Former Need For Speed Developers Form New Studio Called Fuse Games

Former Criterion developers who worked on Need for Speed Unbound together have formed a new AAA game studio, Fuse Games, based in Guildford, UK. Former Electronic Arts VP and Criterion Games General Manager Matt Webster leads it.

Fuse Games has 17 members so far, including Webster leading as the studio's General Manager and Steve Uphill as Head of Content. Pete Lake is the Head of Production, Alan McDairmant is the Head of Operations, and Andrei Shires is the Head of Technology.

The studio is currently working on a AAA title with "blockbuster spectacle" and "player-centric innovations in social gameplay, self-expression, and creativity."

“Fuse's founding team and I love games and we love making them, and we're driven to look at what’s next for us and for this wonderful industry,” explained Webster in a statement. “It takes a great team to make great games, so at Fuse, we’re striving to inspire and lead the next generation of game developers and game industry leaders."

He continued, "With the founding team’s experience, we truly understand the value of building teams, and we will work to lead, grow, develop, and fuse our people together with a clear vision that is guided by our shared values.”

The crew at Fuse Games have previously worked on franchises such as Star Wars: Battlefront, Burnout, and Need for Speed, including 2022's Need for Speed Unbound. In GameSpot's Need for Speed Unbound review, we said, "Need for Speed Unbound delights with a vibrant new art style and some exciting arcade racing, but familiar issues are as frustrating as an inopportune oil slick."