Star Citizen surpasses US$ 800 million in fundraising, even surrounded by controversies

If you have been following the gaming universe for some time, you already know that Star Citizen is synonymous with endless ambition — and controversy as well. But even with mass layoffs, no release date, and a flood of criticism about its long journey in alpha stage, the project by Cloud Imperium Games has just broken another historic record: it has surpassed $800 million raised through crowdfunding.

Yes, you read that right. The most expensive project in the history of video games continues to receive generous injections of capital from fans. And most impressively: this continues even after almost 12 years of development, with the game still without a release date. The most recent fundraising number was recorded at the end of March 2025, further solidifying Star Citizen as the game with the largest crowdfunding in the entertainment industry.

The never-ending saga of Star Citizen: eternal alpha, but continuous hype

Originally announced in 2012, Star Citizen promised to be the ultimate space simulator: ship combat, interplanetary exploration, dynamic economy, and massive multiplayer interaction in a persistent universe. In theory, it would be a perfect fusion of games like Elite Dangerous, EVE Online, and elements of Mass Effect. In practice, the game is still stuck in a cycle of alpha updates and incomplete modules.

Meanwhile, its "more focused sibling," the Squadron 42 spin-off, was initially promised for 2016 and remains delayed — now with a new vague forecast for 2026. Still, the promise of a cinematic campaign starring Mark Hamill, Gillian Anderson, and Gary Oldman remains one of Cloud Imperium Games' strengths in keeping interest alive.

"We are working hard to deliver an experience that redefines the sci-fi genre in games. But we want to do it right," said the team during the latest edition of CitizenCon, the community's annual event.

Criticism, layoffs, and an uncertain future

It's impossible to ignore that behind-the-scenes at the studio are anything but calm. In 2024, Cloud Imperium Games underwent an internal restructuring that involved layoffs in offices in Europe and North America, as well as reports of excessive working hours and lack of transparency in the development schedule management.

Nevertheless, the fan base remains active, and fundraising continues to rise month after month. In just 2023, the project raised over $117 million, and in just three months of 2024, it has already accumulated another $24 million.

Heading towards a billion? What to expect from the future

With the promise of a reimagined CitizenCon in 2025, the arrival of new playable modules, and the release (finally?) of Squadron 42, it is perfectly plausible to imagine that Star Citizen could surpass the symbolic barrier of $1 billion in funding later this year.

For comparison, this amount would surpass budgets of major film productions like Avengers: Endgame ($356 million) and Avatar: The Way of Water ($460 million). And all this without the final product even having a public beta version.

Conclusion: unwavering faith or collective delusion?

Star Citizen remains one of the boldest — and most controversial — experiments in the history of video games. For some, it is a sci-fi utopia worth every penny invested. For others, it is an endless promise sustained by skillful marketing and inflated expectations.

But the fact is: $800 million has already been voluntarily given by players. And that alone guarantees this game an eternal place in industry history — whether as a crowdfunding triumph or as a case study on managing megalomaniac projects.

Meanwhile, we keep waiting. And investing.