Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at the company in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years working on iconic racing franchises such as Burnout and Need for Speed while at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster and a group of fellow Criterion alumni—including Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant—decided to strike out on their own, forming the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Just over three years later the fledgling studio 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*. In the intervening decades, the racing genre has generally lost steam.
Amazon recently abandoned a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating, “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 a hungry audience for a Star Wars racing experience. “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 reaction we get from people watching our videos and reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical.
“We went through a phase where shooters dominated, but that’s not the only genre that can thrive. As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger fan base.” Webster believes players are craving “fun, interesting, compelling new 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 limited by tyres and tarmac?” The answer, according to Webster, is tracks that climb the side of an active volcano or twist through environments that feel more like roller‑coasters than conventional circuits. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions. Traditionally, racers have relied on a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades. Webster wants to “rip that up” and borrow mechanics from other genres.
One major innovation is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates risk, but *Galactic Racer* reinstates stakes: crash too often, and you’re sent back to the start, though you retain some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position for the next attempt. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh each maneuver, especially when they’re on their final allowed crash.
The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*, which prioritize infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability,” Webster notes, “so marrying it with roguelike structures feels like a match made in heaven.” Each run offers a fresh configuration of hazards, power‑ups and shortcuts, encouraging players to experiment and improve over multiple attempts. Launching the game on October 6 places it a month before the highly anticipated *GTA 6* release on November 19, but after other major titles like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* (both September 24).
Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar, recalling past years when September was deemed “busy,” yet developers still managed successful launches during what was once called “murderer’s row.” He says Fuse Games approaches the market with “a healthy sense of confidence” tempered by a realistic appraisal of outcomes. “I was always told good games will find a way, so we’re hoping,” he adds. The conversation naturally turned to the wave of industry layoffs. Having witnessed a similar contraction fifteen years earlier, Webster sees a pattern: great teams make great games, and great games find audiences.
He observes a growing aversion to risk among larger publishers, which creates openings for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to risk, you limit opportunity,” he explains. Starting a new studio in 2023 has not been without hurdles.
Funding proved difficult to secure, and many questioned the wisdom of launching an independent studio in a tight market. Webster reflects on his 32‑year tenure at EA as a “bubble” that left him unprepared for the realities of indie development. He emphasizes core principles: assemble a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, build a disciplined yet flexible plan, and stay true to those values. Engaged, motivated talent, he argues, is the engine behind any successful project.
Fuse’s team is relatively small for a title with AAA ambitions—about 75 people. This size is intentional; the studio avoids the typical “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle that plagues many developers.
Instead, Fuse leans on external partners to fill skill gaps, employing a hybrid model that ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development where outside studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and code repositories as seamless extensions of the core team. The UK’s mature game‑development ecosystem makes it an ideal hub for such collaboration.
In the past, external studios might have been reluctant to assist, preferring to focus on their own projects. Today, however, many firms hire developers who are eager to work across multiple teams, keeping the workforce fresh and enthusiastic.
Webster believes this model can deliver AAA‑scale scope, scale and visual fidelity on a more sustainable budget. The speed of *Galactic Racer*’s development showcases the efficacy of this approach.
Fuse launched in January 2023, and three and a half years later they have a functional studio, a cohesive team, and a fully realized game built on Unreal Engine 5—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 roster is the blend of veteran Criterion alumni with a wave of younger developers, some of whom have never worked in games before.
One producer, for instance, came from outside the industry entirely. “The young talent we’ve got is smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age,” Webster observes. He notes that seasoned developers often prefer senior colleagues who can work autonomously, which can stifle mentorship.
By contrast, nurturing younger staff energizes both the mentors and mentees, prompting Fuse to adjust its hiring strategy accordingly. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to cultivate fresh talent, though he acknowledges the studio is still pre‑revenue. He points to Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model, while warning that developing talent incurs real costs and must be approached with clear eyes. Reflecting on the era a few years ago when the industry was flush with cash, Webster recalls how many successful teams received funding to spin off their own studios, only to discover the reality was far tougher than anticipated.
He criticizes the lingering myth of the “single creative visionary” as “fucking bullshit,” insisting that games are collaborative endeavors. “Unless you’re a solo developer, games are made by collaborations of individuals,” he says.
As for Fuse’s next steps, the future remains fluid. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and while the studio has ideas for future projects, it recognizes the need for flexibility and adaptability in today’s independent development landscape. The team is open to conversations about new opportunities, but for now, they are focused on delivering a game that proves a small, well‑coordinated core team backed by trusted external partners can produce a high‑quality, globally appealing racing experience.