"As gaming expands, even the smallest niches attract larger audiences" – Why Matt Webster believes Star Wars: Galactic Racer will resonate

Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within Electronic Arts. He started at EA back in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years at Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed, which EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with fellow Criterion alumni 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 Fuse is on the brink of releasing 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 racing game—2002’s Racer Revenge—at a time when the racing genre has generally slipped out of the spotlight. 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 didn’t seem to accommodate that kind of game.

Meanwhile, Criterion itself has moved away from racing to focus on the Battlefield franchise. Despite those signals, Webster is convinced 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 feedback we get from people watching our videos and reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that genres tend to be cyclical. After a period when shooters dominated, other types of games inevitably re‑emerge.

“As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience,” Webster added. According to Webster, players today crave fresh, compelling experiences they haven’t seen before, and he believes Galactic Racer delivers just that. The team set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also exploring what can be done when you’re no longer limited by real‑world tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explained.

“Sometimes it feels like a roller‑coaster.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer aims to subvert long‑standing racing conventions. Traditionally, racing games revolve around collecting cars—a formula that hasn’t changed much in two decades. Webster wants to rip that model apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.

One such influence is the roguelike tradition, exemplified by games like Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire, which prioritize infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability, so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven,” he said. A concrete example of this hybrid design is the way crashes are handled.

In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates any real penalty for crashing, reducing tension. Fuse re‑introduces consequence: too many crashes send you back to the start, though you retain a slice of meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position the next run. This creates a risk‑reward calculus that forces players to weigh each mistake carefully, especially when they’re down to their final lives.

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—well before GTA 6 but after other major titles such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, which dropped on September 24.

He notes that the industry has seen even busier pre‑Christmas schedules in the past, recalling the “Murderer’s Row” of October releases from earlier eras. Fuse approaches the market with “a healthy sense of confidence,” tempered by realistic expectations. The conversation then turns to the broader industry climate, particularly the wave of layoffs. Webster, who has witnessed a similar downsizing period fifteen years ago, believes strong teams make great games, and great games find audiences.

He argues that the current aversion to risk creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to risk, you limit yourself and miss the chance to stand out,” he said. Funding, however, has been a hurdle. Starting an independent studio in 2023 felt “brave” to many observers.

Webster reflects on his 32‑year tenure at EA, describing the transition to independence as a steep learning curve. He stresses the importance of building a solid team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while recognizing that plans are always provisional and must be iterated upon. Fuse Games remains relatively small for a project of AAA scope, employing around 75 people. This size is intentional; the studio wants to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles common in the industry.

Instead, Fuse relies on external development partners to fill gaps, ranging from transactional outsourcing to full co‑development where external studios sit in on stand‑ups, Slack channels, and code repositories. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as ideal for such collaborations, noting that today’s external studios are eager to work on varied projects rather than merely keeping the lights on. Webster believes this hybrid model—core team plus trusted partners—offers a sustainable path to producing AAA‑level games on a reasonable budget.

The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer illustrates that point: Fuse launched in January 2023, and three and a half years later they have a finished game built on Unreal Engine 5, a technology none of the team originally mastered. The studio’s talent mix also reflects a shift toward younger developers. Many of the team members, including one producer with no prior game‑industry experience, are fresh faces.

Webster praises their ingenuity, stating they often outperform older colleagues in speed and effectiveness. He argues that nurturing young talent is more rewarding than relying solely on seasoned veterans, who may prefer working with peers of similar seniority and provide less mentorship. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to cultivate the next generation of creators, though he cautions that Fuse is still pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully.

He recalls a time when the industry was flush with cash and successful studios received funding to spin off their own teams, only to discover how challenging independent development can be. He dismisses the notion of a single “creative visionary” as a myth, insisting that games are collaborative endeavors.

As for Fuse’s future beyond Galactic Racer, Webster says the launch is just the beginning. The studio remains open to new opportunities and has ideas for subsequent projects, but he stresses that flexibility and adaptability are essential for independent developers in today’s market.