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 Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed that 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 over three years later the fledgling studio is poised to ship 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 time when the racing genre has struggled to maintain mainstream appeal. Amazon recently cancelled a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking that the market simply didn’t have room for another racer.
Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus away from racing to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still a hungry audience for a Star Wars‑styled speed experience. “We clearly see a demand for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community feedback, video views and article reads suggest we’re not the only ones who think so.” He points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical.
After a period dominated by shooters, other styles inevitably re‑emerge. As the overall player base expands, even the most niche interests can find a sizable following. Webster believes gamers are craving "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that.
The design philosophy behind the game embraces classic arcade gratification while also asking, "What can we do once we’re no longer bound by realistic tyres and tarmac?" The answer includes wildly imaginative tracks that climb the side of an active volcano, turning a race into a roller‑coaster‑like spectacle. Yet the ambition goes deeper than visual flair.
Webster wants to upend long‑standing racing conventions, particularly the static car‑collection model that has persisted for two decades. He proposes ripping that structure apart and borrowing mechanics from other genres.
One of those borrowed ideas is the notion of meaningful consequence, a concept often muted in modern racers by the presence of a rewind button. In Galactic Racer, crashes carry weight: too many mistakes send the player back to the start, though some meta‑progression is retained, allowing a slightly stronger position on the next attempt. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver carefully, especially when they’re on their final allowable crash and the stakes feel palpable.
Webster also cites roguelike influences such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire. Those games are built for infinite replayability, a trait that aligns naturally with racing, a genre that thrives on repeated runs. By integrating procedural elements, persistent upgrades, and a death‑and‑retry loop, Galactic Racer aims to become a "match made in heaven" for fans who love both speed and strategic depth. Releasing the game on October 6 positions it comfortably before the anticipated launch of GTA 6 in November, while still landing after major September releases like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall.
Webster acknowledges the crowded pre‑holiday window but reminds us that the industry has long navigated busy schedules; historically, October was considered a prime launch month despite being dubbed “murderers’ row.” He says Fuse Games approaches the market with a “healthy confidence” tempered by realistic expectations, trusting that good games ultimately find their audience. When discussing recent waves of layoffs across the sector, Webster reflects on his long tenure and the previous layoff cycle fifteen years ago. He observes that great teams produce great games, and great games attract fans.
Yet he warns that the industry’s growing aversion to risk can stifle innovation. “Calculated risks create opportunity,” he notes, “and when studios play it too safe, they limit the chances for breakthrough titles.” Starting a new studio in 2023 has not been without obstacles. Securing funding proved difficult; many questioned the wisdom of launching an independent studio in a turbulent market.
Webster draws on his EA experience, emphasizing core principles: assemble a talented team, hone a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will evolve. He stresses that engaged, motivated talent is the engine of quality output. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the typical boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles seen in larger studios.
Instead, the studio leans on external partners for additional capacity. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing for asset creation with deeper co‑development relationships 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 external partners are eager to work across varied projects rather than being locked into a single internal pipeline.
Webster believes 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 is augmented by trusted, value‑aligned partners. The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer validates this theory: Fuse launched in January 2023, and within three and a half years they built a studio, assembled a team, learned Unreal Engine 5 from scratch, and produced a polished title.
The studio’s talent mix also reflects a generational shift. Alongside veteran Criterion alumni, many younger developers have joined the project, including a producer with no prior game‑industry experience. Webster praises this fresh perspective, claiming the younger cohort often outperforms older hires in creativity and efficiency.
He argues that nurturing junior talent benefits both the newcomers and the seasoned mentors, fostering a collaborative environment that drives innovation. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he cautions that Fuse remains pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully. He recalls a period five or six years ago when abundant funding allowed successful teams to spin off their own studios, only to discover the challenges of independence.
He criticizes the industry’s lingering fixation on the myth of the “single creative visionary,” calling it “bullshit” and emphasizing that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors. 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 new opportunities, while staying adaptable in a constantly shifting market. The overarching message is clear: with the right blend of daring design, disciplined teamwork and strategic partnerships, even a niche racing title set in a galaxy far, far away can capture the imagination of today’s ever‑growing gaming audience.