Star Citizen Developer Hit With More Layoffs

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Key Takeaways

  • Cloud Imperium Games reportedly lays off staff amid Star Citizen‘s ongoing development.
  • The layoffs reportedly impact about 1% of the company’s workforce, following mandated seven-day work weeks.
  • No full release date for the game has been announced.

As a long-time fan who has been eagerly awaiting the release of Star Citizen for over a decade, I must admit that the recent news about layoffs at Cloud Imperium Games is disheartening. Having followed the game’s development closely and having invested my own hard-earned money into it through crowdfunding, I can’t help but feel a sense of frustration.

It’s been reported that Cloud Imperium Games, the team responsible for the ongoing space trading and combat game known as Star Citizen, has let go of some of its employees. This move occurs during the annual showcase of Star Citizen’s spaceships, the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, a period where it seems the staff at Cloud Imperium were putting in seven-day workweeks straight up to the event.

As a passionate gamer, I’ve been eagerly following the development of this space simulator known as Star Citizen for over a decade now. Incredibly, it has managed to rally an astounding $700 million in funding, making it the most expensive game ever produced—a record that speaks volumes about its potential. However, despite the lengthy production timeline and massive investment, the game remains in early-access alpha, offering a limited scope of content and unfortunately, not yet supporting persistent character stats within Star Citizen.

According to Insider Gaming’s reports, it appears that some workers have been let go recently, but the exact scale of these layoffs is not yet clear. One source from Insider Gaming estimated that approximately 12 employees, which accounts for around 1% of the company’s workforce, have been affected. Although this number seems small, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the studio has undergone layoffs; their previous round of job cuts lasted for several weeks, as was the case with the developers of Star Citizen.

More Layoffs but No Timeline for Full Release

The latest report suggests that this decision won’t provide any financial aid to the affected employees, and it follows closely on the heels of a demanding stretch requiring seven-day workweeks, culminating in the IAE event. The IAE is just one example among many such in-game events in Star Citizen, designed to introduce new ships within the game and offer potential players a brief complimentary playtime. At present, there’s no official word from the company regarding the extent of these layoffs or the reasons behind them.

After dismissing approximately 100 employees in early 2024 due to allegations of cultivating a harmful work environment, and without specifying a launch date for the complete game version, Cloud Imperium Games continues to accumulate substantial funds. The company’s financial records indicate that development expenses have exceeded $100 million per year over the past few years. Whether such spending can persist without a published title is yet to be determined.

Despite the lack of a definitive timeline for its complete launch, progress in the development of Star Citizen continues, as evidenced by the introduction of a new star system and additional content planned for the upcoming update. Yet, it’s worth noting that the grand space simulation game initially promised to backers remains distant, leading some skeptics to question if the final version will ever be released.

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2024-11-30 02:36