StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium Games Ltd.: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:20, 14 September 2026

Template:InfoboxNeue Cloud Imperium Games Ltd, also informally called Cloud Imperium Games UK, or CIG UK, is an independent [[StarCitizen::Category:Video game development companies|video game development company]] and a subsidiary of StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium UK Ltd. It works on the development of Squadron 42 and Star Citizen in the UK, while also working on the game engine, the facial pipeline and the cinematic experience in Squadron 42 amongst other things.

History

Foundry 42

What later became the current Cloud Imperium Games Ltd was initially founded on 2013-09-24 as Foundry 42 due to focusing on the development of Squadron 42 and because Cloud Imperium Games UK already existed at the time.<ref>Around the Verse: Episode 2.24</ref> It opened its first office in Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK around January 2014. Additional studios were opened in Frankfurt, Germany in July 2015 and Derby, UK in March 2017.<ref>Around the Verse: Episode 2.05. YouTube, 29 Oct 2015</ref><ref>Inside CIG: Foundry 42 Germany, YouTube, 10 Apr 2015</ref><ref>ATV Interview: Brian Chambers, YouTube, 3 May 2016</ref> The Frankfurt studio is under a 10 year lease agreement for around 3,000 sqm of office space in the ONE building.<ref>Cloud Imperium Games rents around 3,000 sqm of office space at ONE, one-frankfurt.de, 7. April 2021</ref>

Cloud Imperium Games Ltd rebranding

Foundry 42 later rebranded to 'Cloud Imperium Games Ltd.' on 2019-03-06 for better brand unification.<ref name=":0">Foundry 42 Ltd Rebrands to Cloud Imperium Games Ltd</ref><ref name="CIG-LTD">Cloud Imperium Games Limited - Companies House UK</ref>

In 2022 Cloud Imperium Games opened a new lead studio in Manchester, moving from the offices in Wilmslow. The new office will accommodate up to 1000 employees.<ref>[1]. CIG, 2024-01-01 </ref> In early 2024, a relocation of staff to the Manchester studio takes place.<ref>Some Star Citizen devs reportedly laid off as Cloud Imperium restructures, videogameschronicle.com, 28th Feb 2024</ref>

Cloud Imperium Games Frankfurt is its branch office, not a separate company.<ref>"Cloud Imperium Games Limited - Frankfurt Office [...]. Registered in England and Wales, Companies House registration 8703814.", Legal, cloudimperiumgames.com, retrieved September 2026</ref>

Trivia

CIG has won the Massively OP’s Best of 2015 Awards: StarCitizen:MMO Studio of the Year.<ref>Massively OP’s Best of 2015 Awards: MMO Studio of the Year, massivelyop.com, December 10, 2015 </ref>
Several items in the game StarCitizen:Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues are named after Cloud Imperium due to a cross promotion.

References

Template:Stub

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 |content5 = [[StarCitizen:Chris Roberts]], [[StarCitizen:Sandi Gardiner]], [[StarCitizen:Ortwin Freyermuth]]
 |label6 = Headquarters
-|content6 = 6 Goods Yard St, Manchester M3 3BG, United Kingdom, [[StarCitizen:Earth]], [[StarCitizen:Sol system|Sol]]
+|content6 = 6 Goods Yard St, Manchester M3 3BG, United Kingdom
 |label7 = Products
 |content7 = [[StarCitizen:Star Citizen]], [[StarCitizen:Squadron 42]]
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 |content8 = [[StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium UK Ltd]]
 |label9 = Number of locations
-|content9 = 5
+|content9 =
 |label10 = Number of employees
-|content10 = 1031 (2024)
+|content10 = 693 (2024)
 |label11 = Website
 |content11 = [https://cloudimperiumgames.com/ cloudimperiumgames.com]
 |label12 = |content12 = }}
-'''Cloud Imperium Games''' is an independent [[StarCitizen::Category:Video game development companies|video game development company]] and a subsidiary of [[StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium]]. It develops both [[StarCitizen:Squadron 42|''Squadron 42'']] and [[StarCitizen:Star Citizen|''Star Citizen'']], while also working on the [[StarCitizen:Star Engine|game engine]], the [[StarCitizen:Facial Pipeline|facial pipeline]] and the cinematic experience in ''Squadron 42'' amongst other things.
+'''Cloud Imperium Games Ltd''', also informally called Cloud Imperium Games UK, or CIG UK, is an independent [[StarCitizen::Category:Video game development companies|video game development company]] and a subsidiary of [[StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium UK Ltd]]. It works on the development of [[StarCitizen:Squadron 42|''Squadron 42'']] and [[StarCitizen:Star Citizen|''Star Citizen'']] in the UK, while also working on the [[StarCitizen:Star Engine|game engine]], the [[StarCitizen:Facial Pipeline|facial pipeline]] and the cinematic experience in ''Squadron 42'' amongst other things.
-As of the end of 2024 the headcount of CIG was at 1031 employess.<ref>[https://cloudimperiumgames.com/blog/corporate/cfo-comment-on-the-2024-accounting Blog - Cloud Imperium]</ref>
 == History==
@@ Line 39: / Line 37: @@
 In 2022 Cloud Imperium Games opened a new lead studio in Manchester, moving from the offices in Wilmslow. The new office will accommodate up to 1000 employees.<ref>[https://cloudimperiumgames.com/blog/latest-announcements/cloud-imperium-games-to-open-new-videogame-development-studio-in-manchester]. CIG, 2024-01-01 </ref> In early 2024, a relocation of staff to the Manchester studio takes place.<ref>[https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/some-star-citizen-devs-reportedly-laid-off-as-cloud-imperium-restructures/ Some Star Citizen devs reportedly laid off as Cloud Imperium restructures], videogameschronicle.com, 28th Feb 2024</ref>
-Following the staff relocation, the closure of the Los Angeles studio was announced in March 2025.<ref>"[https://mailchi.mp/cloudimperiumgames/chairmans-club-special-gift-3212025?e=69cac5426b <nowiki>[...]That also means we’re saying a bittersweet goodbye to our Los Angeles studio.[...],</nowiki>]" Chairman's Club email, 21st March 2025</ref> A small group of community members who have made a lasting impact on the ''Star Citizen'' scene in California were invited, from [[StarCitizen:Bar Citizen]] organizers to [[StarCitizen:CitizenCon]] volunteers and local content creators, to pick up a piece of the wall art.<ref>{{Cite RSI|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/en/comm-link/transmission/20526-This-Week-In-Star-Citizen|text=This Week in Star Citizen|accessdate=2025-03-31}}</ref>
+[[StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium Games Frankfurt Office|Cloud Imperium Games Frankfurt]] is its branch office, not a separate company.<ref>"[https://cloudimperiumgames.com/pages/legal <nowiki>Cloud Imperium Games Limited - Frankfurt Office [...]. Registered in England and Wales, Companies House registration 8703814.</nowiki>]", Legal, cloudimperiumgames.com, retrieved September 2026</ref>
-== Studios==
-Cloud Imperium Games has 5 offices worldwide: Manchester and Derby in the UK, Montreal in Canada,  Austin in the US, and Frankfurt in Germany, each with a rough list of specialist teams provided here if possible.
-[[File:CIG_Manchester_Offices.png|alt=|thumb|The CIG Manchester Studio]]
-===United Kingdom ===
-CIG UK numbered 693 employees as of December 2024,<ref>[https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/P-8K4kviHH18u4CWdKky3pdln4ll74pf6rXwLPXzBig/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3LXQHUMOA%2F20250824%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250824T071059Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEOb%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCWV1LXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIGIrHdSXYVneKdpqEgtHh0hCx0oa9dTZ803Jx1WIzKZiAiEAkQgL3Ye5ABZdN8tpzpR898RYV%2F73qaDv1mockfbipWEquwUIPxAFGgw0NDkyMjkwMzI4MjIiDCyWBtRh3bvfXx0WwyqYBY45n%2FU2oMlPPeKCW%2BYpK3dt8Xp1V1Ny8s%2BO%2FVGhvdAKF7LoPv4wVBoC7mmxVS0UwHsZX38tgGf8q%2BHoIb54OPLTs3tdnm1Xag%2FLayPfz8TTyqc9xdoG3PGdQfFUiB1GO1p2NrAPE5Qhsw%2FbIEKXOzPMslMoaxyDbOXkAdsEyqIRtQ3N99dwJm9UwawRby%2FhRiyRelsQ82rHXiaimIaeogAP4F6AO%2BffCpBDm%2BkFS6BWYyfxbSRc2B85RSq8QWK9t6Ln6cAgH4GIn%2FClDVBxlNlQC6iYA6%2Fx1Ri4NKh1SHwnENpKDJojj3Fl3wflBOprdPZcyQchbpXJMP7q1OnW6Xz3kG9FiaIz1gBNkKzroYxiM3SX1vHjDaE6fBVAnxreA%2B3EA9i77FxKMiDTWUi2mzSrbC84V9vHMDel%2F6jHqN2qzP2RRJSg3%2Br%2F87Ctfr75u2u9L8dz8wxnBW2s1EQUXUeq%2FAFQQhlybAZj8jGuQUb%2Fw%2F3%2FGdICNGBSoN067IWxLT0CUvJrCRaynMQU7y2LVsGhA7EDueYhCJdJkeap9K90KQszNXQHdsAB%2FoKOLwaz9ZMXC4Vf%2FSbGVprMXL8adCvQ5l8PNUU0oZhzDQ9NUzRwWgM1mRT%2BZESzEQLYQH0F4agojmNc3j5uI%2BI1OkmDURrrKyOKwVAcCPYB8nnYJYxZ33IaS00s0rh9tIjjtBV6SDFoV4BuiSgWH%2BiyC5OauEoEhuZvsC3AG%2FabkosN2KZZjMA8E9j7q92ufLG0jyUgIyW9%2BB6xfOIe6eiXvw4Z2iEKZwrSurTZ%2FE7mNBRNoXHU4Q%2BbbeFjB7uUtBrQPRM9UuJVqQsNAkd3Wvto7vVeFs0f7EzS0uvTuZcHeKkYHRHo3q4rjk06Qegw%2B8OqxQY6sQH9c0Jrwkyx0dyXEhfsSsBdWuh%2BiLez3XEytIg3F6XYayiYnx8qy0gyhnnszUwnJqC%2FI2lQXOyitsAwzBEU%2B2rWtjSkORX3IDA3njidITgyNTExvuLa8edWDunjGlwOC8O93MtGbQwe7LdALJmFGg3hULH7%2FBic6Nd7Q2f4ZxLaEgkSuLHBbf3FMb4lGxOU8HHJe5R%2BDKx05WXF6EdMEUc4a1qmsaqapqzRWWyZN65Vx4E%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=inline%3Bfilename%3D%22companies_house_document.pdf%22&X-Amz-Signature=8c3e3898d0f6b00dc7dd11a9f363f21745fa6d30a75c45ecea8fbd2209a7070b Cloud Imperium Games Limited, Annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024], UK companies house, 20 Aug 2025</ref> more than half the total number, with a further unknown number being relocated to it in early 2025 from abroad.
-*'''Manchester''':<ref>[https://youtu.be/5aKLh18TPpE?t=888 Hub Crawl Hero - Fireside Chat with Carl Jones - Cloud Imperium Games]: "Why Manchester?", YouTube, 23 May 2023</ref> Graphics (low-level), UI, Audio, Ships (especially those needed for Squadron 42), Environment (Level Design), Props, Marketing, Support
-*'''Derby''': [[StarCitizen:Facial Pipeline]]
-=== Canada ===
-* [[StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium Games Montréal|Cloud Imperium Games Montreal]] opened in 2025, as part of the already existing [[StarCitizen:Turbulent]].<ref>[https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/entreprises/2025-08-22/jeu-video/le-studio-web-turbulent-devient-cloud-imperium-games-montreal.php Le studio web Turbulent devient Cloud Imperium Games Montréal], lapresse.ca, 22 août 2025</ref>
-===Germany ===
-* '''Frankfurt'''<ref>[https://youtu.be/g3rPBbVBrcI STAR CITIZEN: Around the Verse - Episode 100 Celebration, Part IV], YouTube, 21 Jul 2016</ref>: Engine ([[StarCitizen:Star Engine]]), Tools, AI ([[StarCitizen:Subsumption]]), Cinematics, FPS weapons, Environment ([[StarCitizen:Prodecural Planets]] and [[StarCitizen:Space Station]]s), Lighting<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/live/cYyGW9ePnNk?feature=share Happy Hour Interview w/ Brian Chambers], YouTube, 5 May 2017</ref>
-=== United States ===
-* Austin, Texas
+== See also ==
+*[[StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium Games Texas, LLC|Cloud Imperium Games Austin]]
+*[[StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium Games, LLC|Cloud Imperium Games LA]]
+*[[StarCitizen:Cloud Imperium Games Montréal]]
 == Trivia ==
 *CIG has won the Massively OP’s Best of 2015 Awards: [[StarCitizen:MMO]] Studio of the Year.<ref>[https://massivelyop.com/2015/12/10/massively-ops-best-of-2015-awards-studio-of-the-year/ Massively OP’s Best of 2015 Awards: MMO Studio of the Year], massivelyop.com, December 10, 2015 </ref>
@@ Line 72: / Line 55: @@
 [[Category:Video_game_companies]]
 [[Category:IRL_companies_%26_organizations]]
+[[Category:Companies based in the UK]]
+[[Category:Cloud Imperium UK Ltd. Subsidiaries]]