Star Citizen item-dupe exploit gets 600 accounts banned

More than 600 Star Citizen accounts have been suspended following the discovery of an item-duplication exploit, which the players had been using to sell the items and gain more in-game currency, warping the space MMO’s economy in the process.

Cloud Imperium Games, Star Citizen’s publisher, investigated player complaints and tips and found multiple exploits of the Alpha United Earth Currency in build 3.23.1a, which have since been resolved. The cheating accounts, in addition to being suspended, had the illicit currency removed to restore the in-game economy.

“Cheating and exploiting undermine the integrity of our game and the efforts of our dedicated backers who help us build Star Citizen,” Will Leverett, CIG’s senior director for player relations, wrote in a note to players. “We take these actions seriously and assure you that we are continuously developing additional measures against cheating and exploitation.”

Leverett went on to say that exploits are “likely to arise” at this stage of the 12-year-old game’s development.

What’s the current state of Star Citizen?

Star Citizen, officially unfinished, nonetheless has raised $700 million in crowdfunding for its development, mainly through the sale of in-world spacecraft (sometimes at whale-sized prices) and other items.

First announced with a Kickstarter campaign in 2012, Star Citizen has nonetheless faced constant criticism for its unfinished state, feature creep, and Cloud Imperium’s inability to deliver on big promises, like the story-based, single-player module Squadron 42, which carries an A-list cast of more than a dozen big Hollywood names.

It’s most recent version, 3.23, arrived in mid-May. Named Adventure Beckons, it brings native wildlife to the game’s worlds, some of which are hostile or can be hunted.

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