Star Citizen

Star Citizen is a multiplayer, space trading and combat simulation video game under development by Cloud Imperium Games for Windows. An extended retry of unrealized plans for Freelancer (2003), Star Citizen is led by director Chris Roberts. The game was announced in 2012 and was followed by a Kickstarter campaign which drew over US$2 million. After more than a decade in development, no projected date for the end of early access in Star Citizen has been announced. In 2013, Cloud Imperium Games began releasing parts of the game, known as "modules", to provide players with the opportunity to experience gameplay features prior to release. The "Persistent Universe" module was made available for testing to pre-purchasers in 2015 with Star Citizen released in early access in 2017. It continues to receive updates. Star Citizen has garnered criticism during its long production process, both for the lack of a clear date for the end of early access and for the challenges backers have faced in getting a refund after abandoning the project. The launch of the game was originally anticipated for 2014, but has been repeatedly delayed. After the initial Kickstarter ended, Cloud Imperium Games continued to raise funds through the sale of ships and other in-game content. Star Citizen monetization models have led to further criticism and legal issues for the project. It is one of the highest-funded crowdfunding projects. As of May 2026, combined crowdfunding and early access sales had passed US$1 billion, making Star Citizen one of the most expensive video games to develop and among the most expensive single pieces of entertainment produced.