Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within Electronic Arts. He began his tenure in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, together with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and founded the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Just over three years later the fledgling studio is poised to launch its debut title, *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, under the banner of the newly independent publisher Secret Mode.
The release of *Galactic Racer* marks the first Star Wars‑themed racing game in roughly 24 years, the previous effort being 2002’s *Racer Revenge*. In the intervening decades the racing genre has struggled to retain mainstream appeal. Amazon recently abandoned a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming title *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking that the market simply didn’t have room for another racing game. Meanwhile Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has shifted its focus to the *Battlefield* franchise.
Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists. “We clearly believe there’s an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“Our community feedback and the interest we see in our videos suggest we’re not alone in that belief.” He points out that gaming trends are cyclical: “Genres rise and fall. After a period where shooters dominated, other styles are resurfacing.
As more people play video games, even the tiniest niches can find a sizable crowd.” Webster argues that players today crave fresh, compelling experiences that feel novel. *Galactic Racer* is designed to deliver exactly that. The team set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring what can be achieved when the constraints of real‑world tyres and tarmac are removed. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explains.
“It’s essentially a roller‑coaster in a racing context.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions. Traditionally, racing titles revolve around a car‑collection loop that has changed little for two decades. Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres.
One such innovation is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashes. In many modern racers a rewind button erases any penalty, but *Galactic Racer* re‑introduces risk: “If you crash too often you’re sent back to the start, though you retain a slice of meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position.
When you’re on your last allowed crash, every decision feels weighty.” The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike principles found in games like *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*. Those titles are built for infinite replayability, a quality that dovetails naturally with racing’s competitive loop. “Racing thrives on replayability, so marrying it with roguelike structures feels like a perfect match,” Webster notes.
Launching the game on October 6 places it between several heavyweight releases. Rockstar’s *GTA VI* is slated for November 19, while September 24 saw the arrival of *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall*.
Some industry observers warned that September would be crowded, but Webster recalls that even in earlier eras, October was historically jam‑packed with major titles—what was once dubbed “murderer’s row.” He acknowledges the competitive landscape but says Fuse Games approaches it with a “healthy confidence tempered by a realistic view of possible outcomes.” When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, Webster reflects on his long tenure. He remembers a similar contraction fifteen years ago and notes a recurring truth: great teams make great games, and great games find their audience. He observes a current aversion to risk, which he believes opens doors for studios willing to take calculated bets.
“If you shy away from risk, you limit opportunity,” he says. Funding an independent studio in 2023 has not been easy. “People told me I was brave to start an indie studio now,” Webster recalls. After 32 years at EA, the shift to entrepreneurship was a steep learning curve.
He emphasizes a set of guiding principles: build a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, maintain discipline in planning (while accepting that plans are always imperfect), and continuously review and adapt while staying true to core values. Engaged and motivated talent, he argues, is the engine that drives exceptional results. Fuse Games remains relatively small for a title of AAA ambition, numbering around 75 core staff.
This size is intentional; the studio avoids the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow” cycle by leveraging external partners to fill skill gaps. “We’ve proven that a lean permanent team combined with trusted external collaborators can deliver AAA‑scale quality on a sustainable budget,” Webster explains. The external work ranges from transactional outsourcing—pure asset creation—to deep co‑development where partner studios join daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and even share the codebase. The United Kingdom, with its mature development ecosystem, proves especially fertile for such collaborations.
In the past, external studios were reluctant to assist, preferring to focus on their own projects. Today, many companies hire developers eager to work across varied teams, keeping the talent pool fresh and enthusiastic. Webster believes this shift enables a more sustainable model for large‑scale game production.
The rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer* showcases the efficacy of this approach. Fuse Games was founded in January 2023; three and a half years later the studio has assembled a team, built a game on Unreal Engine 5—an engine none of the founders previously mastered—and prepared for launch, all while maintaining a healthy, sustainable workflow. A notable aspect of the studio’s composition is the blend of veteran Criterion alumni with a wave of younger developers, some of whom have never worked in games before.
“Our young talent is astonishingly smart and effective—often more so than I was at their age,” Webster says. He observes that senior developers sometimes prefer working with equally senior colleagues, which can stifle mentorship opportunities.
By contrast, nurturing junior talent energizes both the newcomers and the experienced mentors. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate fresh talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and financially cautious.
He cites Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model and stresses the need to enter such initiatives with eyes wide open, aware of the costs involved. Reflecting on the industry’s past boom years, Webster notes that many successful studios were launched by “superstar” developers who received generous funding after a hit. He argues that money would have been better allocated to strong teams rather than singular visionary myths—a notion he calls “fucking bullshit.” In reality, games are collaborative endeavors.
As for Fuse Games’ next steps, Webster remains non‑committal. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and the studio is open to exploring new opportunities while staying adaptable. “Independent developers today need to be flexible,” he concludes. "We have ideas about where we want to go, but we’ll let the market and our creative instincts guide the next chapter."