After over a decade of development, Star Citizen has officially launched Alpha 4.0. The space simulation game, developed by Cloud Imperium Games, has been in the making since its crowdfunding campaign began 12 years ago.
Chris Roberts, the chief developer, admitted that the process took much longer than expected.
Star Citizen has become one of the most controversial projects in gaming, raising over $767 million. Critics have questioned its progress, and some even called it a scam.
The game’s virtual ships, some costing hundreds of dollars, have drawn criticism as well.
Alpha 4.0 introduces a full wipe and reset of all player accounts. Everyone will start fresh with new account hangars and 20,000 aUEC (Alpha United Earth Credits).
The update includes the Pyro system, the second star system in the game, and the first jump point linking the Stanton and Pyro systems. It also features a major economy overhaul.
Despite the progress, Star Citizen still doesn’t have a set release date for its 1.0 launch, which will mark the game’s commercial release.
Roberts previously teased that Squadron 42, a single-player story game within the Star Citizen universe, is set for a 2026 release, 14 years after the crowdfunding campaign started.
The game will feature 30-40 hours of gameplay and star actors like Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill, and Gary Oldman.
