Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at the company 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 teamed up with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Just three and a half 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 the launch is noteworthy. The last Star Wars‑themed racing game, *Racer Revenge*, hit shelves in 2002—over two decades ago. Since then, the racing genre has struggled to maintain a mainstream foothold.
Amazon recently abandoned a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the project didn’t fit the market. Criterion itself has largely shifted away from pure racing, focusing instead on the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing experience. “We clearly see a demand for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“We’re not the only ones who think that, and the response we get from videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other types inevitably resurface as the player base expands.
“The more people who play games, the larger even the tiniest niche becomes,” Webster said. He believes gamers are looking for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before," and he feels *Galactic Racer* delivers exactly that. Fuse’s design philosophy embraces the instant‑gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring what’s possible when you free yourself from the constraints of realistic tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” Webster explained.
“It feels like a roller‑coaster at times.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game seeks to overturn long‑standing conventions of the genre. Most racing titles have relied on a static car‑collection model for the past twenty years. Fuse wants to “rip that up and steal from other genres.” One of the most radical departures is the incorporation of meaningful consequences for player mistakes. In many modern racers, a rewind mechanic erases the penalty for crashing, making failure feel inconsequential.
*Galactic Racer* reintroduces risk: each crash pushes the player closer to a restart, though some meta‑progression carries over, granting a slightly stronger starting position on the next attempt. This tension, Webster says, forces players to weigh risk versus reward, especially when they’re down to their final allowed crash. The game’s structure also draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*. Those games are built around infinite replayability, a quality that dovetails naturally with racing’s repeat‑play nature.
By blending procedural progression, permanent upgrades and a punitive crash system, Fuse hopes to create a loop that keeps players returning for more runs. Launching on October 6, *Galactic Racer* lands about six weeks before the highly anticipated *GTA 6* release on November 19, but after other major September launches like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall*. Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar but points out that the industry has weathered even busier pre‑Christmas windows in the past. “People used to call October ‘murderers’ row,’ and it was always packed,” he recalled.
“We have a healthy confidence, tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out.” When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, Webster reflected on his long tenure. He remembered a similar downturn fifteen years ago and noted a pattern: great teams make great games, and great games find an audience. He warns that the current climate is risk‑averse, which can stifle innovation. “When you’re unwilling to take calculated bets, you limit opportunity,” he said.
Funding an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy. Webster described the skepticism he faced when announcing Fuse: “People said, ‘You’re brave doing an indie studio now.’” After thirty‑two years at EA, stepping into a startup was a cultural shock. He relied on core principles learned at the big studio: assemble a talented team, hone a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will inevitably change.
“Engaged, motivated talent produces great work, so it’s our job to keep them inspired,” he emphasized. Fuse operates with a relatively lean core of roughly 75 people, deliberately avoiding the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles common in AAA development.
Instead, the studio leverages external partners for both transactional asset creation and deeper co‑development. In co‑development relationships, outside studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and even the code base, effectively becoming extensions of Fuse’s internal team. Webster highlighted 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 title.
According to Webster, this hybrid model—small permanent core plus trusted external partners—demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game can be built on a sustainable budget. The rapid pace of *Galactic Racer*’s development underscores this point: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years the team learned Unreal Engine 5 from scratch, built the studio infrastructure, and delivered a full‑featured racing game. Another noteworthy aspect is Fuse’s blend of veteran and youthful talent. While the studio’s leadership includes several Criterion veterans, many of the developers are newcomers, and one producer had never worked in games before joining the project.
“The young talent we’ve hired is often smarter and more effective than I was at that age,” Webster said. He observed that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, which can hinder mentorship.
By pivoting hiring practices toward nurturing junior staff, Fuse hopes to cultivate a dynamic, forward‑thinking culture. Webster dreams of establishing a formal internship program to further develop emerging talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue.
He cites Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model and acknowledges the cost and effort required to build such a pipeline from the ground up. Reflecting on the industry’s past focus on “superstar” creators, Webster dismissed the myth of the solitary visionary as “bullshit.” He argues that games are always collaborative endeavors, and that funding should be directed toward strong teams rather than a single high‑profile name. “Unless you’re a solo developer, games are made by collaborations of individuals,” he asserted.
Looking ahead, Fuse Games remains flexible. While the launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* marks a major milestone, the studio is already considering future projects and partnerships. “For an independent developer these days, you have to be adaptable,” Webster concluded. "We’ll see where the next opportunity leads, but we’re ready to take it on."