Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA 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. Just three and a half years later, Fuse 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 slipped out of the mainstream spotlight. Recent industry moves illustrate this trend: Amazon pulled out of a publishing deal with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the project didn’t fit the market.
Meanwhile, Criterion, once a racing powerhouse, has shifted its focus to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a viable audience for a Star Wars racing experience. “We clearly think there’s a market 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 our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that gaming genres are cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other types of games inevitably return to favor. “As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find larger audiences,” he adds. Webster believes players are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he sees Galactic Racer as delivering exactly that.
The studio set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring what can be done when a game is no longer limited by realistic tires 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 upend several long‑standing conventions of the racing genre. Traditionally, racing games have relied on a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades.
Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many modern racers, a rewind button erases mistakes, reducing the sense of risk. Fuse wants to bring that risk back, making each crash matter.
The game’s structure draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability, so combining it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven," Webster says.
When a player crashes too many times, they are sent back to the start, but they retain some meta‑progression that puts them in a stronger position for the next run. This creates a tension between risk and reward that Webster hopes will keep players engaged over many sessions.
Launching on October 6, Galactic Racer lands in a crowded release window that includes big names like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall (both September 24) and the highly anticipated GTA 6 slated for November 19. Webster acknowledges the competition but points out that crowded pre‑Christmas schedules are nothing new.
He recalls the “Murderers’ Row” era when October was packed with major releases. "We have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things may turn out," he says. "Good games will find a way." The conversation turns to the broader industry climate, particularly the wave of layoffs that has swept through many studios. Webster, who has witnessed similar cuts about fifteen years ago, believes that strong teams produce great games, and great games eventually find an audience.
He warns that an industry-wide aversion to risk can stifle innovation, but also creates opportunities for those willing to take calculated bets. Starting an independent studio in 2023 has not been without hurdles.
Funding, in particular, proved difficult to secure. "People said, ‘You’re brave doing an indie studio in 2023,’" Webster recalls. After 32 years at EA, he was stepping into unfamiliar territory.
He leaned on core principles he’d learned over his career: building a talented team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core team of around 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the typical boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles seen in larger studios.
Instead of expanding and contracting the internal team, Fuse relies heavily on external partners to fill gaps. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing for asset creation with deeper co‑development relationships where external studios attend Fuse’s stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even share codebases.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature game development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s external studios are eager to work on varied projects rather than merely keeping the lights on. According to Webster, this approach demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game—by scope, visual fidelity, and ambition—can be delivered on a sustainable budget when a small, permanent core team is supplemented by trusted partners who share the same values.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer underscores this point: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and within three and a half years the studio built its team, learned Unreal Engine 5 from scratch, and produced a full‑featured title. A notable aspect of Fuse’s strategy is its emphasis on young talent.
Alongside the Criterion veterans, the studio has hired many developers early in their careers, even bringing on a producer with no prior game‑development experience. Webster praises this fresh perspective, saying the younger staff often outperform more senior hires in creativity and efficiency.
He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer working with peers who require minimal mentorship, which can limit growth for the whole team. By nurturing younger staff, Fuse hopes to foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Looking ahead, Webster envisions an intern program to further develop emerging talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and must be cautious with resources.
He reflects on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with cash and many successful developers were handed funding to start their own studios—only to discover how challenging independence can be. He criticizes the industry’s lingering fascination with the “lone creative visionary,” calling it "bullshit" and emphasizing that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors. As for Fuse’s next steps, the studio remains flexible.
While the launch of Star Wars: Galactic Racer marks a major milestone, Webster says the team is already exploring future opportunities and ideas. "We’ve got an idea of where we want to go next, but as an independent developer you have to stay adaptable," he concludes.