Star Citizen to become the first $1 billion game while still in alpha, driven by ships costing thousands

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Star Citizen is poised to become the first video game ever to reach over $1 billion in funding – and it’s still being developed, as shown by its public funding updates.

By December 2025, the space simulation game had earned around $928.2 million from player contributions, subscriptions, and in-game items, putting it very close to reaching $1 billion. This is a record amount of funding for a game still in development – no other game has ever raised this much money before officially launching.

Star Citizen, created by Cloud Imperium Games, has been in development for over ten years as an early access game. Players can try out new features and content as the game is still being built.

Even though we don’t have a firm launch date yet, funding is actually increasing, mostly thanks to strong sales of virtual spacecraft.

Ships worth thousands of dollars sold by developer

The ships in Star Citizen are key to how the game is financed. While players can start with relatively affordable packages costing between $45 and $1,100, the game also sells more expensive ships and bundles that can run into the thousands of dollars. Some rare packages have even sold for much higher prices in the past.

Unlike many online games, Star Citizen sells items directly from the developers, without relying on random drops or players reselling them to each other.

You can buy ships through the Pledge Store, with prices ranging from $800 for a Persuis to $3,000 for a Javelin. While some ships like the Kraken and Javelin are still in development, you can currently purchase a Polaris for $975.

This strategy led to a record-breaking year in 2025, with the project securing over $152 million in funding. Consistent spending by players has made Star Citizen the most costly video game ever created, and one of the most expensive entertainment projects overall.

Many popular games have earned billions of dollars since their release, but Star Citizen is on track to achieve something no other game has: reaching $1 billion in funding before it officially launches. Unlike other games that make money after release, Star Citizen is being funded through pre-orders and early access sales. Experts and fans predict it will hit this milestone around mid-2026 if its current momentum continues.

Cloud Imperium Games estimates that Star Citizen won’t be fully released until 2027 or 2028. In the meantime, the game’s ongoing alpha version is still growing, and player funding continues to increase, reaching record-breaking levels.

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2025-12-28 19:18