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 the Need for Speed series, before EA acquired Criterion in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch Fuse Games, an independent studio based in the United Kingdom. Three and a half years later the fledgling company is on the brink of releasing 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*. In the intervening period, the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream momentum. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a new driving title called *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis commenting that the market simply didn’t seem to need another racer.
Even Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racing, has shifted its focus to the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists for a Star Wars racing experience. “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 or 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 styles inevitably resurface as the player base expands. “The more people who play games, the larger even the tiniest niches become,” Webster added.
According to Webster, modern gamers crave "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before," and he believes *Galactic Racer* delivers exactly that. The team set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also exploring what can be done when developers are no longer constrained by realistic 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, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions.
Traditionally, racing titles have revolved around collecting cars—a formula that has stayed largely unchanged for two decades. Webster wants to tear that model apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most striking innovations is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashes. In many contemporary racers, a rewind button eliminates penalty, but *Galactic Racer* reinstates risk: crashing too often sends the player back to the start of a run, though a portion of meta‑progression carries over, placing the player in a stronger position for the next attempt.
This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh every maneuver, especially when they are on their final allowed crash. The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike titles such as *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,” Webster said. The result is a game that encourages repeated runs, each offering a slightly different set of challenges, upgrades and strategic decisions. Releasing the game on October 6 positions it between a crowded September slate—featuring releases like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall*—and the highly anticipated launch of *GTA 6* on November 19. While some industry observers warned that September would be too busy, Webster recalled that even historically, October has been a bustling month for major releases.
He acknowledges the competitive landscape but stresses that Fuse Games approaches it with “a healthy sense of confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things may turn out.” Webster also reflects on the broader industry climate, noting a wave of layoffs and an overall aversion to risk. He argues that this risk‑averse environment creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets.
“Great teams make great games, and great games find an audience,” he observed, reminding listeners of past cycles where bold projects succeeded despite market skepticism. Funding, however, has not been a walk in the park for the new studio. Starting an independent studio in 2023 was described by some as “brave,” especially after Webster spent three decades inside EA’s protective bubble.
He emphasizes the importance of building a solid team, refining a clear creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while staying flexible enough to adapt when the plan inevitably proves imperfect. Fuse Games operates with a relatively small core staff of about 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the typical “grow‑shrink‑grow” pattern seen in many AAA projects. Instead, the studio leverages external partners for both transactional asset creation and deeper co‑development, where outside studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and even share codebases. The UK’s mature game‑development ecosystem makes it an ideal hub for such collaboration, according to Webster, who notes that today’s external studios are eager to work on diverse projects rather than merely keeping the lights on.
This hybrid model, he believes, allows a studio to deliver a AAA‑level experience on a sustainable budget. The rapid development timeline—starting Fuse in January 2023 and delivering a full‑scale UE5 title in just three and a half years—demonstrates the viability of this approach. A notable aspect of Fuse’s strategy is its emphasis on young talent. Alongside the Criterion veterans, the team includes many developers who are fresh to the industry; one producer has never worked on a game before.
Webster praises the energy and efficiency of these newcomers, stating that they often outperform more senior hires. He also critiques the industry’s lingering fascination with the “single creative visionary” myth, calling it “bullshit” and insisting that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to establish an internship program to further nurture emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must manage expectations carefully. He envisions Fuse Games remaining adaptable, ready to explore new opportunities after the launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* while staying true to the principles that have guided its first successful venture.