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 contributing to the iconic Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while working at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, together with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and launch Fuse Games, an independent studio based in the United Kingdom.
Just over three years later the fledgling team is on the brink of releasing its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will be published by the newly autonomous label Secret Mode. Galactic Racer arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing game, 2002’s Racer Revenge, and it does so at a time when the racing genre has generally lost some of its mainstream steam.
Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market didn’t appear to have a clear home for the product. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus away from pure racing projects and is now more closely associated with the Battlefield franchise.
Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand still exists. “We clearly 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 reaction we get from people watching our videos and reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He adds that genres tend to be cyclical: “We went through a phase where shooters dominated, but that’s only one part of the picture. As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger audience.” Webster believes players are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers on that promise.
The studio set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What can we do once we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?” The answer, he says, is tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel more like roller‑coasters than traditional circuits. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions. Historically, most racing titles have been built around a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades. Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
One such mechanic is meaningful consequence for mistakes. In many modern racers, a rewind button erases the impact of a crash, reducing tension. Galactic Racer re‑introduces real stakes: crashing repeatedly forces the player back to the start, though some meta‑progression carries over, giving a slightly stronger position on the next attempt.
This risk‑reward loop is inspired by roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, which are designed for endless replayability—a quality that meshes naturally with the repeat‑play nature of racing. The consequence system is designed to make each crash feel weighty.
"When you’re on your last crash and the system is critical, you literally lean forward and start weighing the risk you’re taking," Webster explains. This approach marks a bold departure from the hand‑holding that has become common in AAA games, and it reflects his belief that standing out in a crowded market requires daring design choices. Timing the launch is another strategic decision. Galactic Racer is slated for release on October 6, comfortably before the highly anticipated GTA 6 launch on November 19, yet close enough to other major releases such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall on September 24.
Webster acknowledges that September and October are traditionally busy windows, recalling past industry chatter about a “murderer’s row” of titles. Nevertheless, he maintains a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered by a realistic outlook: “Good games will find a way,” he says, echoing a mantra he’s heard throughout his career. When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his own long tenure and the earlier round of cuts fifteen years ago.
He observes that great teams produce great games, and great games attract audiences. Yet he also notes a prevailing aversion to risk among publishers, which he believes creates opportunities for studios willing to make calculated bets. "If you’re not willing to take those risks, you limit your chances," he says. Starting an independent studio in 2023 has not been without its hurdles.
Securing funding proved difficult; many people questioned the wisdom of launching a new studio after three decades at EA. Webster recounts the learning curve: “I spent 32 years at EA, I was in a bubble. This was all new to me. But I fell back on principles I’d learned—build a great team, refine a creative vision, create a disciplined plan, accept that the plan will evolve, and stay true to your values.” He emphasizes that an engaged, motivated team is the engine behind any successful project.
Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 staff—a size more typical of a mid‑tier studio than a traditional AAA developer. This intentional limitation avoids the industry’s common pattern of rapid expansion followed by contraction. Instead, Fuse relies heavily on external development partners to fill skill gaps. "We’re not doing that grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink process," Webster says.
"Our model—small permanent core plus trusted external collaborators—could become the blueprint for sustainable AAA‑scale development." External partners are used in various capacities, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development where the partner studio participates in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even shares the code base. The UK, with its mature game‑development ecosystem, proves especially fertile for such collaborations.
In the past, external studios were reluctant to help, often protecting their own projects. Today, many companies hire developers eager to work across multiple teams, keeping talent fresh and enthusiastic. Webster believes this hybrid model enables a studio to deliver AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity on a more sustainable budget.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer illustrates that point: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and three and a half years later they have built a studio, assembled a team, and created a game on Unreal Engine 5—a technology none of them originally mastered. "It feels like an achievement, and we’ve done it in a healthy, sustainable way," he notes. Another striking aspect of Fuse’s approach is the blend of veteran expertise with youthful energy. While the studio includes several Criterion veterans, many of its developers are newcomers to the industry, and one producer had never worked in games before joining the project.
"We are thrilled with the young talent we’ve got," Webster says. "They are often smarter and more effective than I was at that age. In many ways, we’ve had greater success with our younger developers than with some of the senior talent we brought in." Webster observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer working with equally senior colleagues who need minimal guidance, which can stifle mentorship opportunities.
By contrast, nurturing young talent creates mutual motivation and growth. He hopes to formalize this commitment through an internship program, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and must be realistic about the costs involved.
He points to Criterion’s successful intern initiatives as a model for future efforts. Reflecting on the boom years of roughly five to six years ago, when abundant funding allowed successful teams to spin out their own studios, Webster cautions that the reality of independent development is far tougher than many assume. He argues that money should be allocated to strong teams rather than idolized "single creative visionaries," a notion he dismisses as "bullshit." In his view, games are always the product of collaborative effort, not solitary genius. Looking ahead, Fuse Games does not have a fixed roadmap.
The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities and directions. "As an independent developer these days, you have to stay flexible and adaptable," Webster concludes, underscoring the ethos that has guided Fuse from its inception to the launch of its first title.