Look out, Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders, shots are being fired from a galaxy far, far away. Announced at The Game Awards, Star Wars Galactic Racer is continuing in the grand tradition of Star Wars Episode I: Racer, which let players partake in podracing. Galactic Empire expands the types of vehicles you can race, with the teaser trailer showing off some pretty intense racing moments.
In the trailer above, you can see podracers, landspeeders, speeder bikes, and more, all rocketing through the desert as fast as they possibly can for one reason only, according to the narrator: “The galaxy needs racing!” And, thankfully, each of those vehicles will have its own physics and playstyle, according to a press release.
Per a synopsis of the game, Galactic Racer is a “runs-based, high-stakes reinvention of racing born in the lawless Outer Rim of the Star Wars galaxy.” Set after the fall of the Empire, the game is plucking an obscure name from Star Wars canon in the form of The Galactic League. In the game, The Galactic League is an “unsanctioned racing circuit born in the lawless Outer Rim.”
The game will include a story-driven campaign featuring an original story, as well as plenty of multiplayer modes, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to race your friends.
In the campaign story, you play a new character named Shade, “a lone racer with a dream of glory and revenge.” The mode will see Shade come up against a “ruthless rival” in Kester, as the two compete in races — along with several others — across the Star Wars galaxy.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is being developed by Fuse Games, the studio made up of former Criterion devs, who left the Need for Speed studio in 2022.
“For us, Star Wars has always represented the power of wonder – and racing is one of its most thrilling expressions,” Matt Webster, Fuse Games CEO, said in a statement. “With Star Wars: Galactic Racer, we wanted to reinvent what a racing game can be: adventurous, spectacular, and exhilarating. We want every race to feel alive with dynamic risk-reward choices, and every victory to feel incredible.”
Don’t expect Force powers, lightsabers, or endless Jedi texts you have to search through with this game. Star Wars: Galactic Racer seemingly knows exactly what it’s supposed to be. Now, hopefully the finished product is as good as the trailer looks.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer will release in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
