Star Wars: Galactic Racer, the first Star Wars racing game in over two decades, is aiming to revive the sci-fi racing genre with a blend of land speeders, speeder bikes, skim speeders, and podracers. Following a hands-on preview and an interview with creative director Kieran Crimmins, the game is poised to deliver the high-speed fantasy that fans have craved since the days of the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast.
A Return to Podracing Glory
The game, developed by Fuse Games – a studio of ex-Burnout and Need For Speed veterans – was previewed on PlayStation 5, with versions also planned for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It releases on 6th October 2026, published by Secret Mode, and is rated 16. The title combines multiple vehicle types, but podracers are segregated into their own modes due to their extreme speed and fragility, as Crimmins explained: 'Podracers are the pinnacle of racing in Star Wars. They’re like our F1 cars. They’re incredibly fast, they’re incredibly delicate, so they have this intense kinetic energy when they crash.'
The sense of speed is immense, reminiscent of F-Zero, with players barrelling around corners, thumping opponents into walls, and squeezing through shortcuts. Crashes are spectacular, with the camera swinging dramatically in slow motion when you cause another racer’s demise, and the same pageantry applies to your own mistakes, alleviating frustration with slick theatrics.
Mechanics and Campaign Depth
The core racing revolves around managing two boost mechanics: basic turbo thrusters and the ramjet, which is designed to batter opponents into walls. Both are tied to cooldown meters, with the ramjet risking overheating if used excessively. Tracks are littered with acid pools, lava pits, and claustrophobic caves, demanding careful management of these thrusters at ferocious speeds.
The single-player campaign is a story-driven mode with roguelike elements, structured like Star Fox, where players complete stages across a branching grid of pathways, buy upgrades, and conquer the Galactic League. Stages include standard races, eliminator races, and field tests – minigames that require using the ramjet a set number of times over three laps, which was the highlight of the preview. Crimmins noted, 'We wanted to add consequence, we wanted to add depth, and we wanted to add agency. We wanted to make every upgrade, every corner, and every race feel meaningful.'
Multiplayer Tour mode supports up to 12 players online, with a gambling metagame where you can bet on your placement to earn credits for upgrades, and assign yourself a rival. The tour culminates in a Championship race with fully customised rides.
Canon and Post-War Inspiration
The game is set after the Battle of Yavin, between that and where The Mandalorian starts, five years after Return Of The Jedi. The Empire has fallen, and the Galactic Racing League is a post-war celebration of speed. Crimmins explained that the setting draws on real-life post-World War II drag racing, which George Lucas referenced when creating podracers. The story is canon, with close collaboration with Lucasfilm's storytelling team to ensure authenticity.
Sebulba, a fan-favourite podracer from The Phantom Menace, is confirmed to be in the game, and Crimmins said, 'He’s probably one of the iconic faces of racing within the Star Wars universe. So when we’re looking to make a story, you’re like, OK this guy is an incredible character, this kind of underhanded racer who is also incredibly talented, and may possibly be around in this timeline. [Lucasfilm] confirmed that he was, so he has to be in the game.'
Crash Physics and Studio Future
The weighty crashes, a hallmark of Burnout, are achieved through a combination of camera tricks, physics hacks, and predictive technology, making every crash feel filmic and dynamic. Crimmins described it as 'a system that’s able to do all that kind of stuff in a split second and capture something that feels incredibly filmic and weighty and cool, but it’s also completely dynamic.'
Fuse Games, while not genre-specific, has a strong heritage in racing games and a passion for 'great game feel and vehicle physical experiences.' Crimmins hinted they will likely make more racing games in the future, given their love for the genre.
With its blend of intense racing, deep customisation, and a canon story, Star Wars: Galactic Racer looks set to be a triumphant comeback for sci-fi racers, offering a compelling alternative to the dormant F-Zero and WipEout franchises. The game launches on 6th October 2026.
