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 hits such as Burnout and Need for Speed while working at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to leave the corporate behemoth and launch their own independent studio in the United Kingdom, Fuse Games.
Three and a half 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*. In the intervening decades, the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream shine.
Amazon recently cancelled a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market simply didn’t have room for another conventional racer. Criterion itself has pivoted away from racing to focus on the *Battlefield* franchise.
Yet Webster remains convinced that a demand 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.” Webster points out that gaming genres tend to be cyclical.
After a period when shooters dominated the charts, other types of experiences inevitably resurface. “As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience,” he explains. He believes players are hungry for fresh, compelling experiences they haven’t encountered before, and that *Galactic Racer* can deliver exactly that.
The design philosophy at Fuse is rooted in the instant‑gratification of classic arcade racing, but the team also wants to explore what becomes possible when they are no longer constrained by realistic tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” Webster says. “Sometimes it feels like a roller‑coaster.” Those over‑the‑top environments are meant to evoke the high‑octane fun of old‑school arcade cabinets while also pushing the envelope of what a racing game can look like in a sci‑fi universe. Beyond the visual spectacle, *Galactic Racer* challenges long‑standing genre conventions.
Traditionally, racing games revolve around collecting cars, a formula that hasn’t fundamentally changed in two decades. Webster wants to “rip that up” and borrow mechanics from other genres. One such mechanic is meaningful consequence for failure.
In many modern racers, a rewind button erases the impact of crashing, making mistakes feel cheap. Fuse intends to re‑introduce stakes: crashing too often sends the player back to the start, though some meta‑progression carries over, placing the racer in a stronger position for the next attempt.
This risk‑reward loop is inspired by roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*, which are built around infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability,” Webster notes, “so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven.” The game’s structure encourages players to weigh each decision, especially when they are on their last allowable crash.
“When you’re in a critical system and you’ve used up your safety net, you start thinking about the risk you’re taking,” Webster explains. This design choice represents a bold departure from the hand‑holding that has become commonplace in AAA titles, where developers often smooth out difficulty to maximize accessibility. Timing the launch is another strategic consideration.
*Galactic Racer* is slated for release on October 6, comfortably ahead of the highly anticipated *GTA 6* launch on November 19, yet close enough to ride the wave of other major releases such as *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall*, both hitting shelves on September 24. Webster acknowledges that the pre‑holiday calendar is crowded, recalling past years when September felt “busy” and October was dubbed “murderers’ row.” Nevertheless, he believes Fuse’s “healthy sense of confidence,” tempered by a realistic outlook, will help the game stand out. The conversation inevitably turns to the broader industry climate, especially the wave of layoffs that has swept through studios.
Webster, who has witnessed a similar downturn fifteen years ago, emphasizes a timeless truth: great teams make great games, and great games find an audience. He argues that the current aversion to risk creates opportunities for developers willing to take calculated bets. “If you shy away from risk, you limit your chances,” he says. “Those willing to push boundaries can carve out space for themselves.” Funding, however, remains a challenge for an independent studio launched in 2023.
“People told me I was brave to start an indie studio now,” Webster recalls. After spending three decades inside EA’s insulated environment, he had to adapt to a new reality: building a solid team, refining a creative vision, and maintaining disciplined planning—while accepting that plans are always provisional. He stresses that engaged, motivated talent is the engine of success, and that nurturing that talent is a core responsibility of leadership.
Fuse’s team is relatively small for a title that aspires to AAA‑level scope—about 75 people. This size is intentional.
Rather than expanding and contracting staff in response to project phases—a pattern Webster describes as “grow, shrink, grow, shrink”—the studio relies heavily on external partners to fill gaps. He envisions a sustainable model where a lean core team collaborates with trusted external studios that share Fuse’s values.
These partnerships range from transactional outsourcing (pure asset creation) to full co‑development, where outside teams participate in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even the codebase, effectively becoming extensions of Fuse. The United Kingdom, with its mature game‑development ecosystem, is an ideal hub for such co‑development. In the past, external studios were often reluctant collaborators, working “through gritted teeth.” Today, many UK companies actively seek diverse projects, keeping their staff fresh and motivated. Webster believes this shift enables a more sustainable AAA production pipeline on a modest budget.
The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer* showcases the viability of this approach. Fuse was founded in January 2023; three and a half years later the team has built a studio, assembled a workforce, and delivered a game on Unreal Engine 5—a technology none of them initially mastered. “It feels like an achievement, and we’ve done it in a healthy, sustainable way,” Webster says. A notable aspect of Fuse’s culture is its blend of veteran expertise and youthful energy.
While several Criterion veterans anchor the studio, many younger developers have joined, including a producer who had never worked in games before. “The young talent we’ve got is smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age,” Webster admits.
He observes that seasoned developers often prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, but that approach can stifle growth. By deliberately nurturing junior staff, Fuse has discovered a productivity boost and a more dynamic creative environment. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he acknowledges the studio is still pre‑revenue.
He cites Criterion’s successful intern initiatives as a model and warns that developing talent incurs real costs that must be recognized up front. Reflecting on the industry’s past excesses, Webster recalls a period five or six years ago when abundant funding allowed successful developers to spin off their own studios—only to discover that running a studio is far tougher than building a hit game. He criticizes the lingering myth of the “singular creative visionary,” calling it “bullshit.” In reality, games are collaborative endeavors, built by teams of individuals.
As for Fuse’s next steps, the future remains open‑ended. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning.
Webster hints that the studio is already brainstorming potential follow‑up projects, but stresses that flexibility and adaptability are essential for an independent developer in today’s market. He concludes with a pragmatic optimism: “Good games will find a way. We’re hoping ours does, too.”