Star Citizen will not require a subscription not be free-to-play, it will will be available for a one-time purchase. And while players will be able to play in the Star Citizen universe for free, there will also be virtual items available for purchase with in-game credits so players can customize their ships and other items.

While the Kickstarter campaign ended late 2012, Chris Roberts' Cloud Imperium has kept on racking in donations through its official website and in the months since the end of the Kickstarter has added an additional $51 million, for a total of more than $53 million in funding.

Greetings Citizens,

Over the weekend, we crossed $53 million in crowd funding!

Let me first apologize for the delay in this letter. One thing we’ve learned is that the period following a major patch is critical: we get our most important feedback by tracking and responding to what we hear in the first hours of a release. So the team has been working through the weekend not only fixing urgent issues but also adapting our future plans to your feedback.

But in the end, we have been extremely happy with how the Arena Commander V0.9 rollout has gone. It looks like a lot of people are enjoying the race modes, and the updated mechanics are really showing what we meant when we said combat in Star Citizen was going to be skill-based! Our most urgent charges now are re-enabling private matches and addressing control issues; expect to hear more about both in the near future!

For now, let’s take a moment to celebrate another crowdfunding milestone. We’re proud of Arena Commander, for sure, but we also know that we would not be where we are today without the support of our backers. You’ve made this possible, and you deserve all the blood and sweat we can put into the game. The $53 million unlock was for the Independent Arbitrator’s Guild position, described:

• INDEPENDENT ARBITRATOR’S GUILD – Have you been wronged by your superiors? Has the member of your organization entrusted with watching the funds, been watching them go into their own pocket? Think you don’t have any recourse? You’re wrong. Fully licensed and bonded to work within the UEE and beyond, the Independent Arbitrator’s Guild allows citizens (and civilians, we don’t discriminate!) to file complaints against (or within) private organizations. Petition cases with our IAG representatives to have your voice heard and restitutions made. Is your business less than legitimate? IAG is only here to judge the matters you want us to. Confidentiality is guaranteed.

Obviously, this is something we aren’t going to need until the persistent universe launches… but we’ve set aside funding for the position, and are in the process of determining exactly what the requirements are. We’ve heard from many fans who want the job, and are leaning towards considering applicants from outside the gaming industry. It seems like a paralegal with the appropriate grasp of our universe might be an ideal candidate!

For the past two years, you’ve learned the ins and outs of our ships and you’ve heard that they will be fully customizable. Next, we’ll be moving to make that a reality. For the next set of stretch goals, we’re asking you to vote for a component that you’ll to keep (and use in combat!) The development team recently kicked off a new pipeline for ship components, with the aim of ultimately populating Arena Commander and the Voyager Direct store with plenty of options to make your game more interesting.

We’ve selected ten of these future upgrades, ranging from laser weapons to cooling units, for the poll below… and the one the community picks will be awarded to every account that backs before the $55 million level. So take a moment to vote for something you’ll get to play with in the short term in Arena Commander.

Here’s a rundown of the poll options. Which will you choose?

• Ballistic Cannon: A&R PyroBolt C1: With the introduction of the PyroBolt C1, A&R provides another worthy addition to their historical line of products. The PyroBolt is a 15mm ballistic cannon capable of delivering a variety of ammo types with a moderate rate of fire and maximum accuracy.

• Laser Cannon: Preacher Armament Alpha 1: When Preacher Armament unveiled their Alpha 1 laser cannon at last year’s DefCon, no one was expecting a shocker, but Preacher redefined the ‘standard’ ship weapon, increasing stopping power without overtaxing your power plant.

• Ballistic Gatling: Preacher Armament Inquisition XXII: Preacher’s Inquisition XXII is the weapon to turn to when you want complete target saturation. Its dual-ammo feed allows you to hotswap feeds without exiting your ship, giving every owner the ultimate flexibility to pick the ammo based on the situation.

• Laser Repeater: Verified Offworld Laser Technologies Firestorm: You can run, but you can’t hide from a FIRESTORM. VOLT’s new laser repeater is a cost-effective addition to your offensive arsenal, capable of delivering a baseline six rounds-per-second that make it comparable to its ballistic counterparts and without the worry of running out of ammo.

• Neutron Cannon: ProPOW Kill-O-Blast 3000 Pro: POW does it again! The Kill-O-Blast 3000 is their latest middle-of-the-road solution capable of providing massive stopping power per shot. The Kill-O-Blast 3000 may be the first neutron cannon you buy, but it might be the last you’ll ever need!

• Missiles: Spearfish ASIM-09/eN7 Arrestor: Spearfish’s line of Arrestor missiles are tried and true hunters. Top-of-the-line Infrared sensors combine with their proprietary VK9 processing software to minimize lock-loss and deliver a devastating EMP payload every time.

• Power Plant: Ace Astrogation FusionPro 3H: Optimized for medium-sized spacecraft, the 3H from Ace Astrogation boasts high durability and performance under fire while maintaining a robust energy output.

• Shield Generator: RAMP Corporation ProTec Twin Standard: The ProSec Twin Standard is a binary-segment shield generator, each offering front or rear placement to more effectively direct your defensive measures. The ProSec also features a lower EM signature, for those times where you don’t want to fight at all.

• Cooling: J-Span Cryo-Star: Award-winning designers at J-Span have produced one of the most advanced cooling systems yet. The Cryo-Star utilizes a new kind of liquid cooling technology guaranteed to keep your engines cool without sacrificing power.

Remember, Star Citizen’s scope is based on our crowd funding; your continued support is making it possible for us to operate with teams around the world! You are the reason Star Citizen is actually happening, and I can’t thank you enough for both funding the game and spreading the word.

— Chris Roberts