Star Citizen delivers the next generation of space flight simulation gaming, combining FPS (First Person Shooter) combat and persistent MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) gameplay to create a living, breathing first person universe capable of truly unlimited gameplay experiences. In addition, through the game's advanced Newtonian physics engine, Star Citizen enables players to experience an unparalleled space sim flying experience with ship control, performance and response calculated based on dozens of dynamically generated physics based variables.

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.

Cloud Imperium Games has been using Crytek's CryEngine since 2012, but has announced that it's actually been using Amazon's CryEngine based Lumberyard Game Engine for the past year.

Cloud Imperium Games announced the company is using the Amazon Lumberyard game engine to create its space sim games, Star Citizen and Squadron 42.

“We’ve been working with Amazon for more than a year, as we have been looking for a technology leader to partner with for the long term future of Star Citizen and Squadron 42,” said Chris Roberts, CIG’s CEO and creative director. “Lumberyard provides ground breaking technology features for online games, including deep back-end cloud integration on AWS and its social component with Twitch that enables us to easily and instantly connect to millions of global gamers. Because we share a common technical vision, it has been a very smooth and easy transition to Lumberyard. In fact, we are excited to announce that our upcoming 2.6 Alpha release for Star Citizen is running on Lumberyard and AWS.”

“Star Citizen and Squadron 42 are incredibly ambitious projects which are only possible with great engine technology paired with the transformative power of the cloud. We love how CIG’s bold vision has already inspired a massive community, and we’re thrilled to see what they create with Lumberyard, AWS, and the Twitch community,” said Dan Winters, head of business development for Amazon Games. “We’re excited that they’ve chosen Lumberyard and AWS to provide the performance and scalability they need to bring their games to a massive audience.”

Added Roberts, “We are delighted to be working with a partner with the strength, vision, and resources of Amazon Web Services. We are looking forward to developing our relationship with AWS and the Lumberyard community in the future.”