In the ongoing development of Star Citizen, an important milestone was reached as players were able to jump between two different star systems for the first time. A new video also showcases improvements in FPS gameplay that will be introduced with the next major update.
The Leap Between Star Systems
On a test server, players were able to use the so-called Jump Gates to switch between the star systems of Stanton and Pyro. While Stanton has been playable on the live servers for some time now, Pyro represents the second star system that will be added to the live version of the game with Alpha 4.0 in the future.
The Technology Behind the Jumps
Traveling between systems in Star Citizen is done through natural wormholes stabilized by Jump Gates. From a technical standpoint, each system is handled by a different server, and the transition of players between servers has now been successfully tested and is functional.
Stanton is a relatively safe system dominated by corporations, while Pyro is lawless, ruled by gangs, and presents frequent solar storms as an additional challenge.
Increased Server Capacity and FPS Improvements
Interestingly, another test this weekend will increase the server capacity from the current 100 to 400 players.
Furthermore, a new video has been released showcasing the developers introducing some of the changes in FPS gameplay in the upcoming Alpha 3.23. These include a recoil overhaul, new effects for scopes, reloading changes, and much more. Alpha 3.23 is scheduled for April, although the date is not set in stone.
Crowdfunding and Development
Star Citizen is a PC-exclusive game in development funded through crowdfunding. Its fans have contributed $668,602,747 towards financing, with 5,107,521 registered users. This number does not represent paying customers as many try the game during Free Fly events.
Notably, Star Citizen had its most successful year in its crowdfunding history, with over $117.5 million in pledges in 2023.
Additionally, a single-player campaign titled Squadron 42 is also in development, and we have recently learned that it is now feature-complete. There is no release date yet, but many believe it will be announced at the next CitizenCon in October. However, this remains speculation for now.
