Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He began his tenure at the publisher back in 1990 and spent close to twenty years contributing to the acclaimed Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while they were under the umbrella of Criterion, a studio EA acquired in 2004. Yet, in early 2023, Webster, together with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and launch Fuse Games, an independent studio based in the United Kingdom. Fast‑forward a little over three years, and Fuse is on the brink of releasing its debut title, *Star Wars: Galactic Racer*, which will be published by the newly autonomous label Secret Mode.
The timing of *Galactic Racer* is noteworthy. The last Star Wars racing game, *Racer Revenge*, hit shelves in 2002—more than two decades ago.
In the intervening years, the racing genre has generally lost steam in the mainstream market. Amazon, for example, recently walked away from a publishing agreement with UK developer Maverick Games for its upcoming driving game *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 entirely toward the *Battlefield* franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists for a Star Wars‑themed racing experience.
"Clearly we think there's an audience for a Star Wars racing game," he told GamesIndustry.biz. "We don't think we're the only ones. And I would attest from people watching our videos and reading articles that we might not be alone in that." He argues that video‑game genres are cyclical: "We went through a phase where shooters dominated, but that’s not the only genre.
As more people play video games, even the tiniest of niches find a bigger audience." Webster believes gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven't seen yet," and he feels *Galactic Racer* delivers exactly that. The team set out to capture the instant gratification of classic arcade racers while also exploring what becomes possible when you detach the experience from the constraints of real‑world tyres and tarmac.
"For instance, we have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano," he explains. "It’s a roller‑coaster sometimes." Beyond high‑octane thrills, the game seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre.
Traditionally, racers rely on a car‑collection model that has remained largely unchanged for the past twenty years. Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for player mistakes, such as crashes. In many modern racers, a rewind button nullifies any penalty, but *Galactic Racer* re‑introduces risk: "If you crash too many times you’re sent back to the start, although you carry some meta‑progression forward and begin from a stronger position.
That crash has a consequence, and when you’re on your last life you start to weigh the risk you’re taking." The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike titles like *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*, which prioritize infinite replayability. "Games built for infinite replayability pair perfectly with racing, because racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes.
By blending the procedural, high‑risk‑high‑reward loop of roguelikes with the speed‑driven core of racing, the studio hopes to create a fresh hybrid that feels both familiar and novel. Launching the game on October 6 places it in a crowded autumn window, sandwiched between major releases such as *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* (both September 24) and the highly anticipated *Grand Theft Auto VI* slated for November 19. Webster acknowledges the competition but remains confident. "Someone said September looks busy, but I remember years ago people calling October ‘murderer’s row’ because it was packed with releases.
The market is competitive, yet we have a healthy sense of confidence tempered by a realistic view of how things may turn out. Good games will find a way, so we’re hoping." His optimism is tempered by a broader industry observation: layoffs have become a recurring theme, and risk‑averse corporate cultures dominate. Webster, who has witnessed a wave of layoffs a decade and a half ago, believes that great teams produce great games, and great games attract audiences.
He sees the current aversion to risk as an opening for studios willing to take calculated bets. "If you’re bringing those constraints in, you’re not wanting to risk too much, and that limits opportunity," he says. Funding, however, has not been a smooth road.
Starting an independent studio in 2023, after a 32‑year stint at EA, felt like stepping into an unknown world. "People were like, ‘you’re brave doing an independent studio in 2023.’" Yet Webster leaned on principles he’d learned over decades: build a strong team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while accepting that plans will inevitably evolve.
He emphasizes that engaged and motivated talent is the engine of great games, and it’s the studio’s job to nurture that enthusiasm. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core—about 75 staff members—by design. Rather than expanding and contracting the internal team, the studio relies heavily on external partners to fill skill gaps. This hybrid model ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to deep co‑development where external studios sit in on daily stand‑ups, Slack channels, and even share codebases.
Webster points out that the UK’s mature development ecosystem makes it an ideal hub for such collaborations, noting a cultural shift from reluctant, piecemeal assistance to enthusiastic, value‑aligned partnerships. He believes this approach demonstrates a sustainable path for AAA‑scale projects: a small, permanent core team supplemented by trusted external contributors. "From our perspective, you can make a AAA video game in terms of scope, scale, and fidelity for a more sustainable budget in this manner," he asserts, adding that the rapid development timeline of *Galactic Racer*—just three and a half years from studio inception to a near‑complete UE5‑powered title—validates the model. Another notable aspect of Fuse’s strategy is its emphasis on youthful talent.
While the studio includes veteran Criterion alumni, many of its developers are newcomers, with at least one producer having never worked in games before. "We are thrilled with the young talent we’ve got," Webster says.
"They are smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at that age. It’s extraordinary. In fact, we’ve had greater success with our young developers than with some senior hires from elsewhere." Webster observes that seasoned developers often prefer senior colleagues who can work independently, which can limit mentorship opportunities.
By contrast, nurturing younger staff creates a reciprocal motivation: senior staff are challenged to teach, while juniors bring fresh perspectives. He hopes to formalize this pipeline through an intern program, though the studio remains pre‑revenue and must balance ambition with financial reality. Reflecting on the industry’s earlier era of abundant funding, Webster recalls a time when successful games spawned spin‑off studios that quickly ran into financial hardship. He argues that money should have been allocated to strong teams rather than idolizing a single "creative visionary"—a notion he calls "fucking bullshit." In his view, games are collaborative endeavors, not the product of solitary geniuses.
Looking ahead, Fuse Games remains flexible. While the launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* marks a major milestone, the studio is already contemplating future projects and partnerships. "We’ve talked about how the launch is just the start for us on this game. But I think, like anybody, we’ll be interested in talking to people about potential opportunities.
We have ideas about where we want to go next, but as an independent developer you have to stay adaptable," Webster concludes.