Cloud Imperium Games
Eleven years ago, Wing Commander designer Chris Roberts introduced Star Citizen, an online multiplayer game that promised to revolutionize the PC gaming industry. Roberts, dissatisfied with the isolated development process of his previous hit Freelancer, sought to engage fans and shorten development time by utilizing a ready-made engine instead of building his own.
Since then, Star Citizen has captivated its audience, raising over $616 million from 4.8 million backers, or “Star Citizens.” However, the game’s release has been delayed multiple times.
Finally, after 11 years and numerous setbacks, the single-player campaign Squadron 42 has reached the “feature complete” stage and entered the polishing phase. This announcement was made by Chris Roberts in a video released during the annual CitizenCon event for backers. The video showcased gameplay footage and provided insights into the game’s development.
The single-player campaign Squadron 42 in Star Citizen is now “feature-complete.”
Richard Tyrer, senior game director for Squadron 42, emphasized the team’s focus on creating an immersive experience, particularly in terms of cockpit and ship flight mechanics and ship AI. The development team has been divided into smaller groups, each responsible for a specific area. The video also highlighted the star-studded cast of the game, including Mark Hamill, Gillian Anderson, Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, and more.
However, the eagerly awaited release date or window for the game remains undisclosed. Roberts assured fans that once a release date is confirmed, they will be the first to know.
Looking back at the history of Star Citizen‘s development feels like its own single-player campaign. In 2014, the game’s early-access build, Arena Commander, was released after raising nearly $50 million in crowdfunding. Ars’ Lee Hutchinson visited Roberts Space Industries, the Austin, Texas-based studio behind the ambitious MMO-style game, to get an inside look at the development process. It’s important to note that Squadron 42 is a standalone game and serves as an introduction to the larger Star Citizen universe.
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Ships! Doing things! In Squadron 42.
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One of many player character appearances in Squadron 42.
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I was hoping the teaser trailer would have more star-dates in it, so I could make some obvious jokes about Easter egg release dates.
The developers, recognizing the value of player feedback,
