This week in the ‘Verse.

• Alpha 4.7.2 was released on Wednesday 22 April. It adds close to one hundred new contracts in the Nyx system, a recently opened region of space inside the game. The new contracts span thirteen job types, including beginner-friendly Courier and Delivery Pilot missions. These missions invite new players to haul packages between locations and start building a career in transport. (Official RSI blog post)
• Several of the new Nyx contracts reward blueprints. Blueprints are in-game recipes used to craft items. They were previously unavailable in Nyx. Other mission types now available in Nyx include wave-based ship combat assignments, cargoCargoBuying goods cheap at one station and selling them high at another. The classic trader loop. Hangar size and SCU capacity are your limits. recovery work, and missing persons investigations. (Official RSI blog post)
• Alpha 4.8 testing began on Tuesday 21 April. The first wave goes to a small invited group called EvocatiEPTUEvocati PTU — the earliest, NDA-bound test wave. Limited to a small group of long-time backers. Often the first to break, the first to feedback.. They sign an NDA — a non-disclosure agreement, a legal obligation to keep what they see private — and are the first outside the development team to try new content. Cloud Imperium GamesCIGCloud Imperium Games — the studio building Star Citizen and Squadron 42. Founded by Chris Roberts in 2012. distributed multiple test builds across the week. (Official forum post)

No new ships or vehicles were released this week.

If you are just starting, the new Courier and Delivery Pilot missions in Nyx are the most useful change this week. These are cargo-hauling contracts with no combat required. Pay is in aUECaUECAlpha UEC — the test-server currency used during Star Citizen alpha. It usually wipes when CIG resets the player database between major patches., the in-game test currency.

They require no combat skill and no large ship. They teach you flying, navigation, and money-making from day one. Nyx is a region of space accessible from StantonStantonThe first playable star system — four corporate-owned planets (ArcCorp, Crusader, Hurston, microTech), each with cities and moons. Mostly safe, law-enforced., where most new players start. (Official RSI blog post)

Alpha 4.8 testing introduces two major features. The first is Item Recovery: Vehicle Loadouts. This system lets players save and recover their ship’s configured parts and weapons via ASOP terminalsASOPAutomated Ship Operations and Placement — the in-game terminal where you retrieve, store, or insurance-claim your ships. Pronounced "A-sop.". It prevents a known bug where ships and components could be duplicated. If a claimed vehicle sits unclaimed for a period, its components deactivate and must be re-registered before use.

The second feature is Tactical Strike Groups, a new co-operative combat mission type for organised teams. Xenothreat — a wave-based invasion event where players defend a station against a hostile faction — is also in testing but not yet ready for feedback. (Official forum post)

• LVL UP EXPO, Las Vegas — Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) attended from Friday 24 April through Sunday 26 April. The event was open to the public. Attendees could play Vanduul Swarm — a wave-based combat activity — on specialized hardware from Virpil and Tobii. A CLX Gaming PC giveaway offered extra entries for cosplay attendees. A Bar Citizen — the community’s name for an in-person meet-up — was held on Saturday evening. (Official RSI blog post)
• Gamebox Festival, Herning, Denmark — The Danish Star Citizen community organised a booth at Gamebox Festival in Herning, Denmark on the weekend of 25-26 April. The event was open to the public. A Bar Citizen followed on Saturday evening. CIG staff attended on both days. (Official RSI blog post)
• Captains of Industry — In-game event — Captains of Industry is a month-long in-game celebration of the game’s industrial careers — hauling, miningMiningExtracting valuable rocks from asteroids or planet surfaces with a laser, then refining the ore for profit. Ships: Prospector (solo), MOLE (group), ROC (ground)., and salvageSalvageStripping derelict ships for hull material (RMC) and components. Ships like the Vulture and Reclaimer are built for salvage gameplay. work. The event runs through Monday 27 April 2026 and is open to all paid backers. During the event, a selection of cargoCargoBuying goods cheap at one station and selling them high at another. The classic trader loop. Hangar size and SCU capacity are your limits. and industrial ships is available for players to try, and themed cosmetic items are available in the in-game store. The Free FlyFree FlyA promotional event where Star Citizen is free to download and play for a limited window. The best way to try the game without pledging. See freeflyevent.com for the next one. period ran from 9 to 20 April and has now closed. (Official forum post)

The Roadmap Roundup is a public update CIGCIGCloud Imperium Games — the studio building Star Citizen and Squadron 42. Founded by Chris Roberts in 2012. publishes every two weeks describing what features are in development. The edition published on Wednesday 22 April confirmed several changes to Alpha 4.8’s development plan. Two items moved to “Tentative” status: the FPSFPSFirst-Person Shooter gameplay — the on-foot combat in Star Citizen. You'll do FPS in bunkers, derelict ships, and during ground missions. Weapons Art Refactor and the “Tailwind” Flight Suit. “Tentative” means they might not launch in Alpha 4.8. The Item Recovery: Vehicle Loadouts card also shifted to Tentative, though it is actively being tested this week. (Official RSI blog post)

A new crossbow weapon appeared on the roadmap: the UltiFlex “Novia” Crossbow, described as a near-silent, high-power weapon with significant projectile drop requiring precise aim. It remains scheduled for Alpha 4.8. (Official RSI blog post)

Ray-traced reflections are in development for Squadron 42. On Monday 27 April, a CIGCIGCloud Imperium Games — the studio building Star Citizen and Squadron 42. Founded by Chris Roberts in 2012. graphics developer confirmed this on SpectrumSpectrumThe official RSI community forum at robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum. Ground zero for bug reports, org recruiting, and the occasional flame war.. Ray-traced reflections — a visual technology for realistic mirror-like surfaces — are being developed for Squadron 42Squadron 42The single-player cinematic campaign set in the same universe — a separate game with a Hollywood cast (Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman). Sold separately from Star Citizen. (the game’s single-player campaign). Performance is the current priority. After the single-player version is stable, bringing this feature to the online multiplayer world (the Persistent UniversePUPersistent Universe — the live, always-online Star Citizen world where most players spend their time. Your characters, ships, and credits live here.) will require additional work. (Official forum post)