Star Citizen hits $9 million in funding

Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts' upcoming space simulator Star Citizen today reached $9 million in crowd-funding, up from $8 million in the middle of February.

The game's Kickstarter campaign closed with $2,134,374, while funds through the Roberts Space Industries website stand at $6,885,668 million and climbing.

The funding milestone for Star Citizen comes a week after developer Cloud Imperium Games announced it would expand its network of studios and open an office in Santa Monica, California.

Star Citizen has been in development at Cloud Imperium Games for more than a year. The game itself includes a "sophisticated storyline" that is set in a persistent online universe. According to Roberts, it will fuse elements of his previous games, Wing Commander and Freelancer, and support for the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift is planned.

Much like Guild Wars II, Star Citizen will be available through a one-time purchase, but will not require a subscription. Players can also purchase virtual items with real-world money to customize their ships.