Cloud Imperium Games, the studio behind Star Citizen, is seeking Cinematic Animators for its offices in Frankfurt and Manchester. They are specifically looking for candidates with experience in developing for current and upcoming consoles.
In this role, you would collaborate with a team of animators and designers to bring exceptional performances from top actors into the Squadron 42 storyline. You’d work on scenes with multiple pathways, rich storytelling, and intense action sequences. Since 2012, Cloud Imperium Games has been pushing the boundaries of game development, working on Star Citizen, a groundbreaking PC-based multiplayer space sim, and Squadron 42, a standalone single-player adventure set in the same universe.
- Preference for experience in game animation, particularly on modern or next-gen consoles.
This move has sparked speculation among fans that Cloud Imperium might be planning to release Star Citizen or Squadron 42 on consoles like PlayStation or Xbox in the future. However, the company has yet to officially announce any console ports. Historically, both games have been PC-only projects, with Chris Roberts, the game director, emphasizing the platform’s capabilities from the start.
That said, console technology has evolved significantly over the years. What was once too demanding for older consoles might now be feasible on newer models, such as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, or even their successors, expected around 2027-2028.
Recently, Squadron 42 secured a release window for 2026, alongside a new gameplay demo unveiled at CitizenCon. The campaign boasts an impressive lineup of actors, including Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill, Mark Strong, Henry Cavill, Ben Mendelsohn, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, Liam Cunningham, and Gillian Anderson.
Additionally, recent reports indicate that Cloud Imperium has lost key personnel specializing in ‘server meshing,’ a critical technology for Star Citizen’s jump points. While this setback won’t impact Squadron 42, it could pose challenges for Star Citizen. We’ve reached out to the company for clarification but have yet to receive a response.