Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at the company in 1990 and spent almost twenty years contributing to the legendary Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while they were under the Criterion banner, a 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 strike out on their own and launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Three and a half years later the fledgling team is poised to release its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will be published by the newly autonomous label 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 lost some of its mainstream steam. Recent industry news underscores that shift: Amazon walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the project didn’t fit the market. Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has pivoted to the Battlefield franchise, signaling a broader move away from pure racing experiences.
Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand still exists. “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 way, and the response we get from people watching our videos and reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other genres inevitably rise again. “As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience,” Webster added. According to Webster, gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before," and he believes Galactic Racer delivers exactly that.
The studio’s vision was to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring possibilities that break free from the constraints of real‑world tires and tarmac. "We have tracks that climb up the side of an active volcano," he explains. "Sometimes it feels like a roller‑coaster." Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer is designed to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre.
Most racing games have relied on a static car‑collection model for the past two decades. Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most striking innovations is the emphasis on consequential decision‑making, especially around crashes.
In many modern racers, a rewind button erases the penalty of a mistake. Fuse Games is re‑introducing risk: crashing too often sends the player back to the start, though a portion of meta‑progression carries over, placing the racer in a stronger position for the next attempt.
This creates a tension between aggression and caution that Webster says mirrors the high‑stakes feeling of roguelike titles. Indeed, the game’s structure draws inspiration from roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes, "so marrying it with roguelike loops feels like a match made in heaven." The design encourages players to learn from each failure, adapt their strategy, and push further each run, turning crashes into meaningful learning moments rather than mere setbacks.
Webster acknowledges that launching a new IP in a crowded calendar is risky, especially with heavyweight releases like GTA 6 slated for November 19. Galactic Racer is set for an October 6 launch, a respectable gap that still lands it among other major titles such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, both released on September 24. He recalls past years when September felt oversaturated, yet developers still navigated "Murderer’s Row" periods in October.
"The market is competitive, but we have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things may turn out," he says. The conversation inevitably turns to the wave of industry layoffs and the broader climate of risk aversion.
Webster, who has witnessed multiple cycles of downsizing, believes that great teams produce great games, and great games find audiences regardless of market headwinds. He argues that the current reluctance to take creative risks actually opens doors for studios willing to gamble on unconventional ideas. "If you’re not willing to make the bets, you limit your opportunities," he warns. Funding an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy.
Webster describes the skepticism he faced when announcing Fuse Games, with many questioning the wisdom of starting a new studio after a 32‑year tenure at EA. His answer was to lean on core principles: assemble a talented, motivated team; refine a clear creative vision; and maintain disciplined planning while staying flexible enough to adapt when the plan proves wrong. He stresses that engaged talent is the engine of innovation, and that leadership’s role is to motivate and support that talent. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 people—by design.
Rather than inflating the staff size and then shrinking it, the studio relies heavily on external development partners to fill gaps. 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 collaboration, noting that today’s studios are eager to work across projects, keeping their workforce fresh and enthusiastic. Webster believes this approach demonstrates that a AAA‑scale game can be built sustainably with a small permanent team supplemented by trusted partners.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer—just three and a half years from Fuse’s founding to a near‑ready product built on Unreal Engine 5—serves as proof of concept. "We started Fuse in January 2023, and now we have a studio, a team, and a game on an engine none of us previously knew," he says, emphasizing the achievement as both a milestone and a testament to the viability of the model. Another noteworthy aspect of Fuse’s journey is the infusion of younger talent. While the studio includes several Criterion veterans, many of its developers are newcomers to the industry, with at least one producer who had never worked on a game before.
Webster praises this youthful energy, claiming that these fresh perspectives have often outperformed more seasoned hires. He observes that seasoned developers sometimes prefer senior colleagues who require minimal interaction, a mindset that can stifle mentorship. In contrast, nurturing young talent creates a mutually motivating environment. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to cultivate the next generation of developers, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and financially cautious.
He references Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model, acknowledging that developing talent incurs costs that must be weighed against long‑term benefits. Reflecting on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with capital, Webster recalls how many successful developers were handed funding to start their own studios, only to discover the reality was far tougher than anticipated. He criticizes the industry’s lingering fascination with the myth of the "single creative visionary," calling it "bullshit." In his view, games are collaborative endeavors, and the focus should shift from glorifying lone geniuses to empowering strong, cohesive teams.
As for Fuse Games’ 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 ideas. He emphasizes that independence demands flexibility and adaptability, traits he believes will guide Fuse through the evolving landscape of game development.