Star Citizen, the long-in-development space MMO from Cloud Imperium Games, is currently available to play for free, but only for a short period of time. This is the perfect opportunity for gamers who are unsure if they'd like Star Citizen to give the game a shot without spending a single penny.

Ever since a playable build of the game was first released to the public, Star Citizen has been laced with controversy after controversy throughout its 12-year-run. The development of Cloud Imperium Games' debut title has lasted for more than a decade, and over those years, it's accrued hundreds of millions of dollars from crowdfunders and investors alike. Despite all that, however, a release window for the game is still nowhere in sight. That hasn't stopped Star Citizen from breaking fundraising records, though, as the game recently raised $3.5 million in just 24 hours. Regardless of the contention surrounding it, this goes to show that Star Citizen still maintains a dedicated fanbase to this day. And now, gamers who are skeptical of the title can try it out for themselves.

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In a post on the official Star Citizen website, Cloud Imperium Games revealed that its space MMO is going free-to-play for a short period of time, beginning on May 17 and ending on May 29. The free trial is intended to tie in with Star Citizen's Invictus Launch Week celebrations, which happen around the same time annually. This year's event not only gives gamers the opportunity to play Star Citizen for free for a limited time, it also allows them to test out the 87 military vehicles in the game at no additional cost. In addition, those who use referral codes to invite their friends to play Star Citizen during the Invictus Launch Week will be granted an additional 5,000 United Earth Credits.

Star Citizen's Free to Play Period Will Give Skeptical Gamers the Opportunity to Try It Out

Those who want to continue playing Star Citizen after testing it out during the free trial will have to learn how to purchase the game first because, unlike other MMOs, buying a copy of Cloud Imperium's debut title is a bit more complicated than usual. Instead of buying Star Citizen individually, players will have to purchase a game package that includes both a digital download for the MMO and a spaceship of some sort, among other things. This will set players back a minimum of $45 on average, though those who really enjoy the game can buy more expensive bundles. Gamers should be warned, though, as Star Citizen is infamous for having ship bundles that cost a ridiculous amount of real money.

The last few months have been a rather interesting time for Star Citizen, in both a positive and negative way. On one hand, Cloud Imperium Games recently released a huge Alpha update that added the first native animals to the game, which impressed many fans. On the other, though, the developers behind the ambitious MMO were just hit with layoffs and accusations of workplace toxicity. Regardless of whether it's good or bad news, it seems like Star Citizen will remain a hot topic within the gaming community for years to come.

Star Citizen

Star Citizen is a multiplayer space trading and sci-fi combat simulation game being developed by Cloud Imperium Games. Combining features from space simulators, first person shooters, and MMOs, Star Citizen has four playable game modes to provide different experiences for players. Hangar lets players interact with their ship, Arena Commander is a space combat simulator, Star Marine is a multiplayer ground combat simulator, and Persistent Universe combines everything together for one complete experience.

Platform(s)

PC

Developer(s)

Cloud Imperium Games Corporation

Publisher(s)

Cloud Imperium Games Corporation

Genre(s)

Shooter , Simulation