Developer Cloud Imperium Games announced it has hired Tony Zurovec as Star Citizen‘s Director of Persistent Universe.

That’s not a title you hear every day, but it’s pretty much what it sounds like. Zurovec will direct design, engineering, and art in Cloud Imperium’s Austin studio, focusing on the space sim’s persistent universe. He’ll also manage some of Cloud Imperium’s contract studios. According to a press release from Cloud Imperium, there are now more than 250 employees and contractors working on Star Citizen.

Zurovec, who’s best known for his Crusader series, started his career at Origin Systems (now a part of Electronic Arts), where he worked on the Ultima role-playing games. Zurovec and Cloud Imperium founder Chris Roberts also worked together at developer Digital Anvil in the late ‘90s.

“I’m extremely excited to be working with Chris Roberts again,” Zurovec said. “What Chris is doing with Star Citizen is absolutely unprecedented in the industry. The entertainment potential for a totally open-ended universe that gives players complete freedom to pursue their own path is staggering, and I look forward to working with the vast number of talented developers Chris has pulled together from all over the world to help deliver an experience unlike anything anyone’s ever seen.”

After a slight delay, Star Citizen recently made its dogfighting module, Arena Commander, available to backers. Star Citizen is being funded by fans, and has raised more money than any other crowdfunding project to date. At the moment, it’s approaching its $47 million stretch goal.

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