Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to remain within the walls of Electronic Arts. He arrived at the publisher in 1990 and spent almost twenty years contributing to the success of Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed that EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster joined forces with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch Fuse Games, an independent studio based in the United Kingdom. Just over three years later the fledgling company is poised to release its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, under the banner of the newly autonomous publisher Secret Mode.
The upcoming game arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing experience, 2002’s Racer Revenge, and it does so at a time when the racing genre has generally lost steam. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis remarking that the market simply didn’t have room for another racer. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus from pure racing to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is still demand for a Star Wars racing game.
“We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars‑based racer,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “Our community, the people who watch our streams and read our posts, suggest we’re not the only ones who think the idea has merit.” Webster points out that gaming trends are cyclical. “Shooters dominated for a while, but that doesn’t mean other genres can’t re‑emerge,” he explains.
“As more people play video games, even the tiniest niche can grow into a sizable market.” He believes players are hungry for fresh, compelling experiences they haven’t encountered before, and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The studio set out to capture the instant gratification of an arcade‑style racer while also asking, “What can we do once we’re no longer bound by the constraints of tyres and tarmac?” The answer, according to Webster, is a series of wildly imaginative tracks that defy real‑world physics. “One of our circuits climbs the side of an active volcano,” he says, “and the whole thing feels like a roller‑coaster at times.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game also seeks to upend long‑standing racing conventions. Traditional racers have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades; Galactic Racer discards that formula and borrows mechanics from other genres.
The title incorporates consequential decision‑making, especially around crashes. In many modern racers a rewind feature eliminates penalty, 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,” he explains. “When you’re on your last life, every risk feels weighty.” The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike principles found in games such as Hades, Returnal, and Slay the Spire—titles built for infinite replayability.
“Racing thrives on repeat runs, so marrying it with roguelike loops feels like a natural fit,” Webster notes. This hybrid approach creates a sense of urgency and reward that is unusual for a genre that has become comfortable with hand‑holding and forgiving mechanics. Releasing a new IP in a crowded calendar is a gamble, especially with heavyweight titles like GTA 6 slated for November 19.
Galactic Racer’s launch on October 6 positions it between other major releases such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall (both arriving September 24). Webster acknowledges the competitive landscape but remains confident.
“The industry has always had busy windows—people used to call September ‘Murderer’s Row’ and October was packed as well. We have a healthy confidence tempered by realism.” The conversation inevitably turns to the broader industry climate, marked by layoffs and a risk‑averse mindset. Webster, who has witnessed a previous wave of cuts fifteen years ago, observes that great teams produce great games, and great games find audiences. “There’s a growing aversion to risk, which actually creates opportunities for those willing to take calculated bets,” he says.
“If you shy away from risk, you limit your chances.” Starting an independent studio in 2023 has not been without challenges. Securing funding proved difficult; many questioned the wisdom of launching a new studio after a 32‑year tenure at EA. Webster recounts the learning curve: “I built my career in a bubble, then had to apply the principles I’d learned—assemble a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, stay disciplined, adapt plans, and stay true to core values.” He emphasizes that engaged, motivated talent is the engine of success.
Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 people—a deliberate choice to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles common in larger studios. Instead of constantly scaling up and down, the studio relies on external partners to fill gaps.
“We’ve proven that a small permanent team, supplemented by trusted collaborators, could become the model for sustainable AAA development,” Webster asserts. The external work ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development, where partner studios participate in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even share the codebase. The United Kingdom, with its mature development ecosystem, serves as an ideal hub for this collaborative approach. “In the past, external studios were reluctant to help unless they could push their own projects,” he explains.
“Now many companies hire people eager to work across different teams, keeping the work fresh and exciting.” This environment, coupled with the studio’s hybrid model, allowed Fuse to build Galactic Racer on Unreal Engine 5—a technology none of the team had mastered at the outset—within three and a half years. A notable aspect of Fuse’s roster is the infusion of young talent alongside veteran developers. Some producers have never worked in games before.
“The younger developers are often smarter and more effective than I was at their age,” Webster remarks, noting that nurturing fresh perspectives has yielded greater success than relying solely on senior hires. He also hints at future plans for an internship program, inspired by Criterion’s successful initiatives, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must carefully weigh the costs of talent development.
Reflecting on an era when the industry was flush with capital, 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 solitary “creative visionary” who single‑handedly drives a game’s success, calling it “bullshit.” In his view, games are always collaborative endeavors. Looking ahead, Fuse Games remains open‑ended about its next steps.
The launch of Galactic Racer is just the beginning, and while the studio has ideas for future projects, Webster stresses the need for flexibility and adaptability in today’s independent development landscape. "We’ll keep talking to partners, exploring opportunities, and evolving our vision," he says. "The industry rewards those who can pivot and stay true to what they believe in."