Star Citizen is the crowdfunding project that continues to grow bigger each year. The project has hit a new funding milestone but could also potentially face struggles, including layoffs.
According to Insider Gaming, right on the heels of CitizenCon, developer Cloud Imperium Games has laid off staff. That news comes from a former developer who, on X, said the studio “is letting a lot of staff go over the last two days with zero compensation right after working them to the bone without even much as a thanks.” The developer also says a formal announcement could be coming soon.
There’s currently no indication on the size or severity of these layoffs, and it could take a while before we know. The studio had layoffs earlier this year as well, laying off a “small number” of positions back in February 2024, as part of a relocation plan.
More recently, back in October, Insider Gaming also reported that Cloud Imperium had required a “7-day work week” ahead of Citizencon. This was a temporary requirement, but apparently for the two weeks leading up to the event, staff had to be in-office with an internal email saying the company needs to “double down over the next 18 days to make sure that once again we create an amazing experience for our community,” while also stating “This means for the next two weekends we will be mandating extra time for all those working on deliverables for Citcon.”
All of this comes as the Star Citizen’s crowdfunding continues to break records, now surpassing a whopping $750 million, according to the funding page, which states “As a crowd funded project, money pledged goes directly to the game’s development.”
It’s been nearly twelve years since Star Citizen’s crowdfunding started, and while the game’s Alpha state has grown and changed, there’s still no release of a 1.0 version in sight. At the same time, Cloud Imperium announced a star-studded (including the likes of Gillian Anderson) single-player campaign Squadron 42, which also has no release date. Squadron 42 was officially announced in 2012, with trailers and details stretched out across the last decade.
You can see more about Star Citizen at its official website.
