Summary
- Star Citizen is facing fan backlash over perceived pay-to-win monetization in its latest update.
- The May 15 patch added customizable ship components called Flight Blades, locked behind a real-money paywall.
- Cloud Imperium has pledged to make Flight Blades earnable with in-game currency starting in June and to end staggered releases for similar items.
Cloud Imperium is under fire over a new Star Citizen ship component that launched in mid-May 2025. The controversial addition prompted some vocal fans to question the developer's game design decisions and monetization practices, in addition to raising concerns about the overall future of Star Citizen.
November 19 will mark the 13th anniversary of Star Citizen concluding its historic Kickstarter campaign, which raised a bit over $2.1 million from nearly 35,000 backers over a 30-day run ending in November 2012. Cloud Imperium quickly eclipsed that figure, with its project surpassing $100 million in total crowdfunding just two years later. As of 2025, Star Citizen commands a budget larger than Grand Theft Auto 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Cyberpunk 2077—combined—all while being nowhere near completion. The game's never-ending early access status is largely attributed to feature creep, with Cloud Imperium constantly expanding its roadmap.
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While Star Citizen updates remain popular enough to keep the game relevant and making nine figures a year, its latest content drop has been met with a significantly poorer-than-typical reception. Released on May 15, the update introduced Flight Blades, a new type of ship component that slots into a spacecraft computer port and allows captains to trade speed for maneuverability, or vice versa. While this design aims to offer a sidegrade rather than a flat-out upgrade, the Star Citizen community had an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the Flight Blades.
Why Are Star Citizen Players Angry About Flight Blades?
The ongoing fan backlash largely revolves around the fact that Flight Blades are a paid gameplay addition, available only via the Pledge Store. Their prices range from $14.99 to $34.99, depending on the spacecraft, with the more expensive Star Citizen ships generally being pricier to upgrade, with some exceptions. While Flight Blades aren't without trade-offs, they offer significant flexibility when fine-tuning a ship. Some vocal fans thus see them as a pay-to-win advantage, having repeatedly said as much on social media in the two days following the add-on's release. Adding to the fan outrage, the mid-May 2025 update also saw Star Citizen start selling ship components for real cash.
Star Citizen Promises to Make New Content Earnable Without Paying
Reflecting on the ongoing wave of complaints, Cloud Imperium Community Director Tyler Witkin showed appreciation for fans who took the time to offer feedback. "Thanks to everyone who’s weighed in, especially those who brought the heat constructively," the official wrote in a May 16 forum post.
Witkin also clarified that the controversial content additions won’t remain paywalled forever—or even for long. Starting with the June 2025 patch, Star Citizen players will be able to purchase Flight Blades with aUEC instead of having to spend real money. Moving forward, Cloud Imperium has also committed to ending staggered releases of smaller components like Flight Blades and bomb racks. “They should be available in-game at the same time they appear on the store,” Witkin said.
- Developer(s)
- Cloud Imperium Games Corporation
- Publisher(s)
- Cloud Imperium Games Corporation
- Engine
- star engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Shooter, Simulation
