Free Fly Events

Star Citizen, free for a week. No purchase needed.

Several times a year, Cloud Imperium opens Star Citizen up for free. Download the full game, fly real ships, explore the ‘Verse — no pledge required. This page tracks every Free Fly window, past and future.

What it is

A promotional window — usually 5 to 14 days — where the full Star Citizen alpha is downloadable and playable for free. You make a free RSI account, download the launcher, and start flying.

What you can do

Fly the loaner ships of the day, run missions, explore four planets and Pyro, dogfight, mine, salvage, trade. The whole game is open. Your character is wiped after the event ends.

What it costs

Nothing. If you decide to keep playing after the event, the cheapest game package is around $45 USD. Use a referral code on signup for 50,000 UEC free.

Current Status

No active Free Fly right now.

The next confirmed window is Invictus Launch Week, expected in late May. We’ll update this banner the moment it’s official.

Notify me when it startsvia the weekly newsletter

Upcoming

The next likely Free Fly windows

CIG hasn’t officially announced these dates, but they follow a predictable annual pattern. Treat these as best-guess targets and check back for confirmation.

  1. May 2026
    Predicted

    Invictus Launch Week (predicted)

    Annual military-themed event. Combat ships from Aegis, Anvil, and Drake typically rotate as flyables. 7–10 days.

  2. Aug 2026
    Possible

    Foundation Festival (possible)

    Newer summer event focused on industrial gameplay — mining, salvage, hauling. Loaner ships often skew industrial.

  3. Nov 2026
    Predicted

    IAE 2026 (predicted)

    The biggest event of the year. Every flyable ship is free for at least one day during the rotation. 12–14 days.

During Free Fly: use a referral code on signup.

You can use a referral code only on a brand new account. If you create your free Star Citizen account during a Free Fly and decide to pledge later, the 50,000 UEC bonus carries over to your real character. Don’t skip this step.

Begin with a boost

History

Recent Free Fly events

CIG runs Free Fly events two to four times a year. The table below shows recent windows so you can predict how long the next one might run.

WhenEventLengthShips flyable
Nov 2025IAE 2025 Free Fly12 daysEvery ship in the game
May 2025Invictus Launch Week10 daysAll military ships flyable
Mar 2025Spring Free Fly7 daysStarter + popular trade ships
Nov 2024IAE 202414 daysManufacturer-of-the-day rotation
May 2024Invictus 202410 daysCombat-focused selection
Heads up: Free Fly servers get hammered. Expect queue times, occasional crashes, and slightly degraded performance. It’s the best way to try the game, but it’s not a representative experience of normal weeks. Stick around past the event for a fairer impression.
Newsletter

Never miss a Free Fly window

One email when an event starts, one when it ends. Plus the loaner-ship rotation. That's it.