Star Citizen has been in development for over 12 years. The game has raised $790 million so far. However, recent reports suggest that the funds are drying up.
Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) is the studio behind Star Citizen. On October 1st, CIG employees were told they must work every day until October 19th. This included weekends.
They were required to work at least 8 hours per day. Staff raised concerns about the legality of this mandate. CIG then changed it.
Employees would get Sundays off if they worked 56 hours from Monday to Saturday. Many felt this change was still controversial. CIG has spent $637 million on development as of 2022.
The studio has been averaging over $106 million per year from 2020 to 2022. At this rate, the $790 million raised is close to running out. The financial strain is being felt by employees.
CIG quietly laid off 100-150 staff members earlier this year.
Overtime mandate amid financial strain
Wage increases have been frozen.
Some employees are struggling to make ends meet. Development issues are also plaguing the game. CIG uses a heavily modified version of CryEngine called Star Engine.
Staff describe it as difficult to work with. It has caused years of delays. Chris Roberts, the head of CIG, is known for being a perfectionist.
His constant changes in vision and scope have become a major burden. Previously completed work often gets scrapped. Many experienced developers have left CIG in recent years.
They are being replaced with younger, cheaper developers. Some were hired simply because they were fans of the game. It remains to be seen how CIG will continue developing Star Citizen as funds dwindle.
The company is actively seeking more funding. They even gave a presentation to Microsoft in hopes of securing investment for Squadron 42, the single-player spin-off. Whether Star Citizen will eventually release is a topic of much speculation and concern.
The game’s development is a long and complex saga that highlights the challenges of large-scale game development.
