Star Citizen has hit a rough patch with its players over monetization. Cloud Imperium Games (CIG), with its crowdfunding reaching past more that $800M backed by a community of more than 5.6M supporters, made a business decision in mid-May 2025 that sparked immediate pushback from its loyal customers.
The company introduced “Flight Blades” – ship components that let players adjust their vessels’ speed and maneuverability. The issue? These items were only available for real money purchases, priced between $9.60 to $42, with no option to earn them through gameplay.
“This is an actual joke, there is 0 reason why these should not be in game,” wrote user Lolman345_ on CIG’s forums. SaltEMike expressed strong disapproval, describing it as the company’s most embarrassing action to date.
The reaction came from an unexpected quarter – CIG’s usual spending-friendly players. User TagariusKhan, who planned to buy a $45 Greycat MTC vehicle, stated: “I was gonna buy the MTC. I don’t feel good about it now.”
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CIG’s response came through Community Director Tyler Witkin: “We’re pushing 11 patches this year instead of 4. We’re crushing more bugs than ever, building more exciting content, moving faster than ever to make the Persistent Universe a better experience for everyone, and in moving that fast, we missed a step.”
The company revealed plans to make the Flight Blades purchasable with in-game currency by next month, while ensuring that upcoming smaller component releases would be accessible through both real-money and in-game purchasing options from day one.
Players remained skeptical. “The root issue here is that you continue to sell more and more items in the game that have a wider impact on what a player would do day to day,” SaltEMike wrote in response.
Liana argued that components should be completely removed from the store, expressing the community’s frustration with real-money sales of any kind.
Business Context:
- The crowdfunded project has amassed financial backing exceeding $816M from its supporter base
- The game remains in development after 13 years
- Revenue streams include alpha access, subscriptions, merchandise, and virtual ships costing hundreds of dollars
- Squadron 42, the single-player version, aims for a 2026 release
This event raises questions about balancing development funding with player satisfaction in long-term crowdfunded projects. CIG’s quick reversal shows the power of consumer feedback, but the underlying tension between monetization and gameplay remains unresolved.