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Star Citizen & Squadron 42: A Deep Dive into the Aspiring Space Simulation
Table of Contents
An ongoing exploration of the most ambitious crowdfunding project in gaming history, and its highly anticipated single-player component.
Last Updated: August 27, 2025, 08:12:58 AM PST
What is Star Citizen?
Star Citizen is an in-development massively multiplayer online space trading and combat simulator developed and published by Cloud Imperium Games (CIG).Founded by Chris Roberts, known for the Wing Commander series, the project aims to create a living, breathing universe with unprecedented levels of detail and player freedom. Its notable for its pioneering use of crowdfunding and its exceptionally long development cycle.
Alongside the persistent universe (PU) of Star Citizen, CIG is also developing Squadron 42, a single-player, story-driven adventure featuring a star-studded cast. Both projects are interconnected, sharing the same core technology and assets.
The Crowdfunding Phenomenon
Star Citizen’s crowdfunding campaign, launched in 2012, has become a landmark event in video game history. Initially starting on Kickstarter,the project quickly surpassed its funding goal and transitioned to its own dedicated website,Roberts Space Industries (robertsspaceindustries.com).
As of August 27, 2025, Star Citizen has raised over $675 million from over 2.3 million backers, making it the highest-funded video game project of all time. Funding comes from ship sales, in-game item purchases, and direct contributions. This unique funding model allows CIG to operate independently of traditional publishers, but also places notable pressure on the development team to deliver on its promises.
