Star Wars: Galactic Racer is out today (Oct. 6), bringing a runs-based take on arcade racing to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Amazon Luna.

Developed by Fuse Games and published by Secret Mode in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, Galactic Racer is the debut release from a studio founded by racing game veterans whose individual credits include the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises.

The launch hasn’t gone entirely smoothly on every platform, however. Fuse Games says it is aware of an issue preventing players from purchasing Galactic Racer on PS5 and is working with PlayStation to resolve it “as a matter of urgency.”

Star Wars: Galactic Racer Begins the Galactic League

Galactic Racer is set during the early years of the New Republic, following the fall of the Empire. Darius Pax has established the Galactic League, an underground racing circuit designed to create a new golden age of competition across the galaxy. Players take control of Shade, a lone racer pursuing glory and revenge while climbing through the League.

Rather than using a traditional linear campaign, Star Wars: Galactic Racer follows a roguelike runs-based structure. Players choose routes and events, earn upgrades and gradually improve their vehicle while trying to survive long enough to reach more difficult races.

In a post on the Fuse Games site, co-founder and CEO Matt Webster said: “Three and a half years ago, Fuse Games was a handful of people, a pitch, and no shipped game to our name. We walked into Lucasfilm Games with nothing but an idea and conviction that it was time for a new Star Wars racing game, and that it should be something that pushes the genre forward.”

“This small team focused on giving meaningful, creative choices that matter to our players and bringing consequence back to racing aligned to our design vision of bringing a runs-based structure to racing – a combination that feels like a perfect match.”

Landspeeders, Speeder Bikes and Podracers

Galactic Racer features several repulsorcraft classes with distinct handling styles. Landspeeders emphasize aggressive racing, takedowns and smooth cornering, while speeder bikes favor hard braking and rapid acceleration. Skim speeders reward momentum and precise racing lines, including a Knife Edge ability designed for navigating narrow gaps. Podracers are considerably faster and compete separately because of their higher speeds.

Tracks span both familiar and new Star Wars locations. Players can race through Jakku’s Graveyard of Giants among crashed Star Destroyers and AT-ATs, maintain momentum across the frozen terrain of Ando Prime or navigate the hazardous environment of Sentinel I.

Familiar Star Wars racers also appear, including Sebulba from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Galactic Racer also marks the second Star Wars game to release this year that incorporates famous characters, as Star Wars Zero Company includes a bunch of references to the movies.

Campaign, Arcade, Scenarios and Amazon Luna

Alongside the campaign, Galactic Racer includes Arcade and Scenarios modes. Arcade offers shorter challenges built around particular vehicles, tracks or objectives, while Scenarios provide longer events with different rules and characters.

Competitive multiplayer is also available, with standard races supporting multiple vehicle classes while podracing remains separate because of its higher speeds. Multiplayer Tours carry the runs-based structure into PvP, allowing players to upgrade vehicles across several rounds.

Amazon Luna players can also join from launch day. Prime members can access the single-player campaign at no additional cost without downloading the game or owning a console version.

“We’ve always believed Luna players deserve to be in the action from day one,” said Amazon Head of Gaming Jeff Gattis, adding that Prime members “already have it at no additional cost.”

Fuse Games Is Already Planning Updates

Fuse Games has already outlined some of its post-launch plans: the studio intends to increase the maximum multiplayer party size from three players to six during the first few weeks after release.

Players have also been asking for private and custom races. Fuse hasn’t formally announced either feature yet, but says it is listening to community feedback while considering how multiplayer should expand.

“Launch is really the beginning for us,” the studio said. “We have ideas for how Galactic Racer can grow, but how the community actually plays – and what matters most – will help inform where we take it next.”

The Last Word

Star Wars: Galactic Racer gives Fuse Games its first release while putting a different spin on Star Wars racing through its runs-based structure. The combination of branching campaign progression, multiple vehicle classes, multiplayer Tours and familiar locations gives it more than a straightforward podracing revival.

Its PS5 purchasing issue is an unfortunate launch-day complication, but Fuse is already working with PlayStation on a fix while preparing larger multiplayer parties and considering private and custom races. With Amazon Luna joining PC, PS5 and Xbox at launch, the Galactic League is officially underway.