Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent almost 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 former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch an independent studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. Three and a half years later the fledgling studio is poised to release its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, under the banner of the newly autonomous 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 moment when the racing genre has lost some of its mainstream appeal. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market simply didn’t seem to need another racer. Criterion itself has shifted focus away from pure racing toward the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still demand for a Star Wars racing experience.
“We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars‑based racer,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community, the people who watch our videos and read our posts, seem to think the same.” Webster argues that video‑game genres are cyclical.
He points out that after a period dominated by shooters, other types inevitably resurface. As the overall player base expands, even the most niche sub‑genres can find a sizable following. He believes gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. Fuse’s vision for the game is rooted in classic arcade thrills while also pushing the boundaries of what a racing title can be when it is no longer limited by real‑world physics.
"We wanted the instant gratification of an arcade racer, but we also wanted to ask what’s possible when you’re not tied to tyres and tarmac," Webster explains. The result is a series of wildly imaginative tracks – one, for instance, climbs the side of an active volcano and feels more like a roller‑coaster than a traditional circuit. Beyond the high‑octane visuals, Galactic Racer challenges long‑standing conventions of the genre.
Most racing games for the past two decades have revolved around collecting cars, upgrading them, and gradually unlocking new content. Webster wants to tear up that formula and borrow mechanics from other game types. He cites roguelike influences such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, noting that those games are built for "infinite replayability" – a quality that aligns naturally with racing, where players constantly strive to shave seconds off their best times. One of the core innovations is the re‑introduction of meaningful consequences for mistakes.
In many modern racers, a rewind button erases the penalty of crashing, reducing tension. Fuse’s approach is to make crashes matter: too many crashes send the player back to the start of a run, but they retain a portion of meta‑progress that makes subsequent attempts slightly stronger. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh aggression against caution, especially when they are on their final allowed crash and the stakes feel "system‑critical." Webster acknowledges that launching a new IP in a crowded calendar is risky, especially with heavyweight releases like GTA 6 slated for November 19. Galactic Racer is set for October 6, giving it a modest gap from the biggest title of the year while still landing amid a busy September‑October window that includes releases such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall.
He notes that industry veterans have long spoken of “murderers’ row” in September, but historically October has also been jam‑packed, so the team remains confident yet realistic about market performance. The conversation naturally shifts to the broader industry climate, particularly the wave of layoffs that has swept through major publishers. Webster, who has witnessed similar cutbacks a decade and a half ago, believes that great teams still produce great games, and great games eventually find an audience.
He argues that a prevailing aversion to risk is limiting innovation, and that studios willing to take calculated bets will reap the rewards. Funding, however, has not been easy for Fuse. Starting an independent studio in 2023 was seen as a bold, perhaps foolhardy, move. Webster recalls being told, "You're brave doing an indie studio now," after spending 32 years inside EA’s corporate bubble.
The studio’s strategy has been to keep the core team deliberately small – roughly 75 people – and to supplement capabilities through external development partners. Rather than the traditional grow‑shrink‑grow cycle, Fuse relies on trusted collaborators who act as extensions of the internal team, attending stand‑ups, joining Slack channels and contributing directly to the code base. This hybrid model, he argues, could become the blueprint for sustainable AAA‑scale production. The UK’s mature game‑development ecosystem has been instrumental in this approach.
In the past, external studios often helped only out of necessity, reluctant to share creative control. Today, many UK companies are eager to co‑develop, offering fresh perspectives and keeping their talent motivated by working on varied projects. Webster also emphasizes the importance of nurturing young talent.
Fuse’s roster includes several developers who had never previously worked in games, and the studio’s producers have praised the energy, adaptability and technical savvy of these newcomers. He observes that seasoned veterans sometimes prefer to work with equally senior colleagues, limiting opportunities for mentorship.
By deliberately hiring and empowering younger staff, Fuse has discovered a productivity boost and a culture of continuous learning. The studio hopes to formalize this commitment through an intern program in the future, though they remain pre‑revenue and aware of the costs associated with talent development.
Reflecting on an era when the industry was flush with cash, Webster notes that many successful games led to spin‑off studios that struggled because they lacked solid team foundations. He criticizes the lingering myth of the "lone creative visionary" as "bullshit," insisting that games are always the product of collaborative effort. Looking ahead, Fuse Games does not have a concrete roadmap beyond Galactic Racer, but Webster is open to exploring new opportunities and partnerships. He stresses that independence requires flexibility; the studio will continue to adapt its ambitions based on market realities and the lessons learned from this first launch.
In summary, Matt Webster believes that as the gaming audience expands, even the most narrowly defined niches can attract sizable followings. By marrying arcade‑style excitement with roguelike‑inspired risk systems, leveraging a lean core team plus strategic external partners, and championing the next generation of developers, Fuse Games aims to prove that a fresh take on racing – especially one set in the beloved Star Wars universe – can succeed in today’s competitive landscape.