Fuse Games founder and CEO Matt Webster is set to take the stage at Game Republic New Horizons, a UK games industry conference, to discuss the development of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, according to Video Games Chronicle. The session lands just over a week after the Guildford-based studio’s debut title launches on October 6, 2026, giving Webster a rare chance to talk through a project that took an independent UK developer from a standing start to a licensed Star Wars release in roughly three years.
The timing matters. Game Republic New Horizons runs its main conference day on October 15, 2026, at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, meaning Webster will be speaking to UK developers and publishers about Star Wars: Galactic Racer after it has already reached players rather than as a pre-release pitch. That shifts the session from a marketing appearance into something closer to a postmortem, and it is the kind of session UK indie studios rarely get to hear directly from a founder who negotiated a Lucasfilm Games license from outside the traditional AAA publisher system.
What Fuse Games Confirmed About the Game Republic New Horizons Session
Video Games Chronicle’s report confirms the core details: Webster will appear in conversation with VGC’s Andy Robinson at the event, with the discussion centered on how Star Wars: Galactic Racer came together inside a studio that did not exist before 2023. Webster has already previewed what he plans to bring to the stage. “We’re so excited to share our development journey with the attendees of Game Republic New Horizons,” he said, a line that frames the talk as an origin story for Fuse Games as much as a game-specific retrospective.
He also tied the session directly to the game’s release window, telling VGC: “Star Wars: Galactic Racer is very much a passion project for Fuse Games and we can’t wait for players to experience the high-speed racing on 6th October.” That release date detail is worth sitting with, because it confirms the game is shipping in the same window Fuse itself has been promoting since its original reveal, rather than slipping into a later 2026 window as has happened with several other licensed titles this year.
Who Is Matt Webster, and Why Fuse Games Is Worth Watching
Matt Webster is the co-founder and CEO of Fuse Games, an independent studio based in Guildford, England. Before founding Fuse, Webster spent years at Criterion and EA, where he worked on the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises and held an executive-producer role connected to Burnout 3: Takedown, according to a Traxion interview with the studio. Fuse’s creative director, Kieran Crimmins, shares that Criterion pedigree and previously served as creative director on Need for Scar Unbound-era projects at the studio.
That arcade-racing background is the reason Star Wars: Galactic Racer exists at all. Fuse’s own retrospective post, “Three Years of Fuse Games,” describes a studio that grew from a small founding group to more than 75 staff while working with additional collaborator studios in the UK and internationally to ship its first commercial release. For a UK developer founded in 2023, reaching a licensed Star Wars title and a public launch date inside three years is an unusually fast climb, and it is a big part of why Game Republic New Horizons wants Webster on stage talking through the mechanics of how it happened.
Inside Star Wars: Galactic Racer, Fuse Games’ Debut Title
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a story-driven racing adventure built around a pilot character named Shade, with a paddock hub area that lets players move between races and interact with the surrounding Star Wars setting, according to reporting from IGN and Eurogamer on the game. It is a track-based racer rather than an open-world game, a design choice the team has pushed back on when asked why they did not simply build a bigger sandbox. Lucasfilm Games is credited as the creative collaborator behind the Star Wars tie-in, while Secret Mode is publishing the title under license.
Webster has talked about the creative spark behind the project in interviews tied to the game’s announcement. “For us, Star Wars has always represented the power of wonder – and racing is one of its most thrilling expressions,” he said in comments carried by PlayDay.one’s coverage of the reveal. In the same announcement push, he described the broader goal for the project: “With Star Wars: Galactic Racer, we wanted to reinvent what a racing game can be: adventurous, spectacular and exhilarating.”
Why a Track-Based Racer and Not an Open World
That design decision is one of the more scrutinized parts of the Star Wars: Galactic Racer pitch, given how many modern racing franchises have moved toward open-world structures. Webster has framed the choice as intentional rather than a budget constraint, telling outlets the team wanted consequence-driven racing instead of a sprawling map players simply drive around. “Racing is crying out for a bit of consequence,” he said in comments reported around the game’s press cycle, a line that points at crash physics, track hazards, and story stakes layered onto otherwise traditional circuit racing.
The Licensing Structure: Lucasfilm Games, Secret Mode, and Fuse
The chain of ownership around Star Wars: Galactic Racer is unusual enough to warrant its own explanation. Fuse Games is the developer and the studio that originated the project. Lucasfilm Games is the Star Wars rights holder and creative partner that worked with Fuse to shape the story and setting. Secret Mode, a publisher that has built a portfolio around backing mid-sized and independent titles, is publishing the game under license from Lucasfilm Games. Electronic Arts, which has held various Star Wars game licenses in the past, is not named as publisher on this title, based on current reporting.
That distinction matters for how the industry reads this deal. A major licensed IP reaching an independent UK studio rather than a publisher the size of EA, Ubisoft, or Disney’s larger first-party partners is the kind of structural shift that other small studios watch closely when deciding whether to pitch for licensed work at all. It is also the detail Webster is most likely to unpack on stage at Game Republic New Horizons, since UK developers in the audience are the exact group weighing whether that path is realistically open to them too.
Why Game Republic New Horizons Matters for UK Indie Studios
Game Republic is a long-running UK games industry trade body, and New Horizons is its conference track aimed at connecting regional studios, investors, and talent. Hosting the event at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough rather than in London or Guildford itself is a deliberate choice to pull the conversation outside the traditional southern England studio corridor, where Fuse Games and many of its peers are based. A CEO talking through a from-scratch licensing deal with Lucasfilm Games is the kind of session organizers use to anchor a program, because it gives attendees something closer to a case study than a panel of generalities.
For context on what else is competing for attention in the UK games calendar this year, the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 nominee list shows just how crowded the back half of 2026 has become for UK-adjacent releases and industry events, with dozens of titles and studios jockeying for coverage in the same roughly eight-week window Fuse now has to work with. The Game Business has separately examined how an independent studio like Fuse secured a license of this size in the first place.
From Burnout to Blasters: The Criterion DNA Behind Galactic Racer
It is hard to separate Star Wars: Galactic Racer from the Criterion Games lineage that built it. Webster’s résumé includes Burnout 3: Takedown and early FIFA Soccer development at EA, while Crimmins’ background includes work on Criterion’s Need for Speed output, according to Traxion’s reporting on the studio. That shared history is the reason Fuse pitched a racing game with a Star Wars skin instead of, say, a shooter or an action-adventure title, and it is also why the studio’s marketing has leaned so heavily on “from the team behind Burnout” framing rather than selling the game purely on the Star Wars license.
GameSpot’s coverage of the game’s design goals captured Webster making a similar point about ambition rather than nostalgia: “Our intention was actually to move the genre forward,” he said, pushing back on the idea that Galactic Racer is simply a Star Wars-branded callback to older arcade racers. Whether that claim holds up against review scrutiny after October 6 will shape how much weight Fuse’s pitch carries when Webster describes the project on stage nine days later.
Market Impact: What a Licensed Star Wars Racer Means Right Now
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is landing in a market where racing games have struggled to break out of a narrow lane dominated by sim-focused franchises and kart-style spinoffs. A licensed Star Wars entry gives the genre a mainstream marketing hook it has not had in years, and it gives Secret Mode a title that can be positioned against both racing fans and the much larger pool of general Star Wars audiences who do not typically buy racing games. That crossover appeal is the commercial logic behind the deal, and it is also the biggest variable in how the game performs: crossover audiences convert inconsistently, and a weak launch would complicate Fuse’s pitch to land a second licensed project.
The studio is also launching into a month already packed with releases. Tech Insider’s rundown of October 2026 game releases counts 15 titles shipping in a two-week span, and GeForce NOW’s own October lineup, detailed in our coverage of the service’s 25-game October slate, shows just how much shelf space racing, action, and horror titles are all competing for in the same window. A new IP-based racer without an established sequel number behind it has to fight harder for visibility in that kind of calendar.
Competitive Landscape: Racing Games Fighting for the Same Attention
Racing games rarely get the marketing budgets that shooters, open-world action titles, or sports franchises command, which is part of why a Star Wars license is such a meaningful lever for a studio the size of Fuse. The genre’s biggest recent commercial stories have mostly come from established franchises iterating on existing engines rather than new IP breaking through. That makes Star Wars: Galactic Racer an outlier worth tracking: it is a brand-new racing IP, from a brand-new studio, carrying one of the most recognizable entertainment licenses in the world, releasing without the benefit of a built-in racing fanbase of its own.
Hardware context matters here too. Tech Insider’s reporting on sim racing GPU price trends shows the enthusiast end of the racing audience has been squeezed by rising GPU costs through 2026, which may push some of that audience toward more accessible arcade-style racers like Galactic Racer rather than hardware-hungry sim titles. For players building out dedicated setups, our guide on building a sim racing rig gives a sense of how differently the sim-racing crowd and the arcade-racing crowd Fuse is chasing actually spend their money.
Historical Context: Star Wars Has Had Racing Games Before
Star Wars racing is not a new concept for the franchise, even if it has been dormant for a long stretch. Webster has pointed to that gap directly, telling Traxion: “We thought, we share a love of racing and Star Wars – why has there not been a Star Wars racing game in so long?” and later adding, when asked why the gap existed, simply: “I don’t know.” LucasArts published Star Wars racing titles built around pod-racing in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and those games remain a reference point fans bring up constantly whenever a new Star Wars vehicle-combat or racing project is announced, even decades later.
That nostalgia cuts both ways for Fuse. It guarantees built-in interest from older Star Wars fans who remember pod racing fondly, but it also sets a high bar for comparison that a debut studio has to clear without the benefit of decades of engine refinement that larger, longer-running studios would have. Eurogamer’s coverage leaned into this directly, describing the team as building on what it called a “PS1 classic” blueprint while trying to modernize the formula rather than simply remaking it.
Expert Voices on Galactic Racer’s Design Direction
Beyond the Game Republic New Horizons announcement itself, Webster has been fairly consistent across interviews about what Fuse is trying to prove with this release. He has framed the studio’s ambitions as bigger than a one-off licensed tie-in, positioning Star Wars: Galactic Racer as a statement about what a small, founder-led UK studio can build when it lands the right partnership. That framing is echoed in how Fuse’s own site describes the project’s three-year development arc, scaling from a founding team to more than 75 staff plus outside collaborator studios to hit its release date.
The repeated emphasis on moving the racing genre forward, rather than leaning purely on the Star Wars brand, suggests Fuse expects reviewers to judge the game on racing mechanics first and license execution second. That is a riskier bet than leaning entirely on IP nostalgia, but it is consistent with a studio built by former Criterion developers who built their careers on mechanically ambitious racing design rather than licensed tie-in work.
What the Studio Is Not Saying Yet
Notably absent from current reporting is a confirmed platform list. Coverage around the announcement referenced “PC and consoles” broadly, but no outlet has published a specific breakdown of which console generations or storefronts will carry the game at launch. Fuse and Secret Mode have also not detailed post-launch content plans, meaning the Game Republic New Horizons session could be the first place Webster addresses what, if anything, comes next for the IP after October 6.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer at a Glance
| Detail | Confirmed Information |
|---|---|
| Developer | Fuse Games (independent, Guildford, UK) |
| Publisher | Secret Mode |
| Creative/License Partner | Lucasfilm Games |
| Release Date | October 6, 2026 |
| Genre | Story-driven, track-based racing adventure |
| Lead Character | Shade |
| Studio Founded | 2023 |
| Studio Headcount | 75+ staff, plus collaborator studios |
| CEO/Founder | Matt Webster (ex-Criterion, ex-EA) |
| Conference Appearance | Game Republic New Horizons, Oct. 15, 2026, Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough |
Timeline: Fuse Games From Founding to Launch
| Milestone | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Fuse Games founded by former Criterion developers, including Matt Webster |
| Reveal | Star Wars: Galactic Racer publicly announced, with Lucasfilm Games and Secret Mode confirmed as partners |
| Growth phase | Studio scales past 75 staff and brings in outside collaborator studios |
| Oct. 6, 2026 | Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches on PC and consoles |
| Oct. 15, 2026 | Matt Webster discusses the game’s development at Game Republic New Horizons |
Predictions: Where Galactic Racer and Fuse Games Go Next
- Review scores will decide Fuse’s next pitch. If Star Wars: Galactic Racer lands solid review coverage out of its October 6 launch, expect Fuse to use the Game Republic New Horizons session to tease a second project rather than simply recap the first.
- Secret Mode leans harder into licensed mid-budget titles. A visible Star Wars release gives the publisher a marquee case study to shop to other rights holders looking for a smaller, more flexible partner than EA or Ubisoft.
- Other UK indie studios will chase licensing deals. Expect more pitches from Guildford-corridor and regional UK studios positioning themselves as “the next Fuse” to major IP holders over the next 12 months.
- Platform details fill in post-launch. With no confirmed platform breakdown yet, expect Fuse or Secret Mode to clarify console-specific details, patches, or timed exclusivity questions shortly after the October 6 release.
- Racing-adjacent hardware coverage spikes briefly. Expect a short-term bump in interest around racing wheels and controller setups tied to the launch, similar to patterns seen around other racing-adjacent releases this year.
Risks and Open Questions Heading Into Launch
The biggest open question is whether a track-based structure, rather than the open-world format that dominates modern racing marketing, will read as a confident design choice or a limitation once reviews land. Webster’s public comments suggest the studio is prepared to defend that decision on stage at Game Republic New Horizons regardless of how it is received, but conference framing and review reception do not always align, and Fuse will have had nine full days of player feedback by the time Webster speaks.
There is also the broader question of what a mixed or soft launch would mean for a studio this young. Unlike an established publisher that can absorb a weak release and move on to the next title in a pipeline, Fuse’s entire public identity right now is tied to this one game. A strong showing at Game Republic New Horizons, paired with solid launch numbers, would do more to validate the studio’s three-year climb than almost any other single event on its calendar this year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Star Wars: Galactic Racer?
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a story-driven, track-based racing game set in the Star Wars universe, developed by independent UK studio Fuse Games and published by Secret Mode under a creative partnership with Lucasfilm Games. It follows a pilot character named Shade and includes a paddock hub area between races.
When does Star Wars: Galactic Racer release?
The game is set to launch on October 6, 2026, on PC and consoles, according to statements from Fuse Games CEO Matt Webster and reporting from Video Games Chronicle.
Who is Matt Webster?
Matt Webster is the co-founder and CEO of Fuse Games. Before founding the studio in 2023, he worked at EA and Criterion on the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises, including an executive-producer role tied to Burnout 3: Takedown.
What is Game Republic New Horizons?
Game Republic New Horizons is a UK games industry conference track, with its main 2026 conference day scheduled for October 15 at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough. Matt Webster is set to discuss the development of Star Wars: Galactic Racer there in conversation with Video Games Chronicle’s Andy Robinson.
Is EA publishing Star Wars: Galactic Racer?
No. Current reporting identifies Secret Mode as the publisher, operating under a license and creative collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Electronic Arts is not named as the publisher of this title.
Is Star Wars: Galactic Racer an open-world game?
No. Fuse Games has built the title as a track-based racing adventure rather than an open-world game, a decision CEO Matt Webster has described as intentional, aimed at giving racing more consequence rather than simply expanding the map size.
How big is Fuse Games?
Fuse Games says it has grown from its original founding group to more than 75 staff, plus additional collaborator studios in the UK and internationally that worked on Star Wars: Galactic Racer, according to the studio’s own retrospective post marking three years since its founding.
Which platforms will Star Wars: Galactic Racer launch on?
Reporting confirms a PC and console release, but no outlet has published a specific breakdown of which console platforms or storefronts will carry the game at launch. That detail may become clearer around or after the October 6 release date.
