Matt Webster appeared destined for a lifelong career at Electronic Arts. He first joined the company back in 1990 and spent almost twenty years contributing to Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed, which 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 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 independent label Secret Mode. Galactic Racer arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing game, 2002’s Racer Revenge, and the intervening decades have seen the racing genre lose much of its mainstream appeal. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking, “we didn’t see a real fit in the market for that game.” Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus from pure racing to the Battlefield franchise.
Webster remains convinced there is still a market for a Star Wars racing experience. “We clearly believe there’s an audience for a Star Wars‑themed racer,” 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 genres tend to be cyclical. “We went through a phase where shooters dominated everything, but that’s not the only genre that can capture players’ attention.
As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger audience.” According to Webster, gamers are hungry for “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before,” and he believes Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. “Our vision is to create something fresh and new.” Fuse set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What can we do when we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?” The answer, he says, includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel like roller‑coasters. Beyond the arcade thrills, Galactic Racer aims to upend long‑standing racing conventions. “The core loop in most racing games has been car collection for the past twenty‑plus years,” Webster notes.
“We want to rip that up and borrow ideas from other genres.” One of those borrowed concepts is meaningful consequence. In many modern racers, a rewind mechanic erases the impact of crashing, but Webster wants crashes to matter. “If you crash too often you’re sent back to the start, but you retain some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position. When you’re on your last allowed crash, the risk feels real and you have to decide whether to push forward or play it safe.” The game’s structure also draws inspiration from roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—titles built around infinite replayability.
“Racing thrives on replayability, so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven.” Webster acknowledges that this design philosophy is a bold departure from the hand‑holding typical of many AAA releases, especially in a year when a heavyweight like GTA 6 looms on the horizon. Galactic Racer is slated for an October 6 launch, comfortably before GTA 6’s November 19 release but shortly after other major titles like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, which debuted on September 24.
He isn’t worried about the crowded calendar. “People always say September looks busy, but I remember years ago we called October ‘murderer’s row’ because it was packed with releases. The market is competitive, but we have a healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things might turn out.” Webster’s optimism is rooted in a long‑standing industry maxim: good games find an audience. He reflects on the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, recalling a similar bout of cuts fifteen years prior.
“Great teams make great games, and great games find players.” He also observes a growing aversion to risk among publishers, which creates openings for studios willing to take calculated bets. “When you avoid risk, you limit opportunity. Those willing to push boundaries can seize the moment.” Starting an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy.
Funding was scarce, and many questioned the wisdom of launching a new studio at that time. “People said, ‘You’re brave doing an indie studio in 2023,’” Webster recalls.
“After 32 years at EA, I was used to a bubble. I had to lean on the principles I’d learned: build a great team, refine a clear creative vision, stay disciplined, accept that plans will change, and keep adapting while staying true to your values.” Fuse’s team is relatively small for a AAA‑scale project—about 75 people—but that size is intentional.
Rather than inflating and deflating the workforce, the studio relies on external partners to fill gaps. “We’re not doing the grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink cycle.
We think the future of AAA development will involve a lean core team supplemented by trusted external studios that share our values.” External collaboration ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development, where partner studios attend Fuse’s stand‑ups, join their Slack channels and contribute directly to the code base. The UK, with its mature development ecosystem, is especially conducive to this model. “In the past, other studios would help you reluctantly, just to keep the lights on. Now there are companies eager to work on diverse projects with different teams, keeping everyone fresh and motivated.” Webster believes this hybrid approach makes it possible to deliver a AAA‑level experience on a sustainable budget.
“We’ve learned a ton doing it, and the rapid timeline of Galactic Racer proves the model works.” Fuse started in January 2023; three and a half years later the studio has built a team, learned Unreal Engine 5 from scratch, and produced a full‑scale game. “It feels like an achievement, and we’ve done it in a healthy, sustainable way.” The studio also leans heavily on younger talent. Many of the developers on Galactic Racer are newcomers, and one producer had never worked in games before joining Fuse. “Our young talent is smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age,” Webster says.
“We’ve had greater success with them than with some senior hires from elsewhere.” He notes that seasoned developers often prefer senior colleagues who can work independently, which can limit mentorship opportunities. “Nurturing young talent engages and motivates both the junior and senior staff. We’ve pivoted our hiring strategy because of that.” Looking ahead, Webster hopes to launch an intern program, though the studio remains pre‑revenue. “We haven’t made any money yet, but I see the value in a structured internship pipeline, similar to what Criterion did successfully.” Reflecting on the boom years five or six years ago, he recalls how successful games’ creators were handed funding to start their own studios, only to discover the reality was far tougher than expected.
He argues that money should be allocated to strong teams rather than idolized “single creative visionaries.” “That myth is complete nonsense,” he says. “Games are collaborative creations.” As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster admits the future is still being written. “The launch is just the beginning for us. We’ll be talking to partners about new opportunities, and we have ideas for where we want to go, but as an independent developer you have to stay flexible and adaptable."