Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He began at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years contributing to the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises after Criterion, the studio behind those games, was 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 an independent studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. Just over three years later, Fuse is poised to release its debut title, *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, under the banner of the newly independent publisher Secret Mode. The new game arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing experience, *Racer Revenge* (2002).
In the intervening decades, the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream sheen. 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 need another racer. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus away from racing and now works on the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists for a Star Wars racing game.
“We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars‑based racer,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community of video‑watchers and article readers suggests we’re not the only ones who think that.” He points out that gaming trends are cyclical: “Shooters dominated for a while, but they’re not the only genre that can capture players’ attention. As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger audience.” Webster believes players are hungry for fresh, compelling experiences that they haven’t encountered before, and he feels *Galactic Racer* delivers exactly that. The studio set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What can we do when we’re no longer limited by real‑world tyres and tarmac?” The answer includes wildly imaginative tracks that climb the sides of active volcanoes and twist like roller‑coasters, offering a sense of spectacle that traditional simulators can’t match.
Beyond the arcade thrills, *Galactic Racer* deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions. Most racing games rely on a static car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades.
Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One key innovation is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashes.
In many modern racers, a rewind button erases any penalty, but Fuse re‑introduces risk: crashing repeatedly sends the player back to the start, though some meta‑progression carries over, making each subsequent attempt slightly stronger. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh the danger of pushing their limits, especially when they’re down to their final allowed crash.
The game’s design also draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*, which emphasize infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability, so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a perfect match,” Webster explains.
The result is a title that encourages players to keep coming back, learning from each failure, and gradually mastering increasingly challenging courses. Launching on October 6, *Galactic Racer* lands well before the highly anticipated *GTA 6* (set for November 19) but after other major releases like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* on September 24.
Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar, noting that the industry has long dealt with busy September and October windows—what used to be called “Murderer’s Row.” He remains confident, however, saying Fuse approaches the market with a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered by realistic expectations. When discussing the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his own long tenure. He recalls a previous bout of cuts about fifteen years ago and emphasizes a timeless truth: great teams make great games, and great games find an audience. He warns that the current climate shows an aversion to risk, which paradoxically creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets.
“If you’re not willing to risk, you limit your chances,” he says. Funding a new studio in 2023 has not been easy.
Many questioned the wisdom of launching an independent studio at a time when investors were wary. Webster admits the challenge: “People said, ‘You’re brave doing an indie studio now.’ I spent 32 years at EA in a bubble; this was all new to me.” He stresses that the core principles he learned—building a strong team, refining a creative vision, planning with discipline while accepting that plans will evolve—are essential. Engaged, motivated talent, he argues, is the engine that drives great games. Fuse operates with a relatively lean core team of around 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow” cycle.
Instead, the studio leans on external partners for additional capacity. This model ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to deep co‑development, where external studios join Fuse’s daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and codebase, effectively becoming extensions of the core team.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature game development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s studios are eager to work across projects, keeping their staff fresh and enthusiastic. Webster believes this hybrid approach—small permanent team plus trusted external partners—offers a sustainable path to AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity without inflating budgets. The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer* supports this claim: Fuse launched in January 2023, and within three and a half years they built a studio, assembled a team, and delivered a UE5‑powered game despite initially having no experience with the engine. A notable aspect of Fuse’s workforce is the infusion of younger developers.
Some producers on *Galactic Racer* had never worked in games before joining the project. Webster praises their fresh perspectives, stating they often outperform more senior hires in creativity and efficiency. He observes that seasoned veterans sometimes prefer working with equally senior colleagues, which can limit mentorship opportunities. By focusing on nurturing younger talent, Fuse has discovered a dynamic that energizes the entire team.
Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue. He cites Criterion’s successful intern initiatives as a model and acknowledges the cost of developing talent, but believes the long‑term payoff outweighs the short‑term expense. Reflecting on a period a few years ago when the industry was flush with capital, Webster notes that many developers who received funding to start their own studios quickly discovered how hard it truly is. He argues that money should have been allocated to strong teams rather than to the myth of a singular creative visionary—a notion he calls “fucking bullshit.” In reality, games are collaborative creations.
As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster says the launch of *Galactic Racer* is just the beginning. The studio is already brainstorming future projects but remains flexible, recognizing that independent developers must adapt to shifting market conditions. While specific plans remain under wraps, the team’s confidence, innovative design philosophy, and commitment to blending seasoned expertise with fresh talent suggest that Fuse Games will continue to push boundaries in the years to come.