Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay at Electronic Arts forever. He started at the company in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years developing titles for the Criterion studio, the home of Burnout and Need for Speed, after EA acquired the developer in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster decided to leave the corporate behemoth. Together with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, he co‑founded the independent UK studio Fuse Games.
Just three and a half years later the fledgling studio is on the brink of releasing its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will be published by the newly independent label Secret Mode. Galactic Racer arrives 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing game – 2002’s Racer Revenge – and it does so at a moment when the racing genre has lost much of its mainstream momentum. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the market simply didn’t have room for another racer.
Criterion itself has shifted its focus away from cars and toward the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster is convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing experience. “Obviously we 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 the response we get from people watching our videos or reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical. After a long period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably rise again.
As more people worldwide pick up video games, even the smallest niches can grow into sizable markets. Webster believes players are craving “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before,” and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The studio’s vision is to create something fresh, an arcade‑style racer that also pushes the boundaries of what a racing game can be when it’s no longer tied to realistic tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explains.
“It feels like a roller‑coaster at times.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game is deliberately breaking long‑standing genre conventions. Most racing titles have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades. Webster wants to discard that formula and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most striking innovations is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing.
In many modern racers a rewind button erases any penalty, but Galactic Racer restores risk: repeated crashes send you back to the start of a run, although you retain a portion of your meta‑progress, putting you in a stronger position for the next attempt. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they are on their final allowable crash. The design is also heavily inspired by roguelike principles found in games like Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire.
Those titles are built for infinite replayability, a quality that dovetails perfectly with racing, a genre that thrives on repeated runs and incremental improvement. By blending roguelike progression with high‑speed competition, Fuse hopes to create a “match made in heaven” that encourages players to come back for more. Webster acknowledges that launching a new IP in a crowded calendar is risky, especially with blockbuster titles such as GTA 6 slated for November 19. Galactic Racer is set for an October 6 release, a comfortable gap from the GTA launch but still close enough to the September 24 releases of Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall.
He notes that the industry has always seen busy pre‑holiday windows; “September looks busy” is a common refrain, yet historically October has been just as packed, often referred to as “murderers’ row.” Fuse approaches the market with a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered by a realistic outlook. When discussing the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his long tenure and the previous round of cuts fifteen years ago. He argues that great teams produce great games, and great games find audiences. He sees the current risk‑averse climate as an opening for studios willing to make calculated bets.
However, he also admits that securing funding for an independent studio in 2023 has been a major hurdle. After 32 years at EA, stepping into the unknown required him to lean on core principles: build a strong team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning while staying adaptable. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core team of about 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles common in larger studios. Instead of expanding and contracting, the studio supplements its capabilities through external development partners.
These collaborations range from pure outsourcing – transactional asset creation – to full co‑development, where partner studios join Fuse’s daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and code repositories as if they were an internal extension. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as especially conducive to this model, noting that today many companies are eager to work on varied projects with different teams, keeping talent motivated and fresh. The result, he believes, demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game can be built on a sustainable budget by marrying a small, permanent core with trusted external partners. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer underscores this point: Fuse launched in January 2023, and just three and a half years later they have delivered a fully realized UE5 title despite initially knowing little about the engine.
Another striking aspect of Fuse’s approach is its emphasis on younger talent. While the studio includes seasoned veterans from Criterion, many of its developers are newcomers, and one producer had never worked in games before joining the project. Webster praises this fresh perspective, saying the younger staff often outperform older colleagues in creativity and efficiency.
He observes that senior developers sometimes prefer working alongside equally experienced peers, which can limit mentorship opportunities. By prioritising the growth of junior talent, Fuse hopes to cultivate a vibrant, collaborative culture.
Looking ahead, Webster would like to formalise an internship program to nurture the next generation of developers, though the studio remains pre‑revenue at present. He cites Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model and acknowledges the cost and commitment required to develop talent responsibly. Reflecting on the industry’s past focus on “superstar” creators, Webster dismisses the notion of a single visionary as “bullshit.” He argues that games are inherently collaborative, built by teams of individuals rather than solitary geniuses.
The shift away from that myth, combined with Fuse’s balanced staffing strategy and willingness to take calculated risks, positions the studio to navigate an uncertain market. As for what comes after Galactic Racer, Webster admits the future is still being written. The launch is just the beginning, and Fuse remains open to new opportunities and ideas. The studio’s flexibility and adaptability, he believes, will be essential for any independent developer seeking longevity in an ever‑changing industry.