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 contributing to iconic franchises such as Burnout and Need for Speed while working at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster, together with former Criterion colleagues 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 the fledgling company 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. The last Star Wars‑themed racing game, *Racer Revenge*, hit shelves in 2002—more than two decades ago. In the intervening years, traditional racing games have struggled to maintain mainstream appeal. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis noting that the market simply didn’t seem to fit the project.
Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racing, has pivoted toward the *Battlefield* franchise, leaving a noticeable gap in the high‑octane, star‑powered niche. Webster remains convinced that a demand exists.
“We clearly think there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We’re not the only ones who feel that way, and judging by the response to our videos and articles, we’re definitely not alone.” He points out that genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably resurface.
“As more people play video games, even the tiniest niche can find a larger audience,” he added. According to Webster, modern gamers are hungry for experiences that feel fresh, fun, and compelling—something they haven’t encountered before. *Galactic Racer* aims to deliver exactly that. The team set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racing while also exploring what becomes possible when you are no longer bound by the physical constraints of tyres and tarmac.
“We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” Webster explained. “Sometimes it feels like a roller‑coaster.” Beyond the visual spectacle, the game seeks to upend long‑standing genre conventions. Traditional racing titles have relied on a car‑collection model for roughly twenty years, a formula Webster believes is ready for disruption.
“Let’s rip that up and borrow ideas from other genres,” he said. One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing.
In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates penalty, but *Galactic Racer* re‑introduces risk: too many crashes send you back to the start, though you retain a portion of meta‑progression that places you in a stronger position for the next attempt. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they are down to their final lives. The game’s design also draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*.
These games are built around infinite replayability, a quality that meshes naturally with racing’s competitive, repeat‑play ethos. By blending the procedural, high‑stakes structure of roguelikes with the speed and thrills of arcade racing, Fuse hopes to create a “match made in heaven.” Launching in a crowded calendar, *Galactic Racer* is set for release on October 6, a comfortable window before the highly anticipated *GTA 6* arrives on November 19. It also follows other major releases like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* (both September 24).
Webster acknowledges the competitive landscape but reminds us that crowded launch windows are nothing new. “People used to call October ‘Murderer’s Row’ because it was packed with big titles,” he recalled.
“We have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out.” The conversation inevitably turns to the broader industry climate, particularly the wave of layoffs that has swept through major studios. Webster, who has witnessed at least two major layoff cycles in his career, believes that great teams produce great games, and great games find audiences.
He argues that the current aversion to risk creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you shy away from risk, you limit your chances,” he said. “Those who embrace it can carve out space in the market.” Funding, however, remains a significant hurdle for independent developers.
When Fuse launched in early 2023, Webster faced skepticism: “People said, ‘You’re brave starting an indie studio in 2023.’” After 32 years at EA, he was stepping out of a corporate bubble into a world where securing capital is far from guaranteed. His guiding principle became building a strong, motivated team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve. Fuse’s staffing model reflects this philosophy. The core team numbers roughly 75 people, deliberately kept small to avoid the boom‑and‑bust hiring cycles that plague many AAA projects.
Instead, Fuse relies on external development partners to fill gaps, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where external studios attend stand‑ups, join Slack channels, and contribute directly to 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 rather than being locked into a single, proprietary effort. Webster believes this hybrid model—small permanent core plus trusted external partners—could become a blueprint for sustainable AAA‑scale production. “You can achieve AAA scope, scale and fidelity on a more sustainable budget this way,” he asserts, citing the rapid three‑and‑a‑half‑year development timeline of *Galactic Racer* as proof of concept.
The team started with no prior experience in Unreal Engine 5, yet they delivered a polished product on schedule, which Webster describes as “an achievement done in a healthy, sustainable way.” A notable aspect of Fuse’s culture is its emphasis on youthful talent. Alongside the veteran Criterion alumni, the studio has hired many younger developers, even bringing on a producer with no prior game‑development background.
“The young talent we’ve got is smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age,” Webster enthuses. He observes that seasoned developers often prefer senior colleagues who can work independently, which can stifle mentorship. By deliberately nurturing younger staff, Fuse has found a boost in creativity and morale, prompting the studio to consider an intern program in the future—though they remain pre‑revenue and cautious about the costs involved.
Reflecting on the industry’s past excesses, Webster recalls a period five or six years ago when abundant funding led many successful developers to launch their own studios, only to discover the challenges were greater than anticipated. He criticizes the lingering myth of the “single creative visionary” as “bullshit,” emphasizing that games are collaborative endeavors.
“Great games are made by collaborations of individuals, not by a lone genius,” he says. Looking ahead, Fuse Games does not have a fixed roadmap beyond *Galactic Racer*. The studio sees the launch as the beginning of a longer journey and remains open to exploring new opportunities. “We have ideas about where we want to go next, but as an independent developer you have to stay flexible and adaptable,” Webster concludes.
In sum, Matt Webster’s vision for *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* blends nostalgia for arcade thrills with innovative design borrowed from roguelikes, all while championing a lean, collaborative development model. By betting on a niche that has grown larger as the gaming audience expands, and by trusting a mix of veteran insight and fresh talent, Fuse Games hopes to prove that even in a crowded market, bold, well‑executed ideas can still capture players’ imaginations.