Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He arrived at the company in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the acclaimed Burnout and Need for Speed franchises through Criterion, which EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with former Criterion colleagues—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 preparing to ship its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, under the banner of the newly independent publisher Secret Mode.
The timing of Galactic Racer’s arrival is noteworthy. The last Star Wars‑themed racing game, Racer Revenge, hit shelves in 2002, and since then the racing genre has struggled to maintain mainstream appeal. Recent industry news underscores this trend: Amazon abandoned a publishing partnership with Maverick Games for the upcoming title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the project didn’t fit the market.
Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus away from racing toward the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains confident that a market exists for a Star Wars racing experience. "There’s definitely an audience for a Star Wars racing game," he told GamesIndustry.biz. "We’re not the only ones who think so, and the response we get from our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone." He argues that gaming genres tend to be cyclical.
After a period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably resurface as player tastes evolve. "As more people play video games, even the smallest niches can find a larger audience," Webster added.
Webster believes players are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The studio set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring possibilities that break free from the constraints of real‑world physics. "Imagine tracks that climb the side of an active volcano or roller‑coaster‑like loops," he explained.
These over‑the‑top environments are meant to evoke the thrill of an arcade cabinet while still feeling fresh within the Star Wars universe. Beyond the visual spectacle, Galactic Racer seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditionally, racers have relied on a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades.
Webster wants to discard that formula and borrow mechanics from other genres. One key innovation is the introduction of meaningful consequences for player actions, such as crashing.
In many modern racers, a rewind feature erases any penalty, but Fuse intends to bring consequences back into play. When a player crashes repeatedly, they are sent back to the start of the run, though they retain a degree of meta‑progression that makes the subsequent attempt feel more powerful. This risk‑reward dynamic forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially as they approach their final allowed crash. The game’s structure also draws inspiration from roguelike titles like Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability.
"Racing thrives on replayability, so combining it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven," Webster said. By incorporating procedural elements, branching paths, and persistent upgrades, Galactic Racer aims to keep each race feeling distinct, encouraging players to return again and again.
Webster acknowledges that launching a new IP in a crowded release window is risky, especially with heavyweight titles such as GTA 6 slated for November 19. Galactic Racer is scheduled for October 6, positioning it between major releases like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall (both September 24). He notes that the industry has long dealt with dense launch calendars; "people used to call September ‘murderers’ row,’ and October was always packed as well." Fuse approaches the market with a "healthy sense of confidence" tempered by a realistic view of potential outcomes.
"Good games find a way," he remarked, echoing a mantra that has guided him through industry cycles of layoffs and restructuring. Speaking about the current wave of layoffs, Webster reflected on his own long tenure and the previous round of cuts about fifteen years ago.
He sees a pattern: great teams produce great games, and great games attract audiences. Yet he also observes a growing aversion to risk within large publishers, which he believes creates opportunities for independent studios willing to take calculated bets.
"If you’re not willing to risk, you limit your opportunities," he warned. Funding an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy. Webster recounted how colleagues questioned his decision to leave the security of EA after 32 years.
He emphasizes that the core principles he learned at EA—building a strong team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—remain essential, even when the plan inevitably evolves. Engaged and motivated talent, he argues, is the engine that drives exceptional games. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core team of roughly 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the industry’s typical pattern of rapid expansion and contraction. Instead, the studio supplements its capabilities through external development partners.
These partnerships range from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to deep co‑development arrangements where external studios participate in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even share the code base. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s studios are eager to work on diverse projects rather than being locked into a single title. Webster believes this hybrid model—small permanent core plus trusted external partners—offers a sustainable path to producing AAA‑level experiences on a more manageable budget. He cites the rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer as proof: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and just three and a half years later the team has built a studio, assembled a team, and delivered a game on Unreal Engine 5, an engine none of them had previously mastered.
"It feels like an achievement, and we did it in a healthy, sustainable way," he said. A notable aspect of Fuse’s workforce is the infusion of younger talent alongside veteran developers. Some team members, including a producer, have never worked in games before.
Webster is impressed by the fresh perspectives and efficiency of these newcomers, stating that they have often outperformed more senior hires. He argues that nurturing young talent benefits both parties: it motivates the newcomers and challenges seasoned developers to stay engaged and adaptable. He envisions establishing a formal internship program in the future, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must be mindful of the costs associated with talent development. Reflecting on the industry’s past focus on “singular creative visionaries,” Webster dismisses the notion as a myth.
"Games are made by collaborations of individuals, not by lone geniuses," he asserted, calling the myth “fucking bullshit.” He believes that funding should be directed toward strong teams rather than a handful of star developers, a lesson he learned from the boom years when well‑funded studios often failed because they underestimated the challenges of running a studio. Looking ahead, Fuse Games remains open‑minded about its next steps. While the launch of Galactic Racer marks a major milestone, the studio is already considering future opportunities and projects.
Webster emphasizes the need for flexibility and adaptability in the independent space, acknowledging that the path forward will be shaped by market conditions, player reception, and the studio’s own evolving ambitions.