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Cloud Imperium Games and Firesprite Unveil Development Partnership for Star Citizen Multiplayer Mode

UK-based Developer’s Key Role in Development of Star Citizen Combined Arms Multiplayer Mode Confirmed Ahead of Community Playtest.

LOS ANGELES and LONDON, March 18, 2021 — Today Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) and Firesprite publicly announced collaboration on the forthcoming Star Citizen multiplayer mode, “Theaters of War” (working title). This announcement comes as the ground-breaking multiplayer combined arms mode approaches its latest closed test within Star Citizen’s handpicked Evocati community.

Star Citizen’s Theaters of War mode is a PvP multiplayer experience first unveiled at CitizenCon 2019. Gameplay features intense, large-scale, team-based skirmishes between attackers and defenders across multiple phases of combat on planetary surfaces, in upper atmosphere, and a final orbital assault on a space station.

Firesprite’s collaboration with CIG on Theaters of Warbegan in early 2019, when CIG outlined the vision for a multiplayer combined-arms experience taking place within the Star Citizen universe. Since then, Firesprite and CIG have collaborated to design and build this experience utilizing Star Citizen’s proprietary technology, tools, and game assets. The combined learnings and advancements made for the combined-arms game mode have benefited and continue to benefit the core gameplay of both Star Citizen and Squadron 42.

“Thanks to the talented team at Firesprite, we’ve managed to work closely together to bring significant improvements to Star Citizen’s Theaters of War mode, and as a result benefit key aspects of Star Citizen and Squadron 42,” said Sean Tracy, Technical Director, Content at Cloud Imperium Games. “I can’t wait for players to see the progress we’ve made together during future playtests.”

 “We’re so excited to be able to convey what a privilege and a pleasure it’s been to work so closely with Cloud Imperium and develop Theaters of War from the kernel of an idea into a full-fledged experience,” said Graeme Ankers, Managing Director at Firesprite. “I want to pay tribute to our strike team here at Firesprite who have worked really hard behind the scenes in close collaboration with the talented creators at Cloud Imperium Games.”

Theaters of War was first unveiled at CitizenCon 2019 in Manchester, UK, with positively received test sessions for event attendees. From that event onwards, player feedback from Theaters of War closed tests for select Star Citizen community groups has been vital for improving the combined arms mode’s quality. Further online closed community tests are scheduled to begin this coming weekend, with more playtests to come throughout the mode’s development. This combined arms mode will continue to see iteration and development to help progress Star Citizen’s and Squadron 42’s combat, and future tests will expand beyond the closed Evocati group to eventually include players in the Public Test Universe.

Star Citizen combines classic space sim gameplay with boundary-pushing visuals in a massively multiplayer setting with unprecedented fidelity. Live how you want to live: shift paths from cargo hauler to outlaw, explorer, or any other role, whenever you want. Explore multiple planets and moons, including vast cities and underground caverns, all created with a unique combination of procedural planet technology and complementary hand-crafted design.

For further information, including how to download and play Star Citizen, visit the official website. Enlist today and join this ever-expanding universe by visiting the game’s Welcome Hub and Guide System for tips on how to play. Millions of players from around the world have already joined to help CIG build the most ambitious game ever made. For continued updates, keep up with Star Citizen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Twitter and YouTube.

About Cloud Imperium Games and Roberts Space Industries®

Cloud Imperium Games is a new kind of independent studio dedicated to delivering AAA games outside the established publisher system. It was founded in 2012 by renowned visionary game developer Chris Roberts (Wing Commander series, Freelancer, Privateer), Sandi Gardiner, and international media lawyer and producer Ortwin Freyermuth (Carlito’s Way, Shattered, Das Boot – Director’s Cut), with industry veteran and studio director Erin Roberts (Lego videogame series, Starlancer, Privateer) joining the team in 2013. Cloud Imperium is creating Star Citizen, a record-shattering, largely crowdfunded space sim, and Squadron 42, a Hollywood-caliber, story-driven single-player game set in the same universe. Cloud Imperium operates in “open development” – sharing progress and updates in near real time. This paradigm-shifting development process (game development usually occurs behind closed doors) gives the community an unprecedented look at Star Citizen and Squadron 42’s development and allows direct feedback and interaction between players and developers, thereby ensuring that the games being developed are what players want to play.

About Firesprite Games

Firesprite was founded in 2012 by a group of management and creative veterans with over 80 years of collective tenure at industry giants including Sony, EA and Psygnosis. Committed to creating innovative game experiences for cutting edge gaming platforms, Firesprite offers AAA game quality development services from ideation to completion via strategic partnerships and co-development. The business also has a focus on developing its own IP, with debut survival horror title “The Persistence” most recently launched across multiple platforms in May of this year to critical acclaim.

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