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The developer of Star Citizen, Cloud Imperium Games, recently made headlines for reaching another crowdfunding milestone. Over 600 million dollars have already been raised for the game by backers.
A former employee some of their thoughts about working for the Star Citizen studio.
The ten-year-old game may appear to be in good shape on the surface, but a former employee describes a different atmosphere within the company. On Reddit, the ex-employee Ryden-55 released a lengthy essay describing their time working at Cloud Imperium as well as their opinions about Star Citizen and Squadron 42. The user shared struggles in the studio regarding its goal for Star Citizen while applauding the skill of the game’s devs.
According to the post, the former worker described how they were specifically doxed by a specific person, accused of leaking project knowledge, and threatened with waterboarding. The user complained that because they work for CIG, they must put up with harassment and other people’s insults.
The former worker also mentioned that it’s possible the company underestimated the game’s trajectory and player spending for the upcoming year. Minimizing progress resets, releasing comprehensive features, and communicating with players about the game’s future should be the developer’s main priorities.
The article provided insight into Cloud Imperium’s use of the funds raised through crowdfunding. The user claims that instead of increasing workers, the firm over-invested in offices and aesthetics. Some of the office equipment and wall art apparently cost as much as several employees’ wages. Even though it put a hiring freeze in place, the studio nonetheless spent money on furniture.
The user believes the company has to raise more money for the project. A player’s tendency to spend less will have an impact on the game. However, the user was reluctant to offer specific advice out of concern that it would have an impact on friends who were still working for CIG.
According to reports, the author suggested setting a price cap for ships based on their capabilities. Sadly, the studio increased the price instead because it thought “people would buy it.”
The former worker recommended that the studio “deliver key gameplay improvements going forward that encourage players to play and return, rather than trying to drip-feed concepts to people who may never fly them.”
The former employee said that the studio may be implementing broad layoffs after they were fired from the organization. The commenter did make it clear that the remark was not intended to cause a rift within Cloud Imperium Games. According to the author, the company’s employees are the reason they enjoyed their time there.