May 20, 2025: A previous version of this story wrongly asserted that the Star Citizen flight blades had been removed from sale and their launch delayed entirely until June. This has been corrected.
Star Citizen creator Cloud Imperium has issued a statement following community backlash against the new flight blade components. Flight blades allow players to tune the speed and handling of their ships, and are currently available to purchase for real money. In June, the items will be released in such a way that they can be obtained purely through playing Star Citizen. However, Cloud Imperium acknowledges that players are dissatisified with this divide, and says that future items of a similar nature will be purchasable for real money and earnable in game starting from the same date.
Right now, Star Citizen flight blades can only be acquired by spending actual money. The cheapest set is available for $9.60 / £7.30, and the most expensive is $42 / £31.92. From June, the items will also be obtainable using the in-game currency aUEC. But for the time being, these ship components are only accessible to players who are willing to spend cash.
This has sparked space game, as some players believe that the flight blades should be available to purchase using aUEC already, and that they offer the players who purchase them a pay-to-win advantage. In a new statement, Cloud Imperium responds to the backlash, explaining that, while the plans to deploy the flight blades remain unchanged (they are still on sale, and will not be obtainable with aUEC until June), when other items such as the flight blades are released in future, they will be available via cash and aUEC at the same time.
"Throughout Star Citizen's evolution, one fundamental principle has remained paramount: everything you pledge to our development will eventually be attainable through gameplay. Your contribution helps push things forward, but your time in the 'verse should be equally rewarded," Cloud Imperium writes.
"We're pushing 11 patches this year instead of four. We're crushing more bugs than ever, building more exciting content, moving faster than ever to make the Persistent Universe a better experience for everyone, and in moving that fast, we missed a step.
"To be clear, the new flight blades will be obtainable for aUEC in our next patch this June. We followed our usual approach by offering early access on the pledge store to help development. But after some reflection, we've decided that for smaller components like flight blades or bomb racks, they should be available in-game at the same time they appear on the store.
"The choice has and should always be yours. If you want to the project early, you can, but it's not required. If you own a game package, you'll be able to pick these up with in-game currency in our next monthly patch. And for future gameplay kit introductions, we'll ensure these items are obtainable in-game on day one.
"Thanks to everyone who's weighed in, especially those who brought the heat constructively. This game has always been shaped by the community. Star Citizen wouldn't exist without your ion and , or your scrutiny and . We hear you, and we take it all to heart."
Cloud Imperium's statement was posted on the Star Citizen forums, and met with a similar level of skepticism as the initial flight blades announcement. "This is a band-aid to calm people down, but the root issue here is that you continue to sell more and more items in the game that have a wider impact on what a player would do day to day," 'SaltEMike' writes.
'Incubbus' adds that the studio keeps "making bad decisions (for the 'game', not their short-term funding) for quite some time now." Another player says, "I don't trust their promises."
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