"As more gamers emerge, even the tiniest niches attract larger followings" – Why Matt Webster believes Star Wars: Galactic Racer will resonate

Matt Webster appeared destined for a lifelong career at Electronic Arts. He started with the company in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years developing titles for Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed, which EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch the independent UK studio Fuse Games.

Three and a half years later the fledgling studio is on the brink of releasing its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, published by the newly independent Secret Mode. Galactic Racer arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars racing game—2002’s Racer Revenge—at a time when the racing genre has generally lost steam.

Amazon recently walked away from a publishing deal with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis noting, “we didn’t see a real fit in the market for that game.” Meanwhile Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has shifted its focus to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still demand for a Star Wars‑themed racer.

“Clearly we think there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We’re not the only ones who feel that, and the reaction to our videos and articles suggests we’re not alone.” He points out that genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other styles inevitably resurface as the player base expands. “The more people play video games, the bigger the audience even for the tiniest niches,” he said.

Webster believes gamers are hungry for fresh, compelling experiences they haven’t seen 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 can we do once we’re no longer bound by tyres and tarmac?” The answer includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel like roller‑coasters, offering a sense of high‑octane spectacle. Beyond the arcade thrills, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions.

Traditionally, racers revolve around car collection—a mechanic that hasn’t changed much in two decades. Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow ideas from other genres. He highlights the importance of meaningful consequences, using crashes as a concrete example.

In many modern racers a rewind button erases penalties, but Galactic Racer re‑introduces stakes: too many crashes send you back to the start, though you retain some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each mistake, especially when they’re on their final allowed crash. The design draws inspiration from roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability.

“Racing thrives on replayability,” Webster notes, “so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven.” The result is a title that encourages repeated runs, each with slight variations and a sense of progression that persists across attempts. Launching on October 6, Galactic Racer lands well before the anticipated release of GTA 6 on November 19, yet it follows other major releases like Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall (both September 24).

Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar but reminds listeners that busy pre‑holiday windows are nothing new. “People used to call October ‘murderer’s row,’ and it was always packed,” he said, emphasizing that Fuse Games approaches the market with a “healthy sense of confidence” tempered by realistic expectations.

Reflecting on recent industry layoffs, Webster stresses a timeless truth: great teams make great games, and great games find audiences. He argues that the current risk‑averse climate creates opportunities for studios willing to take calculated bets.

“If you’re not willing to risk, you limit yourself,” he observed, noting that many developers shy away from bold ideas. Funding, however, has been a hurdle for the new studio.

“People told me I was brave to start an independent studio in 2023,” Webster recalled. After 32 years at EA, he was stepping out of a protective bubble. He leaned on principles he’d learned: assemble a talented core, refine a clear creative vision, craft a disciplined plan (knowing it will evolve), and stay true to core values.

Engaged, motivated talent, he believes, is the engine behind any successful project. Fuse Games remains relatively small for a AAA‑scale title—about 75 people—and deliberately avoids the “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle common in the industry. Instead, the studio leans on external partners to fill capability gaps, treating outsourcing as transactional asset creation and co‑development as an extension of the core team.

External studios attend Fuse’s stand‑ups, Slack channels and even share codebases, creating a seamless collaborative environment. The United Kingdom, with its mature game development ecosystem, proves especially conducive to this model.

In the past, external studios might have helped only reluctantly, but today many firms hire developers eager to work across diverse projects, keeping their skills fresh and their motivation high. Webster believes this hybrid approach—small permanent team plus trusted partners—offers a sustainable path to AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity without ballooning budgets. The speed of Galactic Racer’s development showcases the efficacy of the model.

Fuse launched in January 2023; three and a half years later they have built a studio, assembled a team, and delivered a game on Unreal Engine 5—a technology none of them originally mastered. “It feels like an achievement, and we did it in a healthy, sustainable way,” Webster said. A notable aspect of Fuse’s culture is its embrace of young talent.

Many of the developers, including one producer with no prior game‑industry experience, are fresh faces. “The younger talent we have is often smarter and more effective than I was at that age,” Webster remarked, adding that they have seen greater success with emerging developers than with some senior hires. He argues that seasoned veterans sometimes prefer working with equally senior colleagues, which can limit mentorship opportunities.

By nurturing younger staff, Fuse creates a dynamic where both mentors and mentees are energized. Webster hopes to formalise an internship program in the future, though the studio remains pre‑revenue. He points to Criterion’s historic intern initiatives as a model, acknowledging the cost and commitment required to develop new talent. Looking back to a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with cash, Webster observes that many developers received funding to start studios based on a single hit, only to discover how challenging independence truly is.

He criticises the industry’s lingering fixation on the “lone creative visionary,” calling it “bullshit” and emphasizing that games are collaborative endeavors. As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster says the launch is just the beginning. The studio is already exploring future opportunities, but as an independent developer they must stay flexible and adaptable.

The overarching message is clear: with a focused core team, strategic external partnerships, and a willingness to experiment, even a niche racing game set in a galaxy far, far away can find its audience and thrive.