racing games have relied on a car‑collection model that has changed little 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 crashing. In many modern racers, a rewind button erases 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," he explained. "When you’re on your last allowed crash, the tension is real, and you start weighing the risk of each maneuver." The game’s design also draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability.
Racing, by its nature, thrives on repeated runs, so melding the two philosophies creates a "match made in heaven," according to Webster. Each run in Galactic Racer is meant to feel fresh, with procedurally varied shortcuts, power‑ups and hazards that keep players engaged long after they finish the initial story mode.
Launching a new IP in a crowded calendar is a gamble, especially with Rockstar’s GTA 6 slated for November 19. Fuse has chosen an October 6 release, giving the game a comfortable buffer before the blockbuster’s debut while still landing after other high‑profile releases like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall (both September 24). Webster notes that September has historically been a busy month, recalling the “murderers’ row” of titles that used to fill the autumn schedule.
He remains confident, however, saying Fuse approaches the market with a "healthy sense of confidence" tempered by realistic expectations. When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his own long tenure. He remembers a similar contraction fifteen years ago and emphasizes a timeless truth: great teams make great games, and great games find their audience. He observes a current aversion to risk among publishers, which he believes opens doors for studios willing to take calculated bets.
"If you’re not willing to risk, you limit opportunity," he said. Funding an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy. Webster recounts how peers questioned his decision to start Fuse, asking, "Are you brave enough to run an indie studio now?" After thirty‑two years at EA, he was stepping out of a comfortable bubble.
He relied on principles he’d learned over his career: assemble a talented team, hone a clear creative vision, and maintain discipline while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve. He stresses that an engaged, motivated crew is the engine of any successful project.
Fuse’s core team is deliberately small—about 75 people—by design. Rather than expanding and contracting staff in response to project needs, the studio leans on external partners for additional capacity. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing (pure asset creation) with true co‑development, where external studios sit in Fuse’s daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and code repositories, effectively becoming extensions of the core team. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaboration, noting that many companies now actively seek varied projects to keep their talent fresh and enthusiastic.
According to Webster, this approach proves that a AAA‑scale game can be built on a sustainable budget when a lean permanent team is supplemented by trusted partners who share the same values. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—starting in January 2023 and reaching launch in just over three years—demonstrates the model’s viability. "We built a studio, assembled a team, learned Unreal Engine 5 from scratch, and delivered a full‑fledged AAA‑quality title," he said, calling the achievement "healthy and sustainable." Fuse also prides itself on the infusion of young talent. While several veterans from Criterion anchor the project, many of the developers are newcomers to the industry; one producer, for instance, had never worked on a game before joining the team.
Webster is impressed by the fresh perspectives these younger creators bring, claiming they often outperform more senior hires in creativity and efficiency. He notes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer to work alongside equally experienced peers, which can limit mentorship opportunities.
In contrast, nurturing junior staff has energized the studio and driven innovation. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship pipeline to further cultivate emerging talent, though he acknowledges the studio is still pre‑revenue and must balance growth with financial realities.
He recalls a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with cash and many successful developers launched their own studios, only to discover the challenges of independent operation. He argues that funding should have been directed toward strong teams rather than a mythic “single creative visionary,” which he dismisses as "bullshit." Games, he insists, are collaborative creations. As for Fuse’s 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 and directions. He emphasizes that flexibility and adaptability are essential for independent developers navigating today’s volatile market. "We have ideas about where we want to go next, but we have to stay nimble," he concluded.