Star Citizen commits to a "comprehensive wipe" as CIG fights back aginst duping exploits

Star Citizen alpha 4.8 goes live today, and with it comes a much more far-reaching wipe than developer Cloud Imperium Games had originally suggested. In its initial announcement, the studio listed a plan to clear out players' in-game resources, vehicles bought with the in-game currency aUEC, and that currency balance itself. However, plans to leave players with ships and gear that were obtained through trading with NPC Wikelo caused community concerns. In response, CIG is now deploying a more substantial trim.

"We've been closely following the conversation surrounding 4.8's upcoming wipe and wanted to give you an updated heads-up regarding what to expect," the Star Citizen developer says in a new forum post. Dive into the community forums and you'll quickly discover a wealth of posts from the past few days complaining that the space game is full of people making use of duplication tricks and exploits. Among them, many have been snagging the elusive high-end rewards from Wikelo and parading them around the galaxy.

"CIG is encouraging players to cheat," one user asserts. "We all know how difficult it is to redeem Wikelo's large ships, and how those Wikelo ships that are flying all over the universe were obtained. Yet CIG chose to ignore them." Another thread highlights what its poster claims are the widespread number of different objects that are being duplicated and breaking the economy and item market. "Unless you are deeply involved in trading networks, Discord communities, or high-volume market activity, most players will never see what is really happening behind the scenes," they write.

In response to the concerns, CIG has adjusted its plans. "Alpha 4.8 will include a comprehensive wipe," it confirms. "This means earned aUEC, in-game purchased vehicles, items, resources, reputation progression, and Wikelo and Executive Hangar rewards will all be reset with the launch of alpha 4.8." You will keep hold of your blueprints, and any item or vehicle that is entitled to your account and shown in the 'My Hangar' page on the Roberts Space Industries website.

"As previously mentioned, this reset is an important step toward stabilizing the economy as new systems continue coming online," the studio continues. "Alongside the wipe, we've also implemented additional safeguards aimed at reducing exploits and duplication issues, with more improvements to come. We appreciate all the feedback you've sent our way. We'll be closely monitoring the rollout and look forward to seeing you all in-game."

Star Citizen alpha 4.8 launches Wednesday May 13. The big new addition is Tactical Strike Groups, a fully co-op driven activity where you and a few like-minded companions bring your ships together to take on a range of tasks. There are also ship hangar services, allowing particular spacecraft with sufficient facilities to offer features such as repairs, refueling, and rearming to others that land in their bays. A free fly event is also running for DefenseCon, which runs from Thursday May 14 until Wednesday May 27.