Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He started at EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years working on iconic franchises such as Burnout and Need for Speed through Criterion, the studio EA acquired in 2004.
In early 2023, however, Webster teamed up with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to launch their own independent studio, Fuse Games, based in the United Kingdom. Just over three years later the fledgling company is on the brink of releasing 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 traditional racing games have struggled to capture mainstream attention.
Amazon recently walked away from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for the upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market simply didn’t appear to have room for another racer. Meanwhile, Criterion itself has shifted focus away from racing to work on the Battlefield franchise.
Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced that a demand exists. “We clearly see an audience for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“Our community feedback, video views and article reads tell us we’re not alone in that belief.” He points out that video‑game genres are cyclical. “Shooters dominated for a while, but they’re not the only genre that can dominate,” Webster said. “As more people play games, even the tiniest niche can find a larger fan base.” According to him, modern players crave fresh, compelling experiences they haven’t encountered before, and Galactic Racer is designed to satisfy that desire.
Fuse Games set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, “What could we do if we weren’t limited by tyres and tarmac?” The answer, he explains, includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel more like roller‑coasters than conventional circuits. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, the game deliberately subverts long‑standing racing conventions.
Traditional racers have relied on a car‑collection model for roughly two decades; Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most radical departures is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing. In many contemporary racers a rewind button erases mistakes, but Galactic Racer reinstates risk: repeated crashes send the player back to the start, though some meta‑progression carries over, granting a slightly stronger position on the next attempt. Webster likens the game’s structure to roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, emphasizing infinite replayability—a natural fit for a racing title that thrives on repeated runs.
The stakes of each crash are designed to feel tangible. “When you’re on your last allowed crash and the system is critical, you actually start to weigh the risk you’re taking,” he says.
This approach pushes players away from the hand‑holding typical of many AAA releases and encourages a more strategic mindset. Timing the launch is another strategic decision. Galactic Racer is slated for October 6, comfortably ahead of Rockstar’s much‑anticipated GTA 6, slated for November 19, yet close enough to other high‑profile releases like Control Resonant and Silent Hill: Townfall, both arriving on September 24. Webster acknowledges the crowded calendar but notes that the industry has faced even busier pre‑Christmas windows before.
“People used to call September ‘murderers’ row,’ and October was always packed,” he recalls, emphasizing that Fuse maintains a “healthy confidence” balanced with a realistic outlook. When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his long tenure.
He remembers a similar downsizing period fifteen years ago and stresses a timeless truth: great teams create great games, and great games find their audience. He argues that the current risk‑averse climate actually opens doors for studios willing to take calculated bets. “If you’re not willing to risk, you limit opportunity,” he observes. Starting an independent studio in 2023, however, has not been without challenges.
Securing funding proved difficult; many industry insiders questioned the wisdom of launching a new studio after three decades at EA. Webster’s response was to lean on core principles: build a talented team, refine a clear creative vision, and maintain disciplined planning—while recognizing that any plan will inevitably need adjustment. He stresses that motivated, engaged talent is the engine of great games, and that nurturing that talent is a leadership responsibility. Fuse Games operates with a relatively lean core of about 75 people, a deliberate choice to avoid the boom‑and‑bust staffing cycles that plague larger studios.
Instead, the studio leans heavily on external development partners to fill skill gaps. This model ranges from transactional outsourcing for asset creation to full co‑development, where external studios sit in on daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and even share the code base.
Webster highlights the UK’s mature development ecosystem as a fertile ground for such collaborations, noting that today’s studios are eager to work across projects rather than cling to a single internal product. He believes this hybrid approach—small permanent core plus trusted external partners—offers a sustainable path to producing AAA‑level scope, scale and visual fidelity without the ballooning budgets that have historically plagued big‑budget games.
The rapid development timeline of Galactic Racer underscores the viability of the model: Fuse was founded in January 2023, and in just three and a half years the team built the studio, assembled the workforce, and delivered a UE5‑powered game despite initially having no experience with the engine. The studio’s talent mix also reflects a generational shift. Alongside the Criterion veterans, Fuse has recruited many younger developers, including at least one producer who had never previously worked in games. Webster praises this fresh perspective, stating that the younger staff often outperform older colleagues in both creativity and efficiency.
He argues that senior developers sometimes prefer working with equally senior peers who require minimal mentorship, but that such an environment can stifle growth. By actively nurturing junior talent, Fuse hopes to foster a culture of mutual motivation and learning. Looking ahead, Webster envisions an internship program to further cultivate young talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue and financially cautious. He points to Criterion’s historic success with its own intern pipeline as a model worth emulating, while acknowledging the costs associated with developing talent from the ground up.
Reflecting on the industry’s earlier boom years, Webster recalls how successful games often led their creators to secure ample funding for new studios—only to discover that running a studio is far tougher than building a single hit. He critiques the industry’s lingering fascination with the “lone creative visionary” myth, calling it “bullshit” and emphasizing that games are fundamentally collaborative endeavors.
As for Fuse’s next steps, the future remains open‑ended. While the launch of Galactic Racer marks a major milestone, Webster says the studio is already contemplating new opportunities and ideas.
Flexibility, he notes, is essential for independent developers navigating an ever‑changing market. In sum, Matt Webster’s journey from EA veteran to indie studio founder illustrates a belief that niche genres can thrive when they evolve, that small, agile teams supplemented by trusted partners can deliver AAA‑quality experiences, and that investing in youthful, motivated talent may be the key to sustainable success in today’s risk‑averse gaming landscape.