Cloud Imperium Games has been working on its ambitious sci-fi project, Star Citizen, for over a decade. The game still doesn’t have a definitive launch date, but this hasn’t hindered the excitement surrounding it. The funding effort for this universe of multiplayer space exploration recently reached staggering new heights.
The game made its debut in 2012 with a massive Kickstarter campaign that raised $39,680,576, setting records straight out of the gate. Fast-forward nearly 13 years, and players are still eagerly pouring money into an early access alpha that has yet to meet its original target launch year of 2014.
Star Citizen edges closer to the $1 billion milestone
As of April 9th, Star Citizen‘s crowdfunding total has officially crossed the remarkable threshold of $800 million, thanks to contributions from over 5.5 million players. This impressive figure closely follows its milestone of $700 million achieved in May 2024.
This achievement solidifies Star Citizen’s position as one of the most expensive video games ever developed without traditional publisher backing.
Amazingly, even with these record-breaking numbers under its belt, there’s still no set release date for fans to mark on their calendars. While players can access the paid alpha version now, there’s been no indication of when we might see a finished product that reflects the grand vision Chris Roberts and his team initially laid out.
The only segment currently hinting at a release is Squadron 42—a single-player spin-off featuring illustrious talents like Mark Hamill and Gillian Anderson. A glimpse at gameplay was provided during CitizenCon 2024, when developers suggested aiming for a launch in 2026.
