Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He began his tenure in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the legendary Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while they were under the Criterion umbrella, a studio EA acquired in 2004. Yet in early 2023, Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, chose to part ways and launch an independent UK studio called Fuse Games.
Three and a half years later the fledgling company is poised to release its debut title, *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, under the banner of the newly independent publisher 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 moment 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 remarking that the market didn’t appear to have a clear fit for the project. Criterion itself has largely shifted focus away from pure racing, devoting its resources to the *Battlefield* series instead.
Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars‑based racer. “We definitely 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 adds that gaming 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 fan base.” Webster believes players are craving "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen 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 exploring what becomes possible when you free yourself from the constraints of real‑world tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explains.
“Sometimes it feels more like a roller‑coaster than a traditional circuit.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game deliberately subverts several long‑standing racing conventions. Most racing titles have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades. Webster wants to tear that model 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 the impact of a mistake, but *Galactic Racer* re‑introduces risk: crashing too often sends you back to the start, though you retain a portion of meta‑progression that makes subsequent attempts slightly stronger. This creates a tension where, on your final allowed crash, you must weigh the risk of pushing harder against the safety of a more conservative approach. The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike principles found in games such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*. Those titles are built for infinite replayability, a quality that dovetails naturally with racing, a genre that thrives on repeated runs and incremental improvement.
By marrying roguelike progression with high‑speed competition, Fuse hopes to craft a “match made in heaven” that encourages players to keep coming back for fresh runs. Releasing the game on October 6 places it in a crowded autumn window, sandwiched between heavyweight titles like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* (both out on September 24) and the much‑anticipated *GTA 6* slated for November 19.
Webster acknowledges the competitive landscape but points out that crowded release schedules are nothing new. “People used to call September ‘murderer’s row,’ and October has always been busy.
We’re confident, but we also keep a realistic view of how things might unfold.” When asked about the wave of industry layoffs, Webster reflects on his long tenure and notes a recurring pattern: great teams produce great games, and great games find audiences. He argues that the current aversion to risk in larger studios creates opportunities for smaller, daring developers willing to take calculated bets. However, securing funding for an independent studio in 2023 proved difficult.
“People told me it was brave to start an indie studio now,” he says. “After 32 years at EA, I was stepping out of a bubble.” Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 staff, a deliberate decision to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles common in AAA development. Instead, the studio leans on external partners for additional capacity, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development where outside teams sit in on stand‑ups, Slack channels and even share the code base.
The UK’s mature game development ecosystem makes it an ideal hub for such collaborations, Webster notes, because many companies now hire talent eager to work across diverse projects, keeping the workforce fresh and motivated. Webster believes this hybrid model—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* 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 polished product. A notable aspect of Fuse’s culture is its emphasis on nurturing young talent.
Alongside the veteran Criterion alumni, the studio hired many newcomers, even a producer who had never previously worked in games. “Our younger developers are often smarter and more effective than I was at their age,” Webster says.
“We’ve seen greater success with them than with some senior hires.” He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer to work with peers who need little guidance, which can stifle mentorship. Fuse deliberately flipped that script, prioritizing mentorship and growth, and is even contemplating an intern program once the studio reaches profitability. “We’re still pre‑revenue, but the intern model at Criterion showed us how valuable it can be,” he adds.
Reflecting on a time when the industry was flush with cash, Webster recalls how many teams received funding simply because they had delivered a hit, only to discover that running a studio is far tougher than anticipated. He criticizes the lingering myth of the “single creative visionary” as “bullshit,” insisting that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors. Looking ahead, Fuse Games remains flexible.
The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and while the studio has ideas for future projects, it understands that independence requires adaptability. As Webster puts it, “We have a vision, but we also keep our eyes open to opportunities and stay ready to pivot when the market demands it.”