$900 million Raised. 12 Years in Development. So Why Isn’t Star Citizen Done Yet?

No matter what happens next, Star Citizen will likely be seen as a landmark achievement in gaming. The game was first envisioned by Chris Roberts, the creator of Wing Commander, and has been in development since 2012. It began with a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise $2 million, but was so successful that the website handling donations repeatedly crashed. This led to a simultaneous Kickstarter campaign. Since then, Star Citizen has raised over $900 million, making it the highest-funded game ever through crowdfunding.

The amount of money raised for Star Citizen keeps growing, even though the game isn’t finished. Cloud Imperium Games hasn’t announced a release date yet, despite earning a lot of money during its long early access phase. This makes Star Citizen a significant project, not just in the world of crowdfunding, but in gaming overall. It’s been in development longer than many famously troubled games like Duke Nukem Forever and Beyond Good and Evil 2. However, unlike those games, Star Citizen is actually playable and has a dedicated community of players. So, what’s causing the delay?

Why Star Citizen Has Taken So Long in Development

Star Citizen’s Ambition Continues to Swell

Okay, so basically, Star Citizen is a huge space MMO where you can pretty much live out any life you want. They’re aiming for a full-on galactic simulator – you can be a trader hauling cargo, a space pirate, a miner, or whatever else you can think of. What’s cool is each job has its own way to level up and improve, and it’s all pretty open-ended. The developers, Cloud Imperium Games, call the main, always-online part of the game the Persistent Universe. They want that to be the foundation for more focused, story-driven missions and gameplay later on.

The game features consistently high-quality graphics and technology, making Star Citizen feel incredibly realistic. For example, each body part has its own health, and getting injured in a specific area results in a lasting injury that requires a doctor’s attention within the game. While this level of detail is common in single-player games like Fallout 3, it’s rare for online multiplayer games, making it a standout feature that adds a lot of depth to the experience.

However, some of the detailed features planned for Star Citizen have drawn criticism, with some people accusing the developers of adding too much and losing focus. Two examples that have become well-known are a system that tracks players’ facial expressions and uses them on their in-game characters, and a detailed update focused on how non-player characters interact with bedsheets. The developers, Cloud Imperium Games, maintain these aren’t unnecessary additions, but rather contribute to the game’s goal of being a highly realistic and immersive experience. Regardless, the constant addition of new features is making the game’s development expensive and taking a very long time.

Squadron 42

Especially noteworthy is Squadron 42, a narrative-focused game set within the Star Citizen universe. Initially planned as a short, introductory experience to teach players the basics of the larger, ongoing online world, it has since become a full-fledged game with its own dedicated development team, Foundry 42, led by Erin Roberts – brother of Chris Roberts. Squadron 42 also boasts an impressive cast of well-known actors, including:

Gary Oldman
Gillian Anderson
Mark Strong
Henry Cavill
Ben Mendelsohn

Originally planned to come out in 2014, the game Squadron 42 has faced many delays. It’s now expected to launch in 2026 – twelve years after its initial target. Even this new date is uncertain, as Star Citizen‘s Jared Huckaby admitted in September 2025 that they might not be able to meet it.

As a long-time fan, I have to say Squadron 42 feels like it’s become a prime example of scope getting totally out of control. What started as a smaller project has grown into something that feels like a big-budget Hollywood movie – and it’s taken years and a ton of resources. Honestly, it’s starting to make me worry about the main Star Citizen game. If Cloud Imperium Games is struggling this much to finish a single-player campaign, how on earth will they ever launch the massively multiplayer online version, which is so much bigger and more complicated?

Why Star Citizen Doesn’t Follow a Typical Production Pipeline

The development of Star Citizen has continued successfully because it’s generating income, even though the full game isn’t officially released yet. Players can purchase ships and other in-game items through the ‘Pledge Store,’ which is a digital shop that funds the game’s ongoing development. This system is often criticized because it’s essentially selling items in a game that’s still under construction, and the prices can be very high – some packages cost over $1,150.

As a backer, it’s kinda wild to think about how Star Citizen is funded. It’s not just us players chipping in through crowdfunding – there are private investors like Calder Family Office and Snoot Entertainment throwing money at it too (and that $900 million figure doesn’t include their investments!). Some of them are even reinvesting, which says a lot about their belief in the game. So, with over 6 million of us backing it and these firms providing continuous funding, why rush the 1.0 release? It feels like they can take all the time they need, which is both exciting and… a little frustrating, honestly.

Chris Roberts has defended the ongoing development by saying that Squadron 42 will be finished when it reaches his standards, and he refuses to rush a game he’s so passionate about. However, not everyone agrees with this optimistic view, and some have even accused Star Citizen of being a fraudulent project.

What to Expect From Star Citizen’s Release

It’s no longer surprising that Star Citizen doesn’t have a confirmed release date. While Squadron 42 is currently aiming for a 2026 release, the main Star Citizen MMO, version 1.0, still doesn’t have one. Fans are guessing it might launch in 2027, but it’s hard to say for sure at this point.

Is Star Citizen Worth Your Time?

Now that Star Citizen is playable in early access, many gamers are wondering if it’s worth getting involved. To start playing, you need to buy a Game Package, with the least expensive option, the $45 Citizen Starter Pack, including the Mustang Alpha ship, some in-game money, and a digital download.

Once you start playing, you’ll find there’s a lot to experience. The game features a huge, varied universe with many different planets and systems to explore. You can choose a career, buy vehicles, battle enemies, and even build relationships with different groups through trading and transport. Over time, the developers have consistently added detailed missions, areas for both player-versus-player and player-versus-environment combat, and other exciting challenges.

Okay, so Star Citizen is honestly mind-blowing in terms of scale and what it can do, but let’s be real – if you buy in now, you’re mostly buying into the potential of what it will be. There’s a ton of stuff to do, but it’s all kind of… freeform. I mean, it’s all about making your own fun or playing with what other players create. It’s missing those core things that really make a game, you know? Like a proper story, a sense of progression, actual quests… that stuff. But if you just want a ridiculously detailed and beautiful space sandbox to mess around in, it’s pretty awesome. Just don’t expect a finished game anytime soon – you’re gonna be waiting a while.

2025-12-18 14:15