Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within Electronic Arts. He started at the company in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the iconic Burnout and Need for Speed series through 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 break away and launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Three and a half years later the fledgling team stands on the brink of releasing its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, published by the newly independent 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 slipped out of the spotlight. Amazon recently cancelled a publishing agreement with UK studio Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking that the market didn’t seem to need another racer. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus from pure racing to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a market exists for a Star Wars racing experience.
“We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community feedback – video views, article reads – tells us we’re not alone in wanting this.” He points out that genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably resurface.
As video‑game participation broadens, even the most niche interests can find a sizable fan base. Webster believes players are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. Fuse’s design philosophy embraces the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also asking, "What can we do when we’re no longer limited by tyres and tarmac?" The answer, according to Webster, is tracks that climb the sides of active volcanoes, courses that feel like roller‑coasters, and environments that defy the physics of ordinary road racing.
Yet the ambition goes beyond visual spectacle. The team aims to upend long‑standing genre conventions, particularly the entrenched model of car collection that has persisted for two decades. "Let’s rip that up and borrow ideas from other genres," Webster says. One of those borrowed concepts is meaningful consequence.
In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates the penalty for crashing, eroding tension. Galactic Racer re‑introduces stakes: each crash pushes the player closer to a reset, but some meta‑progression carries over, rewarding persistence. The game’s structure draws inspiration from roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—titles built around infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replay value," Webster notes, "so marrying it with roguelike loops feels like a perfect match." When a player crashes too often, they restart from the beginning, yet they retain certain upgrades, making each subsequent attempt feel slightly stronger while still feeling the weight of risk.
This design choice marks a bold departure from the hand‑holding typical of many AAA releases. Webster acknowledges the competitive landscape, especially with Rockstar’s GTA 6 slated for a November 19 launch. Galactic Racer is set for release on October 6, giving it a comfortable window before the blockbuster while still landing after other major titles such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, both launched on September 24.
He notes that crowded September release windows are nothing new; historically, October has also been a bustling month, often referred to as “murderers’ row.” Fuse approaches the market with “a healthy sense of confidence” tempered by realistic expectations. Reflecting on industry layoffs, Webster emphasizes that strong teams create great games, and great games find audiences.
He observes a current aversion to risk, which he believes opens opportunities for studios willing to make calculated bets. Yet he also admits that founding an independent studio in 2023 has been challenging, particularly regarding funding. After 32 years at EA, he found himself navigating a new reality: “People said, ‘You’re brave starting an indie studio now,’ and I thought, ‘Really?’” His guiding principles remain the same—assemble a talented team, hone a clear creative vision, and stay disciplined while remaining adaptable. Fuse operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 staff, a deliberate choice to avoid the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle.
Instead, the studio leverages external development partners to fill skill gaps. This hybrid model ranges from pure outsourcing for asset creation to deep co‑development where external studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even 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 fresh and motivated. According to Webster, this approach proves that a AAA‑scale game—by scope, visual fidelity and ambition—can be built on a sustainable budget when a small permanent team is augmented by trusted partners who share the same values.
The rapid development timeline underscores this point: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years they have assembled a studio, built a team, and delivered a game on Unreal Engine 5, a technology none of them previously mastered. He describes the achievement as “healthy and sustainable.” The studio’s composition also reflects a generational shift. Alongside Criterion veterans, Fuse has recruited many younger developers, even hiring a producer with no prior gaming experience.
Webster praises this youthful talent, claiming they often outperform older colleagues in creativity and efficiency. He argues that senior developers sometimes prefer working with peers of similar experience, which can limit mentorship opportunities.
By nurturing young talent, Fuse has discovered a more dynamic and innovative environment, and Webster hopes to formalize an internship program in the future, despite the studio currently being pre‑revenue. Looking back to the mid‑2010s, when the industry enjoyed abundant capital, Webster recalls how successful game teams received funding to launch their own studios, only to discover the difficulties of running an independent operation.
He critiques the industry’s past fixation on the “single creative visionary” myth, calling it “bullshit.” In his view, games are always collaborative endeavors. As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster admits the future is still being written. The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to new opportunities and ideas. He emphasizes flexibility and adaptability as essential traits for independent developers navigating today’s market.
In summary, Matt Webster’s journey from EA veteran to independent studio founder illustrates a belief that as gaming audiences expand, even the most niche concepts can find a foothold. By blending arcade thrills, roguelike persistence, and a collaborative development model, Fuse Games aims to prove that a fresh take on Star Wars racing can succeed in a crowded industry, while also championing the next generation of game‑making talent.