Star Citizen was launched as a crowdfunding campaign on October 10, 2012, and has since surpassed billion in total funding, though a definitive release date is not yet available. The game is currently in an alpha state, with ongoing updates and numerous bugs. Over 1,000 employees are involved in its development, which has spanned three console generations. Chris Roberts has suggested a potential release window of 2027-2028, depending on the launch of Squadron 42, which is targeting a release in 2026. The game has transitioned from CryEngine to a proprietary engine, StarEngine, and features like Persistent Entity Streaming and Server Meshing have been introduced. Star Citizen is the most expensive crowdfunded game ever, and it has been covered by Tom's Hardware since late 2012.
The Epic Games Store will offer two complimentary games for free until Thursday, May 14, at 4 PM BST. The games are exclusive to PC but can be played on devices like the Xbox ROG Ally in Windows Mode. The titles available are:
1. Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure - A puzzle RPG where players help the protagonist, Jemma, restore balance to her world by solving various tasks. The game has a user rating of 92% on Steam and takes approximately five to eight hours to complete.
2. Trash Goblin - A shopkeeping game where players, as a goblin, clean and restore trinkets for sale. It features 40 NPCs, over 120 quests, and more than 20 hours of story content, with a Steam rating of 88%.
Both games are valued at just under , with each typically retailing for .99.