Star Citizen surpasses $1 billion in crowdfunding

Roberts Space Industries and Cloud Imperium Games have announced that their PC space game Star Citizen has now raised more than $1 billion through crowdfunding since the campaign launched in 2012. Public funding has now reached $1.007 billion from more than 6.5 million backers.

Current development status

Star Citizen is currently playable, but it is still in early access after around 10 years of development. Chris Roberts, founder of Roberts Space Industries, has said the team is in the "final stages" of Star Citizen's development. Roberts stressed that it is "coming together very well" and that it feels "epic" to be so close to the release of version 1.0.

Squadron 42 and expected releases

The standalone single-player game Squadron 42, which features several well-known actors including Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill, and Gillian Anderson, is targeting a 2026 release. Star Citizen's 1.0 version is expected to follow after that. Roberts has a great deal of confidence in the long development process, comparing it to the way James Cameron made the Avatar films.

Business model and controversies

Star Citizen has also seen its share of controversies over the years. One backer filed a complaint with his state's attorney general over the slow pace of development and demanded a refund. The project was also involved in a lawsuit with Crytek over the use of CryEngine. Today, Star Citizen generates revenue by selling ships, including the recently announced $5,000 Anvil Odin, which is currently not playable and will be available later.

Sales and subscriptions

In Star Citizen's ship store, prices vary widely, and there are also several upgrade and subscription options available, with monthly fees of $10 and $20. Access to Star Citizen itself also costs $45.