Today, Cloud Imperium Games showcased the features coming with the upcoming update Alpha 4.3 of its growing space game Star Citizen.
Yet, the first part of the video is actually about the previous update Alpha 4.2.1, with a pretty extensive explanation and apology about the issues related to freight elevators that have affected players during the past month or so.
As a result, the event Race for Stanton will be extended across the next month until the next major update after Alpha 4.3.
The second part of the video focuses on Alpha 4.3 proper, including dynamic snow, new armor and weapons, the return of hangar respawning, the addition of new ships to the inventory of in-game stores, and the light fighter flight model overhaul.
Incidentally, the plan is to launch Alpha 4.3 tomorrow, August 15.
A second video is actually a trailer showing off the Kruger L-21 Wolf light fighter that will also be introduced with update Alpha 4.3.
If you’re unfamiliar with Star Citizen, it’s a PC exclusive, crowdfunded project directed by Chris Roberts of Wing Commander fame. It’s a multiplayer sandbox space simulator that has been in development for over a decade and in alpha for several years.
The alpha was recently updated to version 4.2.1, and version 4.3 is currently being tested.
In the meantime, the crowdfunding total continues to grow, and it has recently passed $854 million. To be precise, it’s currently at $854,540,352. The game also has
5,822,363 registered users, albeit not all of them are paying customers. Many simply create an account to enjoy the free-to-play periods.
A single-player campaign titled Squadron 42 is also in active development with a 2026 release window, starring an exceptional cast of famous actors, including Mark Hamill, Henry Cavill, Gary Oldman, Liam Cunningham, Gillian Anderson, and more.
Since the project has been in development for over a decade, you can see how Squadron 42 has evolved since its first reveal.
Full disclosure: the author of this article has backed Star Citizen’s crowdfunding campaign.