Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and, after nearly two decades, helped shape the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises while working at Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with fellow Criterion alumni Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch a new independent studio in the United Kingdom called Fuse Games. 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 independent 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 generally receded from the spotlight. Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for a forthcoming driving title called Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis noting that the product didn’t seem to fit the market.
Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted its focus from pure racing experiences to the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a market exists for a Star Wars‑based racer. “We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“Our community, the people who watch our videos and read our articles, tell us they’re not the only ones hoping for this.” He points out that video‑game genres tend to be cyclical. After a period dominated by shooters, other categories inevitably re‑emerge. “As more people play games, even the tiniest niches can find a larger fanbase,” Webster explains.
He believes players are hungry for “fun, interesting, compelling new experiences they haven’t seen before,” and he feels Galactic Racer delivers exactly that. The design philosophy behind the game is deliberately arcade‑centric, aiming for instant gratification while also exploring what is possible when developers are no longer constrained by realistic tyres and tarmac. “We have tracks that climb the side of an active volcano,” Webster says, describing a course that feels like a roller‑coaster ride.
Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the title seeks to upend long‑standing racing conventions. Traditional racers have relied on a car‑collection model for the past two decades; Fuse wants to rip that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most striking innovations is the emphasis on consequential decision‑making, particularly around crashes. In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates risk, but Galactic Racer reinstates the cost of failure.
“If you crash too often, you’re sent back to the start, but you keep some meta‑progression that makes you a bit stronger,” Webster explains. “When you’re on your last allowed crash, you feel the pressure and have to weigh the risk of pushing harder.” This approach draws inspiration from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, games celebrated for infinite replayability. “Racing thrives on replayability, so combining it with roguelike loops feels like a match made in heaven,” he adds. Webster acknowledges that this design choice is a bold departure from the hand‑holding typical of many AAA releases, especially as the industry prepares for heavyweight launches like GTA 6.
Galactic Racer is scheduled for release on October 6, comfortably before GTA 6’s November 19 launch, yet still close to other major September releases such as Control Resonant and Silent Hill: Townfall. He notes that crowded release windows are nothing new; “September has always looked busy, but October has historically been packed as well.” The studio’s confidence is tempered with realism: “Good games will find a way,” he says, echoing a long‑standing industry maxim. When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the sector, Webster reflects on his own experience.
He recalls a previous round of cuts about fifteen years ago and emphasizes that great teams produce great games, which in turn attract audiences. “There’s a current aversion to risk,” he observes, “and that creates opportunities for those willing to take calculated bets.” However, launching a new studio in today’s climate has not been without challenges.
Securing funding proved difficult; many people questioned the wisdom of starting an independent studio in 2023 after a 32‑year tenure at EA. Webster’s answer was to lean on core principles: assemble a talented team, hone a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—always ready to adapt as circumstances evolve. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of roughly 75 staff members, a deliberate choice to avoid the industry’s typical “grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink” cycle. Instead, the studio supplements its internal talent with external partners, ranging from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to deep co‑development arrangements where outside studios attend daily stand‑ups, share Slack channels and contribute directly to the codebase.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as especially conducive to this collaborative model. “In the past, other companies would only help you grudgingly, but now there are firms eager to work on diverse projects with different teams, keeping everyone fresh and motivated.” According to Webster, this hybrid approach enables a AAA‑scale game to be produced on a more sustainable budget.
The rapid development timeline—Fuse was founded in January 2023, and three and a half years later the team has delivered a full‑featured UE5 title—demonstrates the viability of the model. He also stresses the importance of nurturing young talent. Many of the developers on Galactic Racer are recent graduates, and even one producer had never worked in games before joining the project. “Our young staff are often smarter and more effective than I was at their age,” Webster admits.
He believes that focusing on mentorship and growth yields better results than relying solely on seasoned veterans who may prefer minimal interaction. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to further develop emerging talent, though he cautions that the studio is still pre‑revenue and must manage costs carefully.
He reflects on a period five or six years ago when the industry was flush with capital, noting that many successful teams received funding to spin off their own studios, only to discover how difficult it truly is to build a sustainable operation. He argues that money should have been allocated to strong teams rather than to the myth of a singular “creative visionary,” a notion he calls “fucking bullshit.” In reality, games are collaborative creations. As for Fuse’s future beyond Galactic Racer, Webster says plans are still taking shape.
The launch is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to discussing new opportunities and exploring fresh directions. Flexibility and adaptability, he concludes, are essential for any independent developer navigating today’s competitive landscape.