The moment I laid eyes on the Star Wars: Galactic Racer trailer during The Game Awards 2025, my first thought was a straightforward “heck yes, a new podracing game!” But then a second thought crept in: “hold on, where are all the podracers?” With the rapid-fire chaos of the award show, I completely missed the unmistakable flicker of Sebulba’s infamous podracer engine at first. Even more intriguing, though, is that this Dug seems to be getting the last laugh at Anakin Skywalker’s expense.
To clear up any uncertainty, the older, shaggy Dug featured at the trailer’s conclusion is indeed Sebulba—this was officially confirmed in an interview with StarWars.com. “There’s so much love for Sebulba on the team and across the Star Wars community,” said Matt Webster, co-founder of Galactic Racer developer Fuse Games. “There are specific reasons why he finds his way into our trailer, along with a detail in this shot that might spark even more questions… the answers to which we’ll have to save for another time!”
The Galactic Racer trailer primarily showcases a race set against the sprawling backdrop of Jakku, complete with the skeletal remains of crashed Star Destroyers reminiscent of The Force Awakens. These shipwrecks are remnants from the Battle of Jakku, the pivotal moment marking the Empire’s downfall a year post-Return of the Jedi in the Star Wars timeline.
What’s particularly fascinating is that we see Sebulba long after Darth Vader met his end aboard the second Death Star. Following his dismal defeat to Anakin in the Boonta Eve race from The Phantom Menace, it appears Sebulba has managed to outlast his old adversary. Anakin certainly had his tumultuous fall and redemption arc, but the Dug’s journey as a racetrack villain is a testament to survival—sometimes that’s the greatest triumph of all.
Notably, this isn’t Sebulba’s only brush with gaming fame lately. He popped up in the mixed-reality game Star Wars: Beyond Victory, which premiered earlier this year. However, that game unfolds during the Empire’s peak, so an ominous Anakin was still around, poised to wreak havoc. Who knows—maybe they would have found some common ground back then.
Stay tuned for all the exciting upcoming Star Wars games you should keep on your radar.