GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

Big Star Citizen Update Launches Soon

A new planet to explore and more.

49 Comments

Star Citizen's been trudging along since it debuted on Kickstarter in 2012. Initially seeking $500,000, Cloud Imperium Games' space-sim closed its Kickstarter campaign after accruing a little more than $2.1 million in November 2012. Some years later, the studio's first game has exceeded well over $200 million--and the numbers keep going up. Now it's announced the game's biggest update should blast off this weekend.

Titled Alpha 3.5, the update includes a new city-planet, overhauled flight models, and additional character creator options. The new planet is called ArcCorp, a planet with two moons that's "almost entirely covered in man-made structures." Players will be able to visit the Area18 landing zone where you'll find an NPC quest-giver who will dish out new missions.

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
00:00:00
Sorry, but you can't access this content!
Please enter your date of birth to view this video

By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Now Playing: Most Anticipated Games Coming In 2019 Montage

Alpha 3.5 takes gravity into consideration, as it's factored into planetary flight. Further, the update adds a new map called Star Marine for the squad FPS mini-game, new guns for pilots and ships, some new vehicles, and additional performance balancing and improvements.

In addition to overhauled flight mechanics and a new planet to explore, Cloud Imperium implemented a new character generator. Now, players will pick two parents when creating a new character--think the character creators from Rockstar's GTA Online. Women will also (finally!) be playable, getting added to the character creator along with a variety of parents to pick from. Returning pilots can pick a new look and/or gender thanks to this update.

Star Citizen is available now on PC to those who backed the project. Alpha 3.5, similarly, will be available to all backers.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Join the conversation
There are 49 comments about this story
49 Comments  RefreshSorted By 
GameSpot has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to toxic conduct in comments. Any abusive, racist, sexist, threatening, bullying, vulgar, and otherwise objectionable behavior will result in moderation and/or account termination. Please keep your discussion civil.

Avatar image for AyatollaofRnR
AyatollaofRnR

789

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By AyatollaofRnR

The Star Citizen Ponzi esque scheme is still going I see.

Still no Squadron 42, still not 1 single complete star system of the 100 that are meant to be in the complete game.

2 • 
Avatar image for bongaconga
bongaconga

432

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 5

I can’t wait to play this game in 2037!!!

3 • 
Avatar image for kweeni
kweeni

11413

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 10

User Lists: 0

You could run a salt company with this comment section. Just name drop "Star Citizen" once and you'll be good for a year.

4 • 
Avatar image for NaturallyEvil
NaturallyEvil

559

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

I think that the haters might be getting "scammers" and "schemers" confused.

An example of a "scam" would be if they never intended to deliver the game you paid for. From what I've seen, the general consensus among actual players seems to be that the current build is either already fun, or at least shows good potential. So it's not a scam.

On the other hand, if they do something strange and off-putting like peddling plots of "land" in an online game for thousands of real dollars, that feels like a "scheme".

3 • 
Avatar image for dahmc
dahmc

31

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Don't you need to have a game before you have an update?

3 • 
Avatar image for Bamda
Bamda

912

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 15

User Lists: 0

@dahmc: If you can play a demo of a game then you have a game, so yes they can have an update.

2 • 
Avatar image for doremonhg9x
doremonhg9x

444

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

LOL they revamped the flight model. Once again.

I hope I can see this game released before I turn 40...

Upvote • 
Avatar image for GarGx1
GarGx1

10934

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 0

@doremonhg9x: They'll likely tweak it again and again. It's what happens when people make games from scratch.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for cesarveio
cesarveio

30

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

I'm so tired of waiting, I married, have kids, work a lot and now even if the game come out I probably will not have time or mood to play it. So just have throw my money in the trash. I even get a stupid Id card. We just needed an new wing commander or a new privateer.

2 • 
Avatar image for Smosh150
Smosh150

3050

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

Edited By Smosh150

@cesarveio: So play Squadron 42 instead when it does release, right? I mean I get the feeling (Not 100% of course due to my circumstances) with the lack of time and the drained feeling after work.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bongaconga
bongaconga

432

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 5

@Smosh150: Squadron42 should be released anytime in 2028.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for GarGx1
GarGx1

10934

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 0

For those who care to know, Star Citizen is already out, if you're a backer you can play right now. It will never have a traditional release, as in "it's all done come and play it on X date", it's just going to continue to grow with quarterly patches for the entire life span of the game be that 5, 10 or 20 years. The absolute closest it will come to a release is when they patch in full persistence, right now they wipe progression with each patch.

Squadron 42 (cinematic single player game) will have a traditional release. This will be an expansive 50 hour or so game with branching story lines. Things like how you interact with other crew members and mission results will determine how the game plays out. Even failing a mission (providing you didn't die) will not result in a "game over" screen, it'll just change the flow of the story. This part is due to go in to Beta Q2 2020 with a release likely Q3 or Q4. Personally I can see it releasing October 10th 2020 to coincide with the original announcement in October 10th 2012.

There are roadmaps to show what stage and what's coming on the RSI website

Star Citizen road map

Squadron 42 road map

2 • 
Avatar image for bongaconga
bongaconga

432

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 5

Edited By bongaconga

@GarGx1: If what you say is true then why does CGI wait in providing its clients the still missing physical and digital items? Many backers have package bundles and nothing was received.

Also, the game remains a bug infestation. We are now in A3.5 and still the same bugs from the initial Alpha release. Things are off here, sorry to say. And everything they made so far is extremely tiny and at this pace you will never see what CR promised if what you say is right. I mean, at this point in terms of planet interaction it isn’t even on par with 1 planet in Mass Effect Andromeda, and CGI has way more time, 15x bigger budget and like 5x the workforce.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for GarGx1
GarGx1

10934

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 0

@bongaconga: What ever you say Bub. but it's clear that you haven't played it. You're welcome to come back for an actual discussion when you have some personal experience though,

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bongaconga
bongaconga

432

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 5

@GarGx1: don’t be a tool. I played it and backed it already in 2014. Don’t assume crap about others. All of what I said is the truth, don’t be a blind fanboy and accept critics.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for R34Vegeta
R34Vegeta

457

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@GarGx1: Clicked on the article with this EXACT question in mind. Thanks for the info.

2 • 
Avatar image for GarGx1
GarGx1

10934

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 0

@R34Vegeta: You're welcome. Btw Squadron 42 will be a trilogy, no idea what the time scale between "episodes" will be though.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bouchart
bouchart

108

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

This scam is still going?

6 • 
Avatar image for ccgod
ccgod

7915

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

Edited By ccgod

@bouchart: hows it a scam?

3 • 
Avatar image for cakemania
cakemania

260

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@ccgod: I consider it a scam if the developers keep spreading lies about the true state of the development and giving unreal date releases to get sales.

I remember the Kickstarter release date being 2014. Then they promised to release the first episode of Squadron42 in Fall 2015. Then "Answer the Call 2016". Then we had the so called "Jesus Patch" - 3.0 - the patch that was supposed to release by the end of 2016, would have so many features and would be as polished as an actual game release. Well, we all saw how that went: release one year later, most of the features were cut out and it was a buggy mess.

By that time, the refund wall started, because obviously consumers don't have the right to feel cheated on by the lies and false promises of the developers and have their money out this 'project'. They clearly don't understand game development. And CIG did not even have the decency to outright refuse the refunds. They simply postpone the request indefinitely until the person gives up. "Waiting for the refund specialist to review the request". Sure... Oh, the midnight train. Now they are going with quarterly realeases. Of course every release most of the big features supposed to be delivered are postponed to a later update.

But anyway, SQ42 beta is supposed to come by Q2 2020. We will see how well that goes. That shouldn't be a problem, since they "played through all the missions in 2015". In case that doesn't prove true, worry not; Chris Roberts 'absolves himself of that".

Upvote • 
Avatar image for ccgod
ccgod

7915

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@cakemania: They've already come out and apologized for the release date fiascos. Which is why they don't promise dates anymore even the senior devs said Chris was really overzealous at times. It seems like they've put him in check in recent years. Had they been able to use everything they outsourced the game probably would have released then but they had to scrap everything they outsourced because of it being hot garbage. It was at that same time Crytek went under (for the most part) and CIG hired up the bulk of their employees and brought everything in-house. I'm disappointed too in how long it's taking but this game doesn't have standard dev times and other things because we know how long it's been in development which is why it seems so long. They stopped offering refunds a long time ago because they don't have the structure to issue refunds like other companies do. That money is already long spent and everyone who pledged money knew what they were doing. 3.0 was an amazing patch and did what it needed to and fixed a lot of the optimization issues. Now they're running on a 64x game engine I'm sure they had to go back and fix a lot of stuff or add what they couldn't before. This was never meant to be a green lite steam game. It's just a bunch of test modules until the game is done and then it'll have a normal release like any other game. Only thing I'm mad about is they didn't release the hour-long demo for everyone to play that would have gone a long way in showing how far they've come.

Making the Alien Worlds and ships isn't an easy task either considering the smallest capital ship takes like 14min to walk around and the largest alien capital ship is over a mile long and about 700 feet tall. They had to go back and add monorails to other capital ships because they just took too long to traverse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMoxa5aKIvs

These ships are bigger than any single object in most games and have no load screens.

2 • 
Avatar image for lonesamurai00
lonesamurai00

1599

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By lonesamurai00

@ccgod: He can't tell you, because doesn't know. Everyone who says the game is a scam has either never experienced the game and is just joining in with others who have said the same old thing for years, or there are those who have some personal story of why they feel the devs let them down personally, now feel betrayed, so they want to bash the game instead.

3 • 
Avatar image for jako998
Jako998

1237

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 35

User Lists: 5

When will this game be at full release already? Holy scrap this is crazy to me.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for ccgod
ccgod

7915

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@jako998: Single player is supposed to be out next year with the MMO to follow probably 2021. It's only crazy because we knew about it Red Dead 2 had about the same development length.

3 • 
Avatar image for jyml8582
jyml8582

1709

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Roberts Space Industries. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new versions. To seek out new ships and new microtransactions. To boldly go to the length of unrelease where no one has gone before!

7 • 
Avatar image for Smosh150
Smosh150

3050

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@jyml8582: I don't agree with those saying it is a scam, but I applaud your creativity.

2 • 
Avatar image for pongman1975
Pongman1975

178

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Cant wait to retire and sit in my wheelchair to play this when it comes out! I hope the nursing home has good internet speeds.

12 • 
Avatar image for ccgod
ccgod

7915

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@pongman1975: Take it you're close to retirement?

2 • 
Avatar image for pongman1975
Pongman1975

178

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

@ccgod: I wish lol. I have about 22 years left.

2 • 
Avatar image for ccgod
ccgod

7915

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@pongman1975: Lol well single player game is due out 2020 so not that much longer.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for millionsedge
Millionsedge

829

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Millionsedge

I literally bought a new graphics card in 2012 to handle the load of this game. By the time it comes out I will need a newer one still.

3 • 
Avatar image for Smosh150
Smosh150

3050

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@millionsedge: Just curious, why would you buy a new graphics card for a game that was recently announced? You would have received the same graphics card for a cheaper price even for the original planned release (Which was two years later).

Upvote • 
Avatar image for millionsedge
Millionsedge

829

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@Smosh150: I wanted to play the demo and my previous GPU was too slow.

My point was, this is taking so long my current card will be outdated when it comes out.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for Smosh150
Smosh150

3050

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@millionsedge: Gotcha, even so the Hangar came out much later. I definitely can't say what the requirements are for it when it does release, but that is how unreleased PC games go. You buy based on what you know rather than what you expect (Especially early access/alpha/beta games). Not trying to come off as an ass, but that is something all PC gamers should know.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for millionsedge
Millionsedge

829

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@Smosh150: the simple fact was: I wanted an upgrade and the game was my catalyst. I never dreamed it wouldn't be out yet.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for DraconisRex
DraconisRex

163

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 0

They're still making that? Huh.

6 • 
Avatar image for darkelf83
darkelf83

1044

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 14

User Lists: 0

Another year, another Star Citizen Alpha update. Maybe the 2020's will bring beta updates?

3 • 
Avatar image for ccgod
ccgod

7915

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@darkelf83: It's suppose to

2 • 
Avatar image for hordicus
hordicus

447

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

i could have been a "victim" of chris roberts having played every flight simulation and having finish all these games but one: privateer 2.

but having been burned by elite, i did pass my turn, fool me once, shame on you... everybody knows what come next.

hope i live long enough to see it released, i played it through a free week end on a pretty serious rig, the game was such a buggy mess i decided to avoid this poor excuse for a space sim.

5 • 
Avatar image for UltimateBastard
UltimateBastard

1300

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

@hordicus: There's an old saying in Tennessee.... I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee...... that says, fool me once, shame on..... shame on you. Fool me....... you can't get fooled again.

I think that's how the saying goes.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for ccgod
ccgod

7915

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

@hordicus: well free weeks are super loaded servers so not really the best time to play to judge it when did you play it?

2 • 
Avatar image for hordicus
hordicus

447

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@ccgod: i'm not sure i was'nt a server stress test but to be clear, no offense intended.

i love space sims and i'll be more than happy to be wrong, just hope the game hold his rather high promises.

may the gods of gaming avoid us a no man sky full of micro transactions, time will tell, mate ^^.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for GarGx1
GarGx1

10934

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 0

@hordicus: If you're a space sim fan you should definitely try it periodically when they drop the free weekends, it gets better and better with every patch

This page gives live telemetry of performance players are getting.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for hordicus
hordicus

447

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@GarGx1: since i have plenty of time to spend because some "life accident", i'll give it a try having a slightly better graphic card.

as i said in my first post, i'm a big chris robert's fan, i still play the first privateer (one of my 10 all time favorite game)

REPENT HEATHEN FELL RIGHTEOUS FIRE and i played a lot since pong and space invaders and wing commander

prophecy.but anybody knows major release delays seldom turn good but if somedy can do it, it's chris robert so i cross

all my remaining fingers ^^.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for GarGx1
GarGx1

10934

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 0

@hordicus: Sounds like you're as old as I am :)

Upvote • 
Avatar image for ccgod
ccgod

7915

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

Edited By ccgod

@hordicus: Lol I know it used to play bad but they had a massive optimization patch a few months ago so pending on when you did your free flight it might have been before that. I like space sims as well but kind of sucks they're not incorporating a traditional MMO experience as well like leveling and character skills.

2 • 
Avatar image for hordicus
hordicus

447

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@ccgod: that's my biggest regret too, i used to dream of flying over planets, dogfighting over them and landing to get

a fps part with objectives.

happened lot of times since ^^.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for hordicus
hordicus

447

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@ccgod: it's ok next free week end, i'll give it a try ^^.

Upvote •