Star Citizen is a massively multiplayer space game in which you fly, trade, mine, salvage, fight and explore a persistent universe, in first person, from cockpit to planet surface. It has been in development since 2012, playable in early access since 2017, and has raised more than US$1 billion. Beginner’s guide Last verified: October 17, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this article.
Official video: What is Star Citizen? (Star Citizen on YouTube). In this article What kind of game is Star Citizen?Star Citizen combines a space flight simulator, a first-person shooter and a massively multiplayer online game. Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) develops it and Roberts Space Industries (RSI) publishes it, for Windows. Director Chris Roberts describes it as a revival of the unrealized plans for his 2003 game Freelancer. In RSI’s own words: “Play your way — fly, trade, mine, salvage, fight, race, and explore your way through an immersive multiplayer sci-fi experience like none other.” The game was announced in 2012, and its Kickstarter raised more than US$2 million. CIG then kept funding development by selling ships and game packages. Combined crowdfunding and early-access sales passed US$1 billion in May 2026, making it one of the most expensive video games ever developed. The original release target was 2014, and the game has been delayed repeatedly since. The Persistent UniverseThe Persistent Universe (PU) is the main open-world, massively multiplayer mode. Players can travel to and explore the surfaces of more than a dozen planets and moons, seamlessly, from space to ground. You spawn at a space station or a city and choose your own path: trading, bounty hunting, mining, salvage or missions. Recent patches have taken players to the Stanton, Pyro and Nyx star systems.
Ships, credits and insuranceShips and vehicles are spawned at landing zones through ASOP terminals. You can buy ships with real money from RSI or earn them in game with credits at in-game kiosks, and rentals are available for a few days up to a month. A destroyed ship needs an insurance claim and a wait before it is replaced. During the alpha, the in-game currency is aUEC (Alpha United Earth Credits), a temporary currency that can be reset during development and at release. In Alpha 4.10.2, RSI’s patch notes say Long Term Persistence was preserved and starting aUEC is 20,000. Tip for new pilots You do not need to buy expensive ships to enjoy Star Citizen. Every ship can be earned in game, and an organization lets you crew bigger ships owned by other members. Other modesArena Commander is an in-fiction combat simulator for ship and on-foot fights against players or AI, including cooperative wave-survival modes. The former Star Marine FPS module was merged into Arena Commander in 2016. Star Citizen vs. Squadron 42
See our Squadron 42 release tracker for details. Where the game stands in 20262026 brought a faster patch cadence: Alpha 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 Tactical Strike, 4.9, 4.10 Siege of Orison and now 4.10.2. Server meshing has made large multi-shard play real, and RUIN has fielded fleets of dozens of capital ships. Bugs and weak group tools remain, though, and a public livestream in August 2026 made them hard to ignore. Our analysis, Star Citizen in 2026, covers both sides along with the full patch timeline. How to start playing
Organizations and RUINOUSOrganizations (orgs) are Star Citizen’s guilds, registered on the RSI website. RUIN Gaming’s org is RUINOUS. We run fleet operations, multi-crew ships and org events. In June 2025, at the request of RSI and CIG, RUIN mustered 15 Idris and 15 Polaris capital ships over the moon Daymar (Fleet Week). RUIN Gaming Fly with RUINOUS New pilots are welcome. We’ll get you crewed, trained and into the fight. Related on RUIN Nation
Frequently asked questionsWhat is Star Citizen?Star Citizen is an online space trading and combat game developed by Cloud Imperium Games and published by Roberts Space Industries for Windows. It is led by Chris Roberts, the director of Wing Commander and Freelancer, and has been playable in early access since December 2017. Is Star Citizen free to play?No. You need a game package from Roberts Space Industries. There is no permanent free trial, but RSI holds periodic Free Fly events where anyone can play for a limited time. Is Star Citizen finished?No. It is still in alpha. The current patch is Alpha 4.10.2, live since October 9, 2026, and progress such as aUEC can be reset during development. What is the difference between Star Citizen and Squadron 42?Star Citizen is the multiplayer persistent universe. Squadron 42 is a separate single-player campaign set in the same universe, in which you play a UEE Navy recruit. Its Steam page lists Q2 2027. How much money has Star Citizen raised?Combined crowdfunding and early-access sales passed US$1 billion in May 2026. Do I need an organization to play Star Citizen?No, but much of the game’s best content, including multi-crew ships, fleet operations and large battles, is built for groups. Organizations such as RUIN’s RUINOUS org provide crews, training and scheduled events. What platforms is Star Citizen on?Windows PC only. Sources
Prepared by the RUIN Gaming editorial team. Research was assisted by AI tools; every fact was checked against the sources listed at the end of this article. |
