Squadron 42 remains on track for its anticipated debut next year.
By 2026, the total funding for Star Citizen’s development is projected to exceed the monumental $1 billion milestone. However, a definitive release date for the ambitious space simulator—which Roberts Space Industries has been financing since 2012—remains shrouded in uncertainty.
As of late 2025, the cumulative crowdfunding total for Star Citizen has reached approximately $927 million. Over the past year, the project secured a record-breaking $152 million, marking a 35% increase over its previous peak. These financial surges are largely attributed to major community events like the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE), where players invest in digital vessels and starter packages.
Although the initiative launched via Kickstarter and the official developer portal, current revenue is primarily driven by microtransactions, paid alpha access (where players essentially pay for the privilege of testing), and the sale of virtual spacecraft, some of which carry price tags in the tens of thousands of dollars. At the current rate of acquisition, the $1 billion threshold could be surpassed as early as the first half of 2026. To put this figure into perspective, such a budget could theoretically finance the production of five titles equivalent to God of War: Ragnarök—which Sony Santa Monica likely would have completed by now—or three instances of Cyberpunk 2077, whose total budget, including marketing, was roughly $315 million.
Source: iXBT.games