Nestled in a sea of massive heavy-hitters set to release in 2026 from Grand Theft Auto 6 to 007 First Light is a brand-new Star Wars title. But not just any Star Wars title, a racing title that immediately evokes memories of Star Wars Episode I: Racer and Star Wars Racer Revenge, two offshoot titles during the heyday of Star Wars video games that are among the most nostalgic.
Originally revealed at The Game Awards, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is exactly what its name implies, featuring some fan-favorite deep-cut characters like Sebulba and Ben Quadinaros.
During this week’s PlayStation State of Play presentation, a gameplay trailer was revealed, and if your mind immediately went to thinking of Burnout and the older Need for Speed games, then you’re not alone because the near-two-minute-long trailer was heavy on the slow-motion destruction vibes.
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As it turns out, Galactic Racer’s developer, Fuse Games, and publisher, Secret Mode, have every intention of invoking those feelings by servicing a “niche” in the racing genre that hasn’t been filled in some time.
“The reason niche is interesting is because there’s not a lot of competition,” chief publishing officer James Schall said in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. “There are so many games being released every hour of every day across so many different platforms that it’s very difficult to get noticed. You can spend a huge amount of money and still not sell any games.”
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And yes, Galactic Racer fits into that category, because despite the mainstream name of Star Wars, the type of game isn’t something you come across very frequently, at least not like it used to be.
Per the interview, Schall and his team examined data and came to the conclusion that, while many people were playing racers, there weren’t an extreme number of options to choose from.
“And that’s because, in the past, we had these behemoths of Forza, of Gran Turismo,” Schall said. “But actually, those audiences were voracious for new experiences. Just because someone plays Forza doesn’t mean they’re never going to touch another racing game.”
That Galactic Racers has the Star Wars name is really just a cherry on top. Avid racing fans will remember that the last true Burnout title we received was Paradise in 2008, and despite some ports to modern hardware, the franchise has been effectively put on ice.
Elsewhere, Need for Speed, another pioneer in the genre, is also on the ice block, as Criterion has been shifted to a Battlefield studio, meaning another game in the franchise seems doubtful for now.
- Released
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2026
- Developer(s)
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Fuse Games
- Publisher(s)
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Secret Mode
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
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Full
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