Star Citizen has a new $160 spaceship that you can’t use just yet

Hey remember Star Citizen? That video game that is totally still going to be properly released one day as new features and modules trickle out of this ambitious space combat and exploration simulator? Yeah it’s still around, albeit not exactly in a proper state as fans furiously defend their decision to back the project with plenty of dollars so far.

Right now Star Citizen has the world record for crowdfunding clinched and then some, with its current total of contributions being around a hefty $144 million so far. Plenty of that coin also came from a steady stream of support over the last couple of years in the form of spaceships which could be purchased ahead of schedule.

Maybe you wanted a more nimble explorer for the cosmos, or a battle-ready interceptor that has speed to match its armament. Whatever your taste, Star Citizen has it if your wallet is large enough. And if you happen to want to spend upwards of $160 on a new mini-gunship that you can’t use right now in the game, there’s an option for that as well. Dubbed the “Anvil Hurricane”, this new ship trades in armour for a stupid amount of guns and precision. Here’s the full description from Roberts Space Industries:

Meet the A4A Hurricane, a fighting spacecraft that packs a deadly punch into a slight fuselage. The spacecraft compensates for its lack of creature comforts with its powerful armament, boasting six guns capable of blasting their way through nearly anything. Hurricane pilots have yet to find an enemy shield they can’t knock down.

Be warned, this is not a ship for beginners. Mastering her unique ratio of heavy weapons with little armor requires a particular mix of marksman and dogfighter. Naval pilots serving with Hurricane squadrons have fallen in love with the exclusively offensive design; their peers’ constant refrain of ‘are you having a little ship with your guns?’ has served only to further distinguish the flights of “Six Shooters.”

Standard model Hurricanes currently ship with six KBAR 11-Series Broadsword cannons (two gimbaled on the Size 4 nose hardpoints and four on the Size 3 turret slots) and four FSKI Ignite missiles for the Size 3 missile bay hardpoints. First blooded against the Tevarin near the end of the Second War, Anvil resurrected the classic Hurricane in response to increased Vanduul attacks in the late 29th century. The fighter still serves with distinction in multiple branches of the UEE military and will become available for the civilian market for 2947.

And here’s where it gets silly. You can buy the ship right now. You just can’t use it, display it or take it out for a joyride at all. Not yet anyway. “The Hurricane is currently scheduled to become flight-ready later this year,” the RSI post explained.

Because it is a smaller spacecraft, which uses the existing Anvil design aesthetic and dogfighting mechanics already tested in the Star Citizen Alpha, we expect it to come online earlier in the pipeline.

The Hurricane is being offered for the first time as a limited concept sale. This means that the ship design meets our specifications, but it is not yet ready to display in your Hangar, fight in Arena Commander, or fly in the Alpha. The sale includes Lifetime Insurance on the ship hull and a pair of decorative items for your Hangar. A future patch will add a Hurricane poster and then, once the in-game model is finished, you will also be given an in-game Hurricane mini ship model!

Once this deal expires, the ship price will increase and not include Lifetime Insurance or these extras.

Look, the idea of selling a concept isn’t exactly unheard of. That’s how season passes for games function anyway. It’s just the idea of charging that much cash for an item that you can’t use at all for a few months in a game that still shows no sign whatsoever of being finished in this lifetime beyond the current alpha, feels somewhat…weird.

Last Updated: February 27, 2017