Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He arrived at the company in 1990 and spent nearly twenty years contributing to the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while they were under the umbrella of Criterion, which EA acquired in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster, together with fellow Criterion alumni 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*, published by the newly autonomous label Secret Mode. The timing of *Galactic Racer* is noteworthy.
The last Star Wars‑themed racing game, *Racer Revenge*, hit shelves in 2002 – a full 24 years ago. Since then, the racing genre has generally lost steam in the mainstream market. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called *Clutch*, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis stating that the project didn’t fit the current market landscape. Meanwhile, Criterion, once a powerhouse of arcade‑style racers, has pivoted to focus on the *Battlefield* franchise.
Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists for a Star Wars racing experience. “We’re sure there’s an audience for a Star Wars‑based racer,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“Our community feedback, video views and article reads suggest we’re not the only ones who feel that way.” He argues that video‑game genres are inherently cyclical. “Shooters dominated for a while, but that’s not the whole story. As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a sizable following.” Webster believes players are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before," and he feels *Galactic Racer* delivers exactly that.
The studio set out to capture the instant‑gratification of classic arcade racing while also exploring what becomes possible when a game is no longer tethered to realistic tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” he explains. “It feels like a roller‑coaster at times.” Beyond the high‑octane thrills, *Galactic Racer* seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre.
Traditionally, racers have relied on a car‑collection model that has changed little in two decades. Webster wants to tear that model apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. The game incorporates consequential decision‑making, especially around crashes.
In many modern racers a rewind button eliminates risk, but Fuse re‑introduces real consequences: too many crashes send you back to the start, though you retain some meta‑progression that puts you in a stronger position on the next attempt. This risk‑reward loop forces players to weigh their actions, especially when they’re on their final allowed crash. The design philosophy draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as *Hades*, *Returnal* and *Slay the Spire*—games built around infinite replayability. "Racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes, "so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a perfect match." The idea is to create a game that encourages repeated runs, each with subtle variations, fostering a sense of mastery and discovery.
Releasing the game in early October also reflects a strategic timing decision. *Galactic Racer* is slated for launch on October 6, comfortably ahead of the highly anticipated *GTA 6* release on November 19, yet close enough to ride the wave of other major releases like *Control: Resonance* and *Silent Hill: Townfall* on September 24. Webster acknowledges the crowded pre‑holiday calendar but points out that the industry has weathered even busier schedules in the past.
“People used to call September ‘murderers’ row,’ and October was always packed,” he recalls. “We have a healthy confidence, tempered with a realistic view of how things might turn out.” When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his long tenure and the previous round of cuts about fifteen years ago. “Great teams make great games, and great games find an audience,” he says.
He sees the current risk‑averse climate as an opening for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you shy away from risk, you limit opportunity.
Those who embrace it can carve out space.” Funding, however, has not been a walk in the park. Starting an independent studio in 2023 was seen as a bold, even reckless move. “People told me I was brave for launching an indie studio now,” Webster laughs.
After three decades at EA, he had to adapt to a new reality: building a solid team, sharpening a creative vision, and staying disciplined enough to craft a plan—while accepting that the plan would inevitably evolve. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 staff, a deliberate choice to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles that many AAA studios endure. Instead, the studio leans on external development partners to fill gaps.
This hybrid model ranges from pure outsourcing—transactional asset creation—to deep co‑development, where external studios sit in Fuse’s daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and code repositories as if they were internal teams. Webster highlights the United Kingdom as an ideal hub for such collaboration, thanks to its mature game‑development ecosystem and a culture of flexible, motivated talent. The results speak for themselves.
Fuse launched in January 2023, and in just three and a half years they have built a studio, assembled a team, and delivered a full‑scale AAA‑quality game on Unreal Engine 5—technology none of them had previously mastered. "It feels like an achievement," Webster says, emphasizing that they accomplished it sustainably.
A notable aspect of Fuse’s roster is the infusion of younger developers. Some team members, including one producer, had never worked in games before joining the project. "The young talent we’ve attracted is incredibly smart and effective—often more so than I was at their age," Webster remarks. He observes that seasoned veterans sometimes prefer senior colleagues who need little guidance, which can stifle mentorship.
By deliberately nurturing younger staff, Fuse has discovered a fresh source of energy and innovation. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further cultivate emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully.
He draws lessons from Criterion’s successful intern pipelines and acknowledges that developing talent requires significant investment. Reflecting on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with capital, Webster notes that many developers received funding simply because they had delivered a hit, only to discover that running a studio is far harder than anticipated. He criticizes the industry’s lingering fascination with the “lone creative visionary” myth, calling it "bullshit." In reality, games are collaborative creations, built by teams of individuals.
As for Fuse’s next steps, Webster admits the future is still being charted. The launch of *Star Wars: Galactic Racer* is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to new opportunities and ideas. Flexibility and adaptability, he says, are essential for independent developers navigating today’s ever‑changing market.