Is This a Star Wars Version of “Burnout”!? “Star Wars: Galactic Racer™” Hands-On Report & Developer Interview [TGS 2026]

I stopped by a hands-on demo event for *Star Wars: Galactic Racer™* held at a hotel near the TGS 2026 venue.

The game is being developed by a new studio called “Fuse Games.” The company was formed in 2023 when veteran staff members—who had previously worked at EA’s Criterion Games on the *Burnout* and *Need for Speed* series—branched out on their own.

When I first saw the trailer for this game, my immediate thought was, “Isn’t this basically a Star Wars version of ‘Burnout’…!?”This title promises to be highly anticipated not only by Star Wars fans but also by players who have enjoyed adrenaline-fueled, high-octane racing games like *Burnout*.

So, in this article, I’ll share my impressions after trying out *Star Wars: Galactic Racer™* myself, along with a short interview with one of the developers!

First, when you start Story Mode, a beautiful cutscene plays, after which you can customize your player character. The customization options are limited to the body, helmet, and voice, but since this is, after all, a racing game, this level of customization is probably sufficient.

The game’s Story Mode includes some light adventure-game elements, making it easy to feel like you’re a real racer living in the *Star Wars* universe. Also, while it might be hard to tell from the photos, the graphics are detailed and create a fantastic atmosphere.

When you actually play the racing segments, you’ll be overwhelmed by the sense of immersion. The game is characterized by a tremendous sense of speed—reminiscent of the *Burnout* series—and a thrilling crash system; you have to avoid hitting the walls as much as possible even while driving at breakneck speeds.As a result, I felt that the protagonist’s car is designed to be quite maneuverable right from the start. There’s a set limit on the number of crashes allowed per stage, and exceeding that limit ends the run—creating a constant sense of tension.

I wrote that “the run ends,” but actually, this game employs a route-selection-style roguelike progression similar to *Slay the Spire*. The system, in which you acquire abilities and parts of varying rarities to upgrade your vehicle each time you clear a stage, brings an extremely high level of replayability to a genre that can otherwise tend to be monotonous.This is a rather unusual mechanic for a racing game, isn’t it? At least, I’ve never seen anything like it before.

Of course, the game offers a wealth of modes beyond Story Mode, including “Quick Race,” where you can compete against friends in time trials. There’s also a customization feature that lets you change the appearance of your Speeder, which gave me a bit of that exciting, robot-game-like thrill. Although I wasn’t able to try it during this hands-on session, I’m told a multiplayer mode will be implemented as well.

I had high expectations for this game ever since watching the trailer, but what I realized during this hands-on session was that it’s “many times more fun than I had imagined.” There were moments during gameplay when I couldn’t help but shout out loud, and even the Fuse Games staff watching beside me let out cheers—it’s a highly immersive game that really draws you in.Not only Star Wars fans, but any player seeking excitement and thrills will undoubtedly find themselves captivated by its instinctively engaging fun.

Once the hands-on session was over, it was time for the interview segment.

For this interview, we spoke with Matt Webster (hereinafter referred to as Matt), CEO and Co-Founder of Fuse Games, and

Kieran Crimmins, a game designer.

——Why did Fuse Games end up creating a “Star Wars” game this time? Please tell us how it came about.

Matt: The story is extremely simple. It’s because I love games, and I love “Star Wars.” So I’ve always wanted to make a “Star Wars” game, and I also wanted to push the boundaries of the racing game genre.

——When I actually played it, it was incredibly fast-paced, with an adrenaline-pumping gameplay experience that was a lot of fun. Why did you opt for such an intense game design?

Killian:It’s simply because we love those kinds of games ourselves. Fuse Games was founded to create games we feel should exist in the world. That’s why we’ve taken all the elements we love from the racing games we’ve worked on in the past—the high tension, the consequences of your actions, and the fact that “anyone can easily start playing, but it’s hard to master”—and poured them into this title.

——I think the way the campaign mode progresses is a bit unique, with a roguelike feel to it. Why did you choose this system?

Matt: We felt the racing game genre needed innovation, so we wanted to incorporate elements from other genres. While racing games are a genre that becomes more fun the more you play them, we’ve introduced “meta-progression” (permanent upgrades) to this game’s campaign.

Even when a run ends and you return to the beginning, you don’t lose everything—you carry over your hit points, tuning points, money, and more. As players learn how to handle their vehicles and understand the circuit layout, they’ll be able to start the next run in a stronger position.

——“Star Wars” has a huge, passionate fan base around the world. Is there anything you’re particularly careful about to stay true to that universe?

Matt: We’re working very closely with Lucasfilm. Just three weeks after founding Fuse Games, I flew out to meet with them to pitch our ideas, and we’ve been holding discussions almost every week since then.

This game unfolds a new “Star Wars” story. In addition to new characters, locations, and spacecraft, of course, it also features nostalgic characters and iconic moments that fans love.

——So, does that mean characters famous from the movies and other media will also appear?

Matt: “Glyph Halloran,” who appeared in the animated series *Star Wars: Resistance*, will also make an appearance. In this game, you’ll see him looking younger than he did in the animated series. As you progress through the game, you’ll likely discover various other connections as well.

——Please tell us about the multiplayer mode as well. How does it work?

Killian: Multiplayer is broadly divided into two main modes. One is similar to the campaign mode: you compete in a series of races against other players, upgrading your ship each time to build the best setup for the final race. The other is “Quick Race.” In this mode, you select a character with a fixed build and compete purely against other players to see who can post the fastest lap time on the course.

——Finally, please share a message for the fans in Japan who are eagerly awaiting this game.

Matt: I consider Japan to be the home of arcade racing games. I hope everyone—from fans of arcade racers and Star Wars fans, of course, to those trying a racing game for the first time—will have a great time with this game.

――Thank you very much.

The game is scheduled for release on October 6 for PC (Steam/Epic GamesStore),PS5, andXbox Series X|S.

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