---
id: "00cc4a92-320a-4483-a0fa-efefd9315552"
type: "Person"
name: "Chris Roberts"
slug: "chris-roberts"
canonical: "https://groundingwiki.com/en/people/chris-roberts/"
markdown: "https://groundingwiki.com/en/people/chris-roberts/index.md"
language: en
same_as:
  - "https://wikidata.org/wiki/Q322999"
---

# Chris Roberts

Chris Roberts is an American game designer and filmmaker whose work includes the Wing Commander series, Digital Anvil and Cloud Imperium Games. [1] [2]

The markers cite the evidence for the underlying claims. They do not mean one source contains this full sentence.

## Core facts

- **Entity type:** Person

- **Date of birth:** 27 May 1968 — [3] structured public data, checked 24 Sept 2026

- **Nationality:** United States — [3] structured public data, checked 24 Sept 2026

- **Occupations:** Game designer; programmer; filmmaker — [3] structured public data, checked 24 Sept 2026

## Who is Chris Roberts?

Roberts developed the Wing Commander series from 1990 to 1996, founded Digital Anvil in 1996, and later founded Cloud Imperium Games in 2012. — [1] first-party, checked 24 Sept 2026; [2] first-party, checked 24 Sept 2026

## History

- **1996:** After leaving Origin Systems, Roberts founded Digital Anvil, where he created Starlancer and Freelancer. — [2] first-party, checked 24 Sept 2026

- **1997:** Digital Anvil announced its launch as an Austin-based game development company founded by Chris Roberts. — [4] historical, checked 24 Sept 2026

- **2000:** Microsoft announced plans to acquire Digital Anvil; Roberts said he would leave after Freelancer while continuing as a creative consultant. — [5] first-party, checked 24 Sept 2026

## Relationships

- **founded:** [Digital Anvil](https://groundingwiki.com/en/organizations/digital-anvil/index.md) — [2] first-party, checked 24 Sept 2026

## Sources
1. [About Cloud Imperium Games](https://cloudimperiumgames.com/about)
   - Publisher: Cloud Imperium Games
   - Type: first-party
   - Checked: 24 Sept 2026
   - Evidence:
     - Definition: "Cloud Imperium states that game developer Chris Roberts founded the company in 2012."
     - Who is Chris Roberts?: "Cloud Imperium says it was founded in 2012 by Chris Roberts and a team from the games and film industries."
2. [Meet Chris Roberts](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/en/comm-link/transmission/12665-Meet-Chris-Roberts)
   - Publisher: Roberts Space Industries
   - Type: first-party
   - Checked: 24 Sept 2026
   - Evidence:
     - Definition: "Roberts Space Industries' biography describes Roberts's work on the Wing Commander series, his founding of Digital Anvil, and his later film work."
     - Who is Chris Roberts?: "The official biography dates Roberts’s work on Wing Commander to 1990–1996 and says he founded Digital Anvil in 1996."
     - 1996: "Roberts Space Industries states that Roberts left Origin in 1996 to found Digital Anvil and created Starlancer and Freelancer there."
     - founded: "Roberts Space Industries states that Chris Roberts founded Digital Anvil in 1996."
3. [Chris Roberts \(Q322999\)](https://wikidata.org/wiki/Q322999)
   - Publisher: Wikidata
   - Type: structured public data
   - Checked: 24 Sept 2026
   - Evidence:
     - Date of birth: "Wikidata lists 27 May 1968 as Chris Roberts's date of birth."
     - Nationality: "Wikidata records United States as Chris Roberts's country of citizenship."
     - Occupations: "Wikidata describes Roberts as a game designer, programmer, and filmmaker."
4. [Game Creator, Microsoft to Form Company](https://latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-19-fi-30134-story.html)
   - Publisher: Los Angeles Times
   - Type: historical
   - Checked: 24 Sept 2026
   - Evidence:
     - 1997: "The Los Angeles Times reported on 19 February 1997 that Roberts was expected to announce Digital Anvil's launch that day."
5. [Microsoft to Acquire Digital Anvil](https://news.microsoft.com/source/2000/12/05/microsoft-to-acquire-digital-anvil)
   - Publisher: Microsoft
   - Type: first-party
   - Checked: 24 Sept 2026
   - Evidence:
     - 2000: "Microsoft's 5 December 2000 announcement identifies Roberts as Digital Anvil founder and CEO, says he planned to depart, and notes his continuing Freelancer consulting role."

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