Cloud Imperium Games is closing its California office and moving its operations to Manchester to accelerate progress on Star Citizen.
Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) is saying goodbye to one of its most important locations: the studio in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, is closing. What sounds like a setback is actually part of a planned restructuring – and should pave the way for the final push towards Star Citizen 1.0.
California says goodbye, Manchester takes over
According to the developers, the decision was not rushed: For some time now, CIG has been pursuing the goal of concentrating its efforts at fewer, more closely networked locations. The center of operations is now finally moving to Europe, more precisely to Manchester – which is now the company’s largest and most important studio.
JThe reasoning sounds understandable: Developers should work closer to their teams, communication should be faster and more direct. In a mammoth project like Star Citizen, which has been in development for over a decade, such a step can make perfect sense.
J
A memento for the VIPs
To commemorate the LA studio, CIG has come up with something special. Chairman’s Club members – that is, supporters who have invested more than $1,000 – will receive an in-game replica of the Constellation painting that hung above Chris Roberts’ desk for many years.
The artwork will be integrated into the game with the Alpha 4.1.0 update and can be placed in your personal hangar.
Alpha 4.1.0 and the way forward
Alongside the new piece of memorabilia, the upcoming update also brings gameplay innovations: the new mining mech Argo ATLS Geo is set to expand the economic gameplay and should prove particularly popular with industry enthusiasts.
But even more important is the message between the lines that the long development seems to be slowly entering the home straight. And the single-player campaign Squadron 42, featuring stars like Mark Hamill, Henry Cavill and Gary Oldman, has also been given a more specific release window of 2026.
