Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years developing titles for 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 release 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 generally slipped out of the mainstream spotlight. Amazon recently cancelled a publishing deal with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called 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 from pure racing to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists.
“We clearly believe there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We’re not the only ones thinking that, 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 types inevitably re‑emerge.
“As more and more people play video games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience,” Webster said. He believes players are hungry for “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before,” and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that fresh experience.
Fuse’s design philosophy for the game embraces the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What could we do if we weren’t limited by tyres and tarmac?” The answer, according to Webster, is tracks that climb the side of an active volcano or race through environments that feel more like roller‑coasters than conventional circuits. Beyond the arcade thrills, the game seeks to upend long‑standing genre conventions. Traditional racing games have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades; Webster wants to “rip that up and steal from other genres.” One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for player actions, such as crashing.
In many modern racers a rewind button erases any penalty, but Galactic Racer restores risk. “If you crash too many times you’re sent back to the start, but you keep some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position,” Webster explained. This risk‑reward loop is inspired by roguelike titles like Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, which are built around infinite replayability.
Racing, by its nature, thrives on repeated attempts, making the combination a “match made in heaven.” The consequence system forces players to weigh each mistake: “When you’re on your last crash and systems are critical, you literally lean forward and think about the risk you’re taking.” This design choice represents a bold departure from the hand‑holding that has become common in AAA titles, especially as the industry prepares for heavyweight releases such as GTA 6, slated for November 19. Galactic Racer’s launch date of October 6 places it comfortably before GTA 6 but after other major releases like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, both arriving on September 24.
Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar but notes that the industry has weathered even busier pre‑Christmas windows in the past. “I remember the ‘murderer’s row’ of October releases years ago,” he said, emphasizing that Fuse maintains “a healthy sense of confidence” tempered by a realistic outlook. Webster’s optimism is rooted in a long‑term view of the industry’s ebbs and flows.
He recalls the wave of layoffs that has swept through the sector, comparing it to a similar contraction fifteen years earlier. “Great teams make great games, and great games find an audience,” he observed. He argues that the current risk‑averse climate actually opens opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to risk, you limit yourself and miss out on potential breakthroughs.” Funding, however, has not been easy for a new independent studio in 2023.
“People told me I was brave for starting an indie studio now,” Webster laughed. After 32 years at EA, he found himself navigating a very different environment.
He leaned on core principles he’d learned at EA: build a strong team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that plans are always imperfect and must be iterated. “Engaged and motivated talent makes great things,” he emphasized, noting that motivation is a two‑way street. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core team of about 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle.
Instead, the studio supplements its capabilities with external partners. These collaborations range from straightforward outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development arrangements where outside studios sit in Fuse’s daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and code repositories.
Webster highlighted the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a key advantage, noting that today’s external studios are eager to work on diverse projects rather than simply keeping the lights on. This hybrid model, he believes, proves that a AAA‑scale game can be produced sustainably on a modest budget. “We started Fuse in January 2023. Three and a half years later we have a studio, a team, and a game built on Unreal Engine 5 that none of us knew at the start,” he said proudly.
The rapid development timeline showcases the effectiveness of the small‑core‑plus‑trusted‑partners approach. Fuse also benefits from a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh talent.
While many of the leadership team hail from Criterion, the studio has recruited numerous younger developers, 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 remarked. He observed that senior developers often prefer working with equally senior colleagues and minimal interaction, which can stifle growth. By contrast, nurturing younger staff energizes the entire team.
He hopes to formalize an internship program in the future, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must be realistic about the costs of talent development. Reflecting on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with cash, Webster recalls how many successful studios splintered off, only to discover that running a studio is harder than it looks. He argues that funding should flow to strong teams rather than being hoarded by a handful of “superstar” creators.
“The fixation on a single creative visionary is absolute nonsense,” he said. “Games are made by collaborations of individuals.” Looking ahead, Fuse Games has no fixed roadmap beyond Galactic Racer, but Webster stresses flexibility. “The launch is just the start,” he said.
“We’ll be talking to partners about future opportunities, and we have ideas about where we want to go, but as an independent developer you have to stay adaptable.” In summary, Matt Webster believes that as the gaming audience expands, even the most niche concepts can find a sizable following. By marrying arcade‑style thrills with roguelike‑inspired risk mechanics, leveraging a lean core team complemented by trusted external partners, and investing in young talent, Fuse Games aims to prove that a fresh, Star Wars‑themed racing experience can succeed in today’s competitive market.