Matt Webster appeared destined for a lifelong career at Electronic Arts. He entered the company back in 1990 and spent almost twenty years developing titles for Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed that EA acquired in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster joined forces with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Fast‑forward three and a half years, and 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 the intervening decades have not been kind to the genre. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking, “we didn’t see a real fit in the market for that game.” Meanwhile, Criterion, once a racing powerhouse, has shifted its focus to the Battlefield franchise.
Despite these signals, Webster is convinced a market still exists. “We clearly believe there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We’re not the only ones thinking that, and the response to our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical. “We’ve had a period where shooters dominated, but that’s not the only story.
As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a sizable following.” According to Webster, 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 racing while also exploring what becomes possible when developers are no longer bound by realistic tyres and tarmac.
“We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explains. “Sometimes it feels like a roller‑coaster.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer aims to overturn long‑standing genre conventions. Most racing games have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades. Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
The game emphasizes consequential decision‑making, especially around crashes. In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates risk, but Fuse re‑introduces stakes: crashing too often sends you back to the start, though you retain some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position the next run. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they’re on their final allowed crash. The design draws inspiration from roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built for infinite replayability.
"Racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes, "so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven." The result is a title that encourages players to experiment, learn from failure, and keep coming back for fresh runs. Launching the game on October 6 places it comfortably before the highly anticipated GTA 6 release slated for November 19, yet still after major September launches like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall (September 24).
Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar but reminds us that October has historically been a busy month for big releases; he recalls the industry’s old “Murderer’s Row” of titles filling the autumn schedule. He maintains a realistic optimism: “Good games will find a way,” he says, echoing a mantra that has guided him through industry downturns and layoffs. Webster reflects on the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, noting that great teams create great games, and great games attract audiences.
He argues that the industry’s current aversion to risk actually creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. Funding, however, has been a hurdle. “People told me it was brave to start an independent studio in 2023,” Webster recalls. After 32 years at EA, he found himself navigating a new landscape.
He leaned on core principles: building a talented team, sharpening a creative vision, and crafting a disciplined yet adaptable plan. “The plan is always wrong, but it’s the best version you have today,” he says, emphasizing iteration and staying true to values. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 staff members—by design.
Rather than expanding and contracting the team in waves, the studio relies on external partners to fill skill gaps. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing for asset creation with deeper co‑development relationships where external studios attend stand‑ups, join Slack channels, and contribute directly to the codebase. 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 varied projects, keeping talent motivated and fresh. Webster believes this approach demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game—by scope, visual fidelity and ambition—can be built on a sustainable budget when a small, permanent core team is augmented by trusted external partners.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer validates the model: Fuse launched in January 2023, and within three and a half years they have assembled a studio, assembled a team, and built a game on Unreal Engine 5—a technology none of them previously mastered. The studio’s roster blends veteran Criterion alumni with a wave of younger developers, some of whom have never worked in games before. "We are thrilled with the young talent we’ve got," Webster says.
He observes that many of these newcomers are more adaptable and effective than he was at their age, and that the studio has seen greater success nurturing fresh talent than relying solely on senior hires. While seasoned developers may prefer working with peers who need minimal guidance, Webster argues that fostering younger staff energizes the entire team.
Looking ahead, Webster hopes to establish an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue. He cites Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model and acknowledges the cost and commitment required to develop newcomers. Reflecting on the industry’s past boom, Webster remembers a time when successful games generated enough capital for their creators to spin off independent studios—often with unrealistic expectations.
He contends that funding should target strong teams rather than glorified “single creative visionaries,” which he dismisses as “bullshit.” In his view, games are collaborative creations, not the product of solitary geniuses. As for Fuse’s next steps, the future remains open‑ended. The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio is already exploring potential collaborations and new directions.
Webster emphasizes flexibility: “Independent developers today need to be adaptable,” he says, hinting that whatever comes next will build on the lessons learned from this ambitious Star Wars racing venture.