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 iconic Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while working at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and founded the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Three and a half years later the fledgling company is poised to launch its debut title, *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, under the banner of the newly independent publisher Secret Mode.
The timing of *Galactic Racer* is noteworthy. The last Star Wars‑themed racing game, *Racer Revenge*, hit shelves in 2002 – a full 24 years ago.
Since then, the racing genre has struggled to maintain a prominent place in the mainstream market. Amazon recently withdrew from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the project didn’t fit the current market landscape. Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has pivoted to the *Battlefield* franchise, signaling a broader industry shift away from traditional car‑centric games.
Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists for a Star Wars racing experience. “We clearly believe there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We’re not the only ones who think that, and the reaction we get from viewers and readers suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other styles inevitably resurface.
“As more people play video games, even the tiniest niche can find a larger audience,” Webster added. What does *Galactic Racer* offer that could capture that audience? According to Webster, players are hungry for “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before,” and he believes his studio’s vision delivers exactly that.
Fuse set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring possibilities that break free from the constraints of real‑world physics. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explained.
“It feels like a roller‑coaster at times.” Beyond the thrill rides, the game seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditionally, racers have relied on a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades.
Webster wants to “rip that up and steal from other genres.” To that end, *Galactic Racer* incorporates consequential decision‑making, especially around crashing. In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates any penalty for mistakes, but Fuse re‑introduces risk: too many crashes send you back to the start, though you retain some meta‑progression that makes you slightly stronger on the next run. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh aggression against caution, echoing the tension found in roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*.
The roguelike influence is intentional. Those games are built for infinite replayability, a quality that meshes naturally with racing, a genre that thrives on repeated attempts to shave off milliseconds.
By blending procedural progression with high‑octane speed, Fuse hopes to create a “match made in heaven.” Webster notes that each crash carries weight, especially when you’re down to your last life and the stakes feel real. This design choice marks a bold departure from the hand‑holding prevalent in many AAA releases. Releasing *Galactic Racer* on October 6 positions it between a crowded pre‑holiday slate and the much‑anticipated launch of *GTA 6* on November 19.
While some industry observers warned that September would be too busy, Webster recalled older eras when October was considered the “murderers’ row” of releases. He acknowledges the competition but says Fuse approaches it with a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered by realism.
“Good games find a way,” he says, echoing a mantra he’s heard throughout his long career. Webster’s reflections on the current wave of layoffs underscore his belief that great teams produce great games, which in turn attract audiences. He observes a growing aversion to risk in the industry, which he views as an opening for studios willing to make calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to take those risks, you limit your opportunities,” he warns.
Funding, however, has not been easy. Launching an independent studio in 2023 was met with skepticism: “People were like, ‘you’re brave doing an indie studio now,’” Webster recalls. After 32 years at EA, he found himself navigating a new landscape. His answer was to lean on core principles—building a strong team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning while staying adaptable.
He emphasizes that an engaged, motivated team is the engine of any successful project. Fuse’s structure reflects this philosophy. Rather than swelling to a massive AAA workforce, the studio has kept its core team to roughly 75 people. To fill gaps, they rely heavily on external development partners.
This approach avoids the “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle that plagues many large studios. Instead, Fuse contracts trusted partners who become extensions of the team, participating in stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even sharing the codebase. The UK’s mature game development ecosystem makes it an ideal hub for such collaboration, with many studios eager to work on diverse projects rather than being locked into a single franchise. Webster believes this hybrid model—small permanent core plus flexible external talent—offers a sustainable path to AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity without the budget bloat that traditionally accompanies such ambitions.
The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer* serves as proof: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years they have built a studio, assembled a team, and created a game in Unreal Engine 5 despite initially having no experience with the engine. A notable aspect of Fuse’s roster is the infusion of young developers. While several veteran Criterion staff are present, many team members are fresh to the industry, and one producer had never worked on a game before joining.
Webster praises this youthful energy, saying they often outperform older colleagues in creativity and efficiency. He argues that nurturing young talent is more beneficial than relying solely on seasoned veterans, who may prefer working in isolation and resist mentorship. Fuse is even considering an internship program, though the studio remains pre‑revenue and must be realistic about the costs of talent development.
Looking back to the mid‑2010s, when the industry enjoyed abundant funding, Webster recalls how many successful developers received capital to start their own studios, only to discover the challenges were greater than anticipated. He criticizes the lingering myth of the “singular creative visionary” as “fucking bullshit,” insisting that games are the product of collaborative effort rather than the vision of a lone auteur. As for Fuse’s future beyond *Galactic Racer*, Webster admits plans are still fluid.
The launch is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities and directions. Flexibility and adaptability, he says, are essential for independent developers navigating today’s market.