Yes, we’re still stuck in the alpha phase. How long have we been waiting for Star Citizen anyway?
Star Citizen has a problem. It’s not just that it’s been in development for over a decade or that there’s still no concrete release date despite having raised nearly $1 billion in funding. The problem is that the alpha version of Cloud Imperium Games’ (CIG) space simulator has markets flooded with goods of dubious origin. Unscrupulous players exploit various bugs to mass-clone valuable items, allowing them to make quick money, buy expensive ships, and flood the market with counterfeit goods. Many players consider this not only unsportsmanlike but also disruptive to the game’s economy.
This issue had been brewing for some time, but it finally came to a head ahead of the release of Star Citizen’s latest update. With Update 4.8, CIG committed to a partial server reset, restoring players’ bank balances, in-game resources, and vehicles purchased with in-game currency. However, this did not affect ships acquired through trading on Wikeló. This led to widespread complaints that players who had spent money derived from items acquired on Wikeló were exempt from the reset.
4.8 Wipe Update – everything except Blueprints will be gone
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On Tuesday, CIG responded to the controversy surrounding the upcoming data wipe for version 4.8, stating that it had been monitoring the situation. The studio has since performed a full reset of the Star Citizen universe, deleting everything except players’ blueprints and items and vehicles purchased with real money. CIG stated that the patch includes additional security measures aimed at reducing abuse and duplication issues. However, CIG did not specify what those measures are. Notably, CIG did not explicitly mention features targeting abuse. Meanwhile, players continue to report instances of duplication. CIG did not claim that the update would eliminate abuse entirely and stated that further improvements are expected.
Alpha 4.8 introduces a new endgame Tactical Strike Group mission designed for large, organized player groups. In this mission, players must attack a fortified asteroid from space and on foot. The update also introduces flight suits that affect G-force tolerance, improves the game’s refueling missions, and adds several new infantry weapons.
This is a significant update, though completing version 1.0 of the game is still far off and may not be released until 2028. The release of the single-player component, Squadron 42, is still scheduled for this year, though CIG cast doubt on that prospect last September.
Source: PCGamer, CIG, Star Citizen Wiki
