Star Citizen's latest ship is a $400 luxury passenger spacecraft

Starliner full

The Genesis Starliner, pictured above, is a new luxury ship available in Star Citizen. According to the Star Citizen website it doesn't have "a naturally apparent style of gameplay", but it will nonetheless set you back a whopping $400. That's a lot of money for a digital ship in an unfinished game, but according to Cloud Imperium Games it's all in keeping with the authenticity of the space simulation, because not all ships are made for shooting at other ships.

"We’ve said it again and again over the past two years: we want Star Citizen to be a living, breathing world," Cloud Imperium Games writes on the game's website. "Which means spending resources building out (and building up) ships that would exist in a real world, even when they aren’t combatants or adventurers.

"Our job with the Starliner was to determine how passenger travel in the ‘verse would be both fun and necessary… and then to build out a ship worthy of that system. Designers have spent a lot of time working on the realism: everything from safety features to a plan for how to make passenger travel fun, interesting and rewarding for those who choose to fly the Genesis."

The fuel-efficient spacecraft can be used to transport both passengers and cargo, though the former appears to be priority. It can hold eight staff and 40 passengers, as well as entertainment options and... drinking. You can drink on the Genesis Starliner.

The ship is available until July 6 and will help fund ongoing development of the game, which has already attracted around $84 million. "We are offering these pledge ships to help fund Star Citizen’s development," the post reads. "All of these ships will be available for in-game credits in the final universe, and they are not required to start the game."

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.