Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within Electronic Arts’ walls. He began his tenure at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years contributing to the legendary Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while they were under the Criterion umbrella, a studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, along with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires, and Alan McDairmant, chose to strike out on their own, founding the independent UK studio Fuse Games.
Fast‑forward three and a half years, and Fuse 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, and it does so at a moment when the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream shine. Recent industry news underscores this shift: Amazon withdrew from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market simply didn’t appear to have room for another racer.
Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racing, has pivoted to the Battlefield franchise, signaling a broader move away from pure racing projects. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing experience. “We clearly believe there’s a market for a Star Wars‑based racer,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“We’re not the only ones who think that, and the response we get from our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that gaming trends are cyclical. “Genres rise and fall.
After a period where shooters dominated, we’re seeing other types of games re‑emerge. As more people play video games, even the tiniest niche can find a sizable following.” Webster argues that modern gamers crave fresh, compelling experiences they haven’t encountered before, and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that.
The team set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What could we do if we weren’t limited by real‑world tyres and tarmac?” The answer: tracks that climb the sides of active volcanoes, courses that feel like roller‑coasters, and environments that defy conventional physics. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer seeks to upend long‑standing racing conventions. Traditionally, racing games have hinged on car collection mechanics—a formula that hasn’t changed much in two decades.
Webster wants to rip that model apart and borrow ideas from other genres. One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many modern racers, a rewind button erases penalties, but Fuse is re‑introducing risk: crash too often, and you’re sent back to the start, though you retain a sliver of meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position for the next attempt. This creates tension reminiscent of roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire, which are built around infinite replayability.
“Racing thrives on replay value, so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven,” Webster explains. The consequence system forces players to weigh risk versus reward on every lap. When a driver is on their final allowed crash, the stakes feel palpable, and the decision‑making becomes a core part of the experience rather than an afterthought. This design philosophy marks a bold departure from the hand‑holding common in many AAA releases, especially at a time when blockbuster titles like GTA 6 dominate headlines.
Galactic Racer is slated for an October 6 launch, comfortably spaced from GTA 6’s November 19 release but still nestled among other high‑profile launches such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, both arriving on September 24. Webster acknowledges the crowded release calendar but reminds us that the industry has weathered busier windows before. “People used to call October ‘Murderers’ Row’ because it was packed with games,” he says.
“We have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out.” The conversation then shifts to the broader industry climate, particularly the wave of layoffs that has swept through studios. Webster, a veteran with over three decades at EA, reflects on a previous bout of cuts fifteen years ago. “Great teams make great games, and great games find an audience,” he notes. He observes a growing aversion to risk among publishers, which paradoxically opens doors for studios willing to take calculated bets.
“If you shy away from risk, you limit opportunity,” he adds. Starting a new studio in 2023 has not been easy. Funding proved elusive, and many questioned the wisdom of launching an independent studio in a volatile market.
Webster recounts the skepticism: “People said, ‘You’re brave doing an indie studio now.’ I’d spent 32 years at EA in a bubble; this was uncharted territory.” He emphasizes a set of guiding principles: build a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, maintain disciplined planning (while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve), and stay true to core values. Engaged, motivated talent, he argues, is the engine that drives great games. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 staff members—by design.
Rather than inflating and deflating the roster in response to project phases, the studio relies heavily on external development partners. This hybrid model blends transactional outsourcing for asset creation with deeper co‑development relationships where external studios sit in on daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even share codebases. Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s studios are eager to work across multiple projects, keeping their teams fresh and enthusiastic.
From Webster’s perspective, this approach proves that a AAA‑scale game—by scope, visual fidelity, and ambition—can be delivered on a sustainable budget when a small, permanent core team leverages trusted external partners. The rapid timeline of Galactic Racer illustrates the model’s effectiveness: Fuse launched in January 2023, and just three and a half years later they have a finished product built on Unreal Engine 5, a technology none of the founders initially mastered. Another noteworthy aspect of Fuse’s journey is the infusion of young talent.
While the studio’s leadership includes several Criterion veterans, many of the developers on Galactic Racer are newcomers to the industry. One producer, for instance, had never worked in games before joining the project. Webster praises this youthful energy, stating that the younger team members often outperform more senior hires in creativity and efficiency.
He believes nurturing fresh talent is more beneficial than relying solely on seasoned veterans who may prefer minimal interaction. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging developers, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and must balance ambition with financial reality.
He reflects on a period five or six years ago when abundant funding led many successful developers to spin off their own studios, only to discover the challenges of independence. “The money should have gone to great teams, not just celebrated ‘single creative visionaries,’ which is frankly nonsense,” he says.
“Games are collaborative endeavors.” As for Fuse’s future beyond Galactic Racer, Webster says plans are still taking shape. The launch is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to new opportunities while staying flexible and adaptable—qualities he deems essential for independent developers in today’s market.