Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) might be close to the finish line, as Star Citizen has been in development for thirteen years…

At the beginning of 2025, CIG CEO Chris Roberts once again said what we’ve heard many times before, that they are closer than ever to Star Citizen finally reaching version 1.0. Of course, Roberts didn’t go into details. Star Citizen and its single-player component, Squadron 42, have now reached an almost unbelievable milestone: CIG has raised more than $802 million for the games since their first crowdfunding campaign in 2012. That’s a staggering amount for a game that has yet to be released in its entirety.

Star Citizen started out as a purely crowdfunded project. Then, for years, CIG funded the game through microtransactions (paid alpha access here, subscriptions and merchandise there, and incredibly expensive spaceships here). Still, CIG continues to view every purchase as a pledge to make Star Citizen a reality. Some people support Roberts’ idea with gleaming eyes, others just laugh at those who throw away a lot of money on in-game spaceships…

Star Citizen has been earning more than $100 million every year since 2022, and there are no signs of that changing (or slowing down). Version 4.0 of CIG’s alpha game was released in December, and among other things, it introduced server meshing, which allows players to travel seamlessly between different areas. In contrast, the alpha, which began nearly a decade ago, is far from complete in terms of features. CIG promises that the finished Star Citizen will include a full campaign, player bases, an EVE-style player-driven economy, and various crafting systems.

Now we seriously have to ask ourselves, will Grand Theft Auto V AND Grand Theft Auto VI actually be released while we wait for Star Citizen?

Source: PCGamer