Star Wars: Galactic Racer Earns an 88 Metacritic Score, Surpassing Every Battlefront Game and The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is already making an unexpected mark on the franchise before its October 6, 2026 release. The racing game has reportedly reached an 88 Metacritic score from early critic reviews, putting it above every Star Wars: Battlefront title and several major films in the franchise.

The score makes Galactic Racer particularly notable because Star Wars has historically been better known for action and role-playing games than dedicated racing titles. Developed by Fuse Games and published by Secret Mode, the game draws on the experience of developers who previously worked on franchises including Burnout and Need for Speed.

Galactic Racer Outpaces Every Battlefront Game

Galactic Racer had an 88 Metacritic score based on 54 critic reviews at the time of its report. The score places it above the original Star Wars: Battlefront, which sits at 80, and Battlefront II from 2005, which has an 83. The 2015 Battlefront scored 73, while its 2017 sequel sits at 68.

The game also sits above Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which currently has an 85 Metacritic score. However, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remains significantly higher at 94, keeping the classic RPG among the franchise’s most acclaimed games.

Metacritic’s currently indexed platform pages can change as additional reviews are added, so the reported 88 should be treated as an early score rather than a permanent ranking.

The comparison becomes even more surprising when the game is placed alongside the Star Wars films. A New Hope remains ahead with a 90 Metacritic score, but The Empire Strikes Back has an 82, while Return of the Jedi sits at 58.

Galactic Racer combines high-speed arcade racing with roguelike progression, branching race routes and vehicle customization. Players take control of Shade and compete across the Galactic League, with the game featuring locations and elements inspired by the wider Star Wars universe.

The strong early reception is notable for a game that is scheduled to launch on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on October 6, 2026.