Star Citizen Developer Cloud Imperium Games Imposes 7-Day Work Week Ahead of Citizencon - October 2024

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the beleaguered developers at Cloud Imperium Games. The latest mandate to work seven days a week, including weekends, is just another brick in the wall of unrealistic expectations and poor management that has driven talented individuals away from this project.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve been keeping up with the latest updates from Cloud Imperium Games, the masterminds behind Star Citizen. They’ve got their team working round-the-clock, seven days a week, to ensure they deliver top-notch content for Citizencon on October 19th. It’s all hands on deck as we gear up for this exciting event!

Yesterday, an internal memo was sent out to staff, emphasizing the importance of focusing intensely over the next 18 days. The goal is to deliver another exceptional experience to our community by completing version 3.24.2 of Star Citizen and organizing a demo presentation for Squadron 42 Chapter 1.

The email goes on to say, “For the upcoming two weekends, we are requiring additional work hours from everyone involved in delivering projects for Citcon.

All staff are to be in the office on Friday, October 4th and Friday, October 11th (typically a work-at-home day)

All staff are to be in the office on Saturday, October 5th, and Saturday, October 12th (for these days, the company will provide breakfast and lunch, with staff receiving company TOIL (time off in lieu) which can be stored and used for time off at a later date)

All staff are to work on Sunday, October 6th, and Sunday, October 13th (this can be a work-at-home day, but the company “encourages” people to be in the office. For these days and for those in the office, the company will provide breakfast and lunch, with staff receiving company TOIL, which can be stored and used for time off at a later date)

TopMob recognizes that the most recent directive is just one more in a series of excessive demands placed on its developers, stemming from mismanagement, causing some to depart from the organization altogether.

In July 2024, another internal memo addressed to TopMob disclosed that Cloud Imperium Games had granted 12 hours of ‘SQ42 Overtime’ (TOIL) per week for developers to meet Citizencon deadlines. The condition? The TOIL will be accessible only after Squadron 42 is released, and employees must still be working with the company when the game launches; otherwise, they will lose their accrued TOIL.

In simpler terms, the email emphasizes that UK workers should ensure they have at least 11 hours off duty in every 24-hour cycle.

Prior to the release, TopMob reached out to Cloud Imperium Games and they acknowledged receipt, however, declined to provide any comments regarding the issue at hand.

However, 11 minutes after we reached out, another internal email to staff read,

I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to those of you who are planning to work additional hours during the coming fortnight. Your efforts will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the success of Citizencon, as we strive to present our finest work.

As a token of our gratitude, anyone who works alongside us during the upcoming weekends will receive Monday, 21st October off as a paid holiday from the company.

I hope this provides a brief respite for all, following our lengthy CitizenCon weekend. Let’s take some time to unwind before continuing our journey.

As of May 2024, Star Citizen has raised over $700 million in crowdfunding.

Feel free to reach out to me confidentially and privately via this encrypted email address: [email protected], as I delve deeper into addressing the ongoing concerns within Cloud Imperium Games.

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