‘This Isn’t Podracing’ Star Wars: Galactic Racer looks great, but it’s missing what made podracing so iconic

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The Game Awards 2025 featured several exciting announcements, but two Star Wars reveals really stood out. The show began with Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, which many fans considered the best moment of the night. It’s a sequel to a hugely popular Star Wars game, and it’s being developed by the original director of KOTOR. Another highly anticipated reveal was Star Wars: Galactic Racer.

Developed by a new studio called Fuse Games – formed by veterans from the teams behind Need for Speed and Burnout – Star Wars: Galactic Racer puts players in the role of racers climbing the ranks of The Galactic League. This new racing tournament is financed by the galaxy’s most powerful criminal organizations following the fall of the Empire. Although we haven’t seen any gameplay yet, Star Wars: Galactic Racer feels like the long-awaited spiritual successor to Star Wars Episode 1: Racer. However, one key feature of the 1999 original is notably absent: podracing.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer Is Missing a Core Piece of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer’s Identity

Image via Aspyr

Star Wars’ Podracers Have Become Icons In Their Own Right

Man, when Star Wars: The Phantom Menace came out in 1999, people were so divided. Everyone had opinions, and not always good ones. A lot of the complaints were about the story focusing on trade and, let’s be real, Jar Jar Binks. But even the podracing, which looked amazing for the time with those special effects, got some flak. People thought it was cool to look at, but it didn’t really add much to the movie and went on for way too long.

You know, like a lot of people who grew up with The Phantom Menace, I’ve really come to appreciate the podracing sequence. It’s a big nostalgia trip! And it’s funny, even the random characters in the background of that podracing scene have become fan favorites over the years – just like in all the Star Wars movies, really.

I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m a huge fan of Sebulba, Ben Quadinaros, and Ratts Tyerell! It’s crazy how much popularity those guys have gotten since 1999, mostly thanks to memes. But honestly, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is what really got me to love those lesser-known Star Wars characters. And the game getting a new port in 2020 by Aspyr was a great way to remind everyone about them – they’re just so memorable!

For many fans, the most memorable part of the Podrace isn’t the racers themselves, but the unique Podracers they fly. While Sebulba is well-known, his Podracer’s powerful engines and distinctive sound are even more recognizable. This is true for most of the Podracers in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace – each one has a different look and color scheme, making them stand out from all the other famous vehicles in the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer Could Suffer From a Lack of Distinct Vehicles

Honestly, I’m a little disappointed with what I’ve seen of the new Star Wars: Galactic Racer game. From the trailer and screenshots Fuse Games has shown, it looks like they’ve ditched the iconic Podracers! They’re being replaced with these things called “repulsorcraft” that try to look like they’re from Star Wars, but they just don’t have that same awesome, unique look the Podracers did. It’s missing a big part of what made the original so cool.

As a big Star Wars fan, I was really excited to see some familiar speeders in the trailer for Star Wars: Galactic Racer! I spotted the M-68 and A-A4B landspeeders from Solo: A Star Wars Story, plus a tricked-out speeder bike and a newer version of Luke’s landspeeder. They definitely fit the Star Wars universe, but honestly, they feel a little…plain. A lot of the vehicles have the same dull colors and similar shapes. It’s not quite giving me the same bright, exciting feel as the original Star Wars Episode 1: Racer did – hopefully they’ll add more unique designs as the game develops!

The trailer for Star Wars: Galactic Racer hinted that the older version of Sebulba might appear in the game, possibly as a character you can play. The game could also feature more Podracers overall, adding greater variety to the vehicles you can race.

Why Star Wars: Galactic Racer’s Lack of Podracers Could Be a Good Thing

While the characters in Star Wars: Galactic Racer might not look very different from each other, the game makes up for it with diverse gameplay. By featuring a variety of repulsorcraft, the game allows each vehicle to feel truly unique – not just with small stat changes, but with significant differences in handling and how they interact with the race track. This seems to be intentional, as the game’s description highlights that each craft has “distinct physics and playstyles.”

The game Star Wars: Galactic Racer might offer a lot of visual excitement through its vehicle customization options. While details are limited, the game’s description suggests players will be able to personalize their crafts to both express their style and improve performance, allowing for unique designs. Hopefully, this customization, combined with the game’s special features, will allow the repulsorcrafts in Star Wars: Galactic Racer to live up to the high standard set by the podracers in The Phantom Menace.

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2025-12-17 21:05