Star Citizen has raised $1 billion, remains in early access after nine years - Engadget

Star Citizen has surpassed $1 billion in funding from more than 6.5 million people. The project began in 2012 with a Kickstarter campaign targeting $500,000, which was exceeded with over $2.1 million, and an additional campaign brought in $4.1 million. In 2014, funding topped $55 million, setting a crowdfunding world record. By early access in 2017, the studio had raised over $170 million. The space combat simulator remains in alpha despite years of development. Cloud Imperium CEO Chris Roberts attributes the project’s progress to patience and support that traditional big publishers or private equity typically cannot provide. Squadron 42 is still scheduled to arrive this year, though no firm release date has been announced.

"Star Citizen has now raked in over $1 billion in funding from more than 6.5 million people. Star Citizen first emerged in 2012 with a Kickstarter campaign that had a relatively modest target of $500,000. Developer Cloud Imperium Games smashed that goal as backers ponied up over $2.1 million (a separate campaign at the time pulled in $4.1 million). The project went on to snag a crowdfunding world record in 2014 after topping $55 million in funding."

"By the time Star Citizen was released in early access in 2017, the studio had raised over $170 million. Nearly nine years later, the space combat sim remains in an alpha state. "It's not something that would be able to be done under a traditional big game publisher funding it, or private equity. They usually wouldn't have the time and the patience, but with what we're doing, people just want to see the biggest, best world possible, and they love the idea of the dream.""

""I fully believe that we've still got a long time, even after we've got what we call 1.0 out, and we're not considering an alpha anymore, that we'll be adding and building on the universe and the world, and it will be a place for people to adventure together and meet up together and have fun together." After several delays, the single-player spin-off Squadron 42 is still scheduled to arrive this year, according to the game's website. Cloud Imperium has not yet announced a firm release date for that game either."

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