Star Citizen players lash out at cash-only "pay-to-win" item, lack of apology

Facepalm: In what seems like a case of pushing your luck too far, the makers of Star Citizen, a game that has raised over $800 million across thirteen years without any sign of a finished version, are under fire from players for introducing pay-to-win ship upgrades that couldn't be earned in-game. Through its combination of crowdfunding, subscriptions, the sale of ships, and other methods, Star Citizen has raised more than $801 million since it was announced in 2012. Rather than slowing down, the amount being raised has sped up in recent times, passing $100 million every year since 2022. And all without any solid release date for version 1.0 of the game – though developer Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) claims the single-player element will launch in 2026. But while fans seem unfazed by a seemingly eternal development cycle, there was plenty of outrage over the recent introduction of flight blades. The blades offer an advantage to players by making ships faster or improving their maneuve ... Read full article.