adminStar Wars: Galactic Racer is built on the idea that racing games can still attract players when they offer a fresh take on a familiar genre. Matt Webster, CEO of Fuse Games, believes that as gaming reaches more people, even specialised genres can find a larger audience. His team is putting that belief into practice with an arcade-style racer that rethinks conventional racing structures.
Webster spent more than three decades at Electronic Arts, including nearly 20 years at Criterion, the studio behind Burnout and Need for Speed. In 2023, he joined former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant to establish the independent UK studio Fuse Games. The team’s first title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, is published by Secret Mode.
The game arrives around 24 years after the previous Star Wars racing title, 2002’s Racer Revenge. While racing games have faced a challenging market, Webster argues that audiences are not limited to whichever genre is currently most popular. Players continue to seek distinctive experiences, and a well-made game can find its community. For players, that means the game’s unusual structure and setting may matter as much as its genre.
How Star Wars: Galactic Racer aims to stand out
Fuse Games set out to combine the immediate excitement of arcade racing with tracks and hazards that go beyond ordinary roads. Webster describes courses that climb the side of an active volcano, creating a fast, roller-coaster-like experience. The imaginative environments are a key part of the game’s appeal, so players can expect racing routes designed around spectacle as well as speed.
Image credit: Fuse Games/Secret Mode
Webster also says the team wanted to move away from the vehicle-collection structure common in racing games. Instead, Galactic Racer draws inspiration from roguelikes such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire, where repeated attempts and lasting decisions are central to play.
Crashes have consequences: too many can send players back to the beginning. Some longer-term progression carries over, allowing a new attempt to start from a stronger position. This approach makes risk part of the race. Players should consider when to push for speed and when a safer line may be the wiser choice.
Image credit: Fuse Games/Secret Mode
A focused team and a different production model
Fuse Games has kept its core team relatively small, at around 75 people, and used external development partners to expand its capacity. Webster sees this as a more sustainable alternative to repeatedly growing and shrinking a studio’s permanent workforce. Depending on the work, partners may contribute specific assets or collaborate closely with the core team on development.
The studio used Unreal Engine 5 for the game, despite the core team having no prior experience with that engine. Webster says Fuse was established in January 2023 and completed the studio, team and game over roughly three and a half years. For independent developers, the practical lesson is to build a clear plan while remaining ready to review and adapt it as production develops.
Funding was a significant challenge for the new studio. Webster emphasises the importance of a capable, motivated team and says game development depends on collaboration rather than the idea of one all-powerful creative leader. Fuse has also brought younger developers into the project, whom Webster praises for their ability and contribution. He hopes the studio may eventually establish an internship programme, while recognising that training new talent requires time and resources.
Release timing and audience expectations
Star Wars: Galactic Racer was announced for release on October 6, with GTA 6 scheduled for November 19. Webster acknowledged the competitive release calendar but said the studio had a measured confidence in its game. Release dates and schedules can change, so players should check current platform listings for the latest availability information.
For Webster, the broader opportunity lies in taking considered creative risks instead of assuming that only established genres can succeed. Star Wars: Galactic Racer combines arcade thrills, consequential crashes and replay-focused progression in an effort to give racing fans a different kind of challenge. Its central idea reflects Webster’s confidence that Star Wars: Galactic Racer can find an audience by offering a distinctive experience.
