Matt Webster appeared destined for a lifelong career at Electronic Arts. He started with the company back in 1990 and spent almost twenty years developing titles for Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed, which EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch an independent UK studio called Fuse Games. Fast‑forward three and a half years, and the fledgling studio is on the brink of releasing its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will be published by the newly independent label Secret Mode.
Galactic Racer arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars racing game—2002’s Racer Revenge—at a moment when racing games have generally slipped out of the mainstream spotlight. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining, “We didn’t see a real fit in the market for that game.” Meanwhile, Criterion, once a racing powerhouse, has pivoted to work on the Battlefield franchise. Despite those signals, Webster is confident there is still demand for a Star Wars‑themed racer. “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, and the response we get from people watching our videos and reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical. “We went through a period where shooters dominated everything, but that’s just one slice of the pie.
As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a sizable audience.” According to Webster, gamers are craving “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before,” and he believes Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. “Our vision is to create something fresh and new,” he said. Fuse 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 explains, includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel like roller‑coasters.
Beyond the arcade thrills, Galactic Racer deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions. The typical model of car collection—unchanged for roughly two decades—has been ripped up in favor of borrowing mechanics from other genres.
Webster cites the game’s emphasis on consequential decision‑making, using crashes as a concrete example. “In most racing games you can rewind and erase mistakes, which removes real stakes. We wanted to bring consequences back and make them matter.” The design is heavily inspired by roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability.
“Racing thrives on replayability, so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven,” Webster says. When a player crashes too often, they are sent back to the start of a run, but they retain a portion of meta‑progress, emerging in a stronger position. This creates a tension: “If you’re on your last crash and your systems are critical, you feel the risk in a very visceral way.” Webster acknowledges that this approach is a bold departure from the hand‑holding common in many AAA titles, especially as the industry prepares for heavyweight releases like GTA 6.
Galactic Racer is slated for an October 6 launch, comfortably spaced from GTA 6’s November 19 release but still landing shortly after other major titles such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, both scheduled for September 24. He notes that crowded September release windows are nothing new. “Back in the day we talked about ‘Murderer’s Row’ in October—lots of big games.
The market is competitive, but we have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out.” Webster repeats a mantra he’s heard throughout his long career: “Good games find a way.” He applies it to the current wave of industry layoffs, recalling a similar downturn about fifteen years ago. “Great teams make great games, and great games find an audience,” he says. He believes the industry’s current aversion to risk actually opens doors for studios willing to take calculated bets. “When you shy away from risk, you limit opportunity.
Those who push forward can capture the space left behind.” Funding, however, has not been easy for a new studio in 2023. “People told me I was brave to start an independent studio now,” Webster recalls. “After 32 years at EA I was used to a bubble.
I had to lean on the principles I’d learned: build a solid team, refine a clear creative vision, and stay disciplined while accepting that plans will always be imperfect.” Fuse remains a relatively small operation—around 75 core staff—for a game with AAA ambitions. The size is intentional; the studio avoids the typical “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle by relying on external partners to fill gaps. “We’ve proven that a lean permanent team plus trusted collaborators can be a sustainable model for AAA‑scale projects.” External development at Fuse ranges from transactional outsourcing (pure asset creation) to deep co‑development, where partner studios sit in Fuse’s stand‑ups, Slack channels and codebase as if they were an extension of the internal team. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a key advantage, noting that today’s studios are eager to work on diverse projects rather than merely keeping the lights on.
He is convinced this hybrid model works: “You can deliver a AAA‑level game in scope, scale and visual fidelity on a more sustainable budget by balancing a small core with external talent.” The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer underscores this point. “We started Fuse in January 2023.
Three and a half years later we have a studio, a team, and a game built on Unreal Engine 5—a tool none of us had mastered at the start. It feels like an achievement, and we did it sustainably.” Fuse’s roster blends veteran Criterion alumni with a wave of younger developers, some of whom have never worked in games before. “Our young talent is astonishingly smart and effective—often more so than I was at their age,” Webster says. He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, but that approach can stifle growth.
“Nurturing young talent engages and motivates everyone involved, and we’ve pivoted our hiring strategy to reflect that.” Looking ahead, Webster hopes to establish a formal internship program, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue. “We haven’t made money yet, but I’ve seen how successful Criterion’s intern pipeline was, and I’d love to replicate that, knowing the cost and commitment it entails.” Reflecting on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with cash, Webster recalls how many developers who rode a hit title’s wave received funding to start their own studios—only to discover the reality was far tougher than expected. He argues that money should have been allocated to strong teams rather than to a myth of the singular creative visionary.
“That narrative is complete nonsense. Games are collaborative creations, not the product of one lone genius.” As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster remains open‑ended.
“The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning. We’ll be talking to partners about future opportunities, and we have ideas about where we want to go, but as an independent studio you have to stay flexible and adaptable.”