Developers of Star Citizen are transforming a game mode into an independent title.
Developers of Star Citizen are transforming a game mode into an independent title.
Over the past decade, Star Citizen and Squadron 42 have faced significant challenges in development. Despite raising nearly $400 million, they haven’t finished a single star system and seem to be struggling financially. The original strategy was to launch Squadron 42, release it, and fund Star Citizen from sales. However, progress has stalled, leaving CIG with doubts about its future. Recently, it emerged that CIG obtained Nvidia Gameworks licenses for Star Citizen, Squadron 42, and a new title called Theaters of War. This shift hints at their intentions, suggesting ToW might be treated as a separate product rather than an extension of Star Citizen.
Star Citizen currently offers three game modes: the Persistent Universe (MMO-like), Arena Commander, and Star Marine. None have independent licenses, indicating CIG is clearly positioning ToW as a distinct offering. It remains unclear whether ToW will be released as a standalone console title, though this seems unlikely given its current state. Originally announced three years ago, ToW was meant to be a testing ground for FPS, ground vehicles, and ships in a fast-paced environment. CIG described it as a side project by a small team, but now it appears to be a standalone effort with support from Firesprite Studios.
For players unfamiliar with Star Citizen, the game is still in early alpha, with many features unfinished and mechanics subpar. The FPS experience is notably poor, with outdated elements like shields, EMP grenades, and broken glass. In 2014, CIG partnered with Ilfonic to develop the FPS side of Star Citizen, which was criticized for its awkward dialogue and lackluster presentation. Despite improvements, the game hasn’t evolved significantly in recent years.
CIG’s leadership, including Chris Roberts, has a history of micromanagement and project mismanagement. It’s unclear whether they will continue with ToW as a standalone title or abandon it entirely. The situation raises concerns about CIG’s ability to deliver quality gameplay, especially when compared to competitors like Battlefield. The outcome of this development remains uncertain, but the lack of transparency and promises suggests a high risk for players.
The main points are broken promises, the game being divided, important content being taken out, and funds being misused. All done to create more incomplete projects. I’d have preferred going for thief with my AMD code on a R9 270 instead of sticking with the original start citizen version :p.
I truly don’t understand. They began with roughly $13 million from Kickstarter, earning around 2-3 thousand dollars each year, and now they’re receiving significantly more than before. It’s hard to wrap my head around the poor handling of the funds. Since they require even more money because selling digital spaces for hundreds of dollars isn’t sustainable in the long run—despite the game’s creators intending that—I can’t imagine any plausible explanation for this situation. GTA 5 had a budget near 265 million, Cyberpunk 2077 around 300 million, and The Old Republic managed to launch a fully voiced MMO for about 230 million. It’s perplexing. Surely you could sell that ship on the grey market; it’s uncommon, yet people collect items like that for some reason. Could bring in a few hundred dollars at most.
Most of what happens comes from the CEO, who is very detail-oriented and perfectionistic, leading to excessive time spent. The project ends up being a tightly controlled process with no clear direction or long-term goals. Adding more revenue often means pushing for additional features, keeping the work stuck in early development stages.
It was essentially how I understood their growth over the past few years.