Star Citizen is on track to make gaming history by becoming the first video game to surpass $1 billion in funding while still in development, according to its publicly available funding tracker.
As of December 2025, the long-running space simulation has raised approximately $928.2 million through player pledges, paid access, and in-game purchases, leaving it within striking distance of the $1 billion milestone. No other video game has reached that level of funding before launch or full release, placing Star Citizen in a category of its own within the industry.
Developed by Cloud Imperium Games, Star Citizen has remained in an alpha or early access state for more than a decade, with players able to test new systems and content while development continues.
Despite the lack of a finalized release date, funding has continued to accelerate rather than slow down, fueled largely by the sale of virtual spacecraft.
Ships worth thousands of dollars sold by developer
Those ships are central to the game’s unusual funding model. While Star Citizen offers lower-cost starter packages, ranging from $45 to $1,100, it also sells high-end ships and bundles that can cost thousands of dollars, with some limited packages historically priced far higher.
These purchases are sold directly by the developer and are not tied to randomized systems or player-driven resale markets, setting Star Citizen apart from most live-service games.
Ships can be purchased via the Pledge Store, with jaw-dropping prices such as $3,000 for a Javelin or $1,650 for the Kraken. These are concepts that can’t yet be purchased, but players can drop $975 on a Polaris or $800 on the Persuis.
That approach helped drive a record-breaking year in 2025, when the project raised more than $152 million in funding alone. The sustained influx of player spending has made Star Citizen the most expensive video game ever developed and one of the most expensive entertainment projects of any kind.
While other major games and franchises have generated billions in lifetime revenue after release, none have reached the $1 billion mark purely through pre-release funding and live alpha sales. That distinction is what positions Star Citizen to claim a unique industry first once it crosses the threshold, which analysts and community trackers expect to happen in mid-2026 if current trends continue.
Cloud Imperium Games has previously indicated that a full release is still several years away, with internal projections placing launch sometime in 2027 or 2028. Until then, Star Citizen’s alpha continues to expand, alongside a funding total that shows no signs of slowing as it approaches an unprecedented milestone.
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