Fuse Games CEO breaks down codev framework for Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Star Wars: Galactic Racer has achieved over 18,000 concurrent Steam users and maintains a "mostly positive" rating, with CEO Matt Webster describing sales as "healthy." The game’s rapid success has drawn attention from developers seeking to replicate its production approach. Webster outlined a distributed development model that divided work among a core studio, co-development partners, external developers, and outsourcing partners. This structure allowed Fuse Games to scale production while maintaining creative oversight across multiple teams.

Webster emphasized the importance of building relationships with outsourcing partners, despite their transactional interactions. He noted that treating these collaborations as purely transactional can undermine results, advocating for long-term partnerships to improve asset quality. The model relies on clear briefs, defined deliverables, and cross-disciplinary coordination to integrate outsourced work seamlessly. This approach contrasts with more rigid outsourcing frameworks common in the industry.

Co-developers function as an extension of Fuse Games’ core team, participating in daily stand-ups and Slack communications. These partners operate as part of the main development team, blurring the line between internal and external contributors. Webster’s framework distinguishes co-development from external development, addressing industry ambiguity in categorizing collaborative labor. The model highlights how studios can leverage external talent without sacrificing creative cohesion.

The distributed model raises questions about crediting labor in large-scale productions like Galactic Racer, which credits over 1,100 roles. Webster’s transparency underscores the challenges of recognizing leadership while fairly acknowledging the contributions of hundreds of developers. The framework offers a blueprint for studios aiming to balance scalability with creative control in modern game development.