Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at the company in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the legendary Burnout and Need for Speed franchises through Criterion, which EA acquired in 2004.
Yet in early 2023 Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and 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 *Galactic Racer* is noteworthy. It arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing game, 2002’s *Racer Revenge*. In the intervening years the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream momentum.
Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with UK studio Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market simply didn’t have a clear fit for the product. Criterion itself has shifted focus away from pure racing, now pouring its resources into the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing experience.
“We clearly see a demand for a Star Wars‑based racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community, the people who watch our videos and read our articles, seem to be asking for it as well.” He argues that genres tend to be cyclical.
While shooters dominated the market for a while, the pendulum swings back, and as the overall player base expands, even the most niche concepts can find a sizable following. Webster describes the kind of experience he hopes *Galactic Racer* will deliver: “Players want fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before, and we think this game hits that sweet spot.” The studio deliberately leaned into the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers, while also asking what could be done when the developers are no longer bound by the physics of real‑world tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he says.
“It feels like a roller‑coaster at times.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, *Galactic Racer* is designed to subvert several long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditionally, racing games revolve around a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades. Webster wants to rip that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One major innovation is the re‑introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing.
In many modern racers, a rewind button erases any penalty, but Fuse wants crashes to matter. “If you crash too often you’re sent back to the start, but you keep some meta‑progression that makes you a bit stronger the next run,” he explains. “When you’re on your last life, you really feel the risk you’re taking.” The game’s design is also heavily inspired by roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*—games built around infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability, so combining it with roguelike loops feels like a match made in heaven,” Webster says.
This approach encourages players to experiment, learn from failures, and keep coming back for fresh runs, rather than simply grinding for a single best lap. Releasing a new IP in a crowded calendar is a bold move, especially with heavyweight titles like *GTA 6* slated for November 19. *Galactic Racer* is set for launch on October 6, giving it a respectable runway before the blockbuster drops, yet still landing amid other high‑profile releases such as *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* on September 24.
Webster acknowledges the competitive environment but points out that the industry has always endured busy launch windows. “People used to call September ‘murderer’s row,’ and October has always been packed,” he notes, adding that Fuse approaches the market with a “healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things may turn out.” The conversation naturally turns to the broader industry climate, marked by a wave of layoffs and a growing aversion to risk. Webster, who has witnessed a similar downturn fifteen years ago, believes great teams still make great games, and great games still find audiences. He argues that the current risk‑averse mindset actually creates openings for studios willing to take calculated bets.
“If you shy away from risk, you limit opportunity,” he says. Funding, however, remains a hurdle for new independent studios. “People told me ‘you’re brave to start an indie studio in 2023,’” Webster recalls. After thirty‑two years at EA, stepping into the unknown required him to lean on core principles: building a strong team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while accepting that any plan will inevitably evolve.
He emphasizes that an engaged, motivated team is the engine behind any successful project. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core staff of around 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles common in larger studios.
Instead, the studio augments its capabilities through external development partners. These collaborations range from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where external studios sit in on daily stand‑ups, share Slack channels, and contribute directly to the codebase. Webster highlights the UK’s mature game development ecosystem as especially conducive to this model, noting that today’s external studios are eager to work on varied projects, keeping their talent fresh and motivated. Webster believes this hybrid approach—small permanent team plus trusted partners—could become the new standard for AAA‑scale production on sustainable budgets.
The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer* serves as proof: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years they built a studio, assembled a team, learned Unreal Engine 5 from scratch, and delivered a full‑fledged AAA‑quality title. Another notable aspect of Fuse’s journey is its commitment to nurturing young talent. Alongside the veteran Criterion crew, the studio has hired numerous early‑career developers, even bringing on a producer who had never previously worked in games.
“The younger talent we’ve got is often smarter and more effective than I was at that age,” Webster says, expressing pride in the fresh perspectives they bring. He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, but that such an environment can stifle growth.
By actively supporting junior staff, Fuse has found a productivity boost and a more vibrant studio culture. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further develop emerging talent, though he acknowledges the studio is still pre‑revenue and must be realistic about the costs involved. He reflects on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with cash and many successful teams received funding to spin off their own studios—only to discover the challenges of running an independent operation.
He criticizes the industry’s lingering fascination with the “lone creative visionary” myth, calling it “bullshit” and insisting that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors. As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster admits the future is still being mapped out. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities and directions.
“Independent developers need to stay flexible and adaptable,” he says, underscoring the importance of agility in an ever‑changing market. In summary, Matt Webster’s vision for *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* blends nostalgic arcade excitement with modern roguelike mechanics, leverages a lean‑core‑plus‑partners development model, and places a strong emphasis on cultivating young talent. By betting on a genre that many thought was past its prime, he hopes to prove that even the smallest niches can capture a growing audience as the gaming landscape continues to expand.