Star Citizen Game Packages, explained from scratch

A Game Package is the bundle that unlocks the game. Ship plus UEC plus game access plus insurance, all in one purchase. RSI sells seven of them today, all qualifying for the 50,000 UEC referral bonus. Here's exactly what's inside one, how it differs from a standalone ship pledge, and what SLV, LTI and CCU actually mean.

By Domux · Updated 19 May 2026

What is a Game Package

A Game Package is the entry-level purchase to play Star Citizen. Every Game Package on the RSI store contains four things bundled together at one price:

If you've heard the terms "Starter Pack" and "Game Package" used interchangeably, that's because they are. Every Starter Pack RSI sells is a Game Package. The distinction matters in only one place: a few non-Starter-Pack Game Packages exist (Squadron 42 + Star Citizen combo bundles for example), but for a new player buying their first one, "Game Package" and "Starter Pack" mean the same thing.

Game Package vs standalone ship pledge

This is the single confusion that costs new players the most money. You can buy two kinds of thing on the RSI Pledge Store: Game Packages and standalone ships. They look similar on the store but they're very different products.

Insurance levels: SLV, 6-month, and LTI

Every ship in Star Citizen will eventually require insurance once CIG turns on the full in-game insurance economy at some point post-1.0. That hasn't happened yet, but the insurance level on your Game Package is something you pay attention to because LTI ships hold value at higher CCU tiers.

SLV (Self-Land Vehicle insurance)

The basic insurance level on most Game Packages. Your ship can be reclaimed for free at a terminal indefinitely under the current system. SLV is the most common insurance type on Starter Packs.

Standard hull insurance (1-month, 3-month, 6-month)

Time-limited insurance on the ship hull. Currently renewed automatically in-game without UEC cost while RSI hasn't activated the paid insurance economy. Once that economy turns on, you'd need to renew with in-game UEC or store credit.

LTI (Lifetime Insurance)

A never-expiring level one insurance policy. The ship is always claimable for free indefinitely without renewing. LTI is rare and offered on:

• Concept-sale pledges. When CIG sells a brand new ship before it's flyable, the first pledge wave usually includes LTI.
• Anniversary or special-event bundles. Occasional limited bundles include LTI on the ship.
• Some high-tier packages. Specifically high-dollar pledges (Idris and similar capital ships).

Standard Citizen, Salvager, Miner, Duelist, Hauler, Outsider and Privateer Starter Packs do not include LTI. They include SLV or short-term hull insurance. For new players that is fine. LTI matters more for veteran fleet planning, less for getting started.

CCU: how you upgrade a ship without re-buying the package

CCU stands for Cross Chassis Upgrade. It lets you pay the price difference between your current ship and a more expensive ship to swap up. The CCU is applied as a token on your account; when you apply it, your old ship is replaced with the new one, but the original package benefits (game access, UEC stipend, insurance level) carry over.

Example flow

1. You buy a Citizen Starter Pack at $60 (Aurora Mk II + 10,000 UEC + game access + SLV).
2. You decide you actually want a Cutlass Black instead.
3. You buy a CCU from Aurora Mk II to Cutlass Black. Cutlass Black standalone is around $110, Aurora Mk II is around $25 standalone, so the CCU costs roughly $85.
4. You apply the CCU. Now your package has a Cutlass Black instead of an Aurora, plus the original $60's worth of benefits.
5. Total spend $145 instead of buying the $125 Privateer (which already comes with a Cutlass Black + more UEC + 6-month hull insurance).

The CCU system works backwards from how you'd expect: in this case, just buying the Privateer Starter Pack outright is cheaper than CCU-ing up to the same ship. CCU is most useful for going to ships that don't come bundled in a Game Package, or for picking up an LTI ship via the original concept pledge and CCU-ing it to a current ship.

How the 50,000 UEC referral bonus stacks

Every Game Package on the RSI store qualifies for the referral bonus because they all clear the $40 minimum (cheapest is $60). The bonus is paid in UEC, on top of the package, and does not change the package price.

The 50,000 UEC bonus credits to the new account once any qualifying Game Package purchase clears. Code attached at signup (or within 24 hours of account creation under Account → Referral Rewards). See the signup guide for the exact field location.

Melt: turning a package back into store credit

RSI allows you to "melt" most Game Packages, converting the package back into store credit on your account. You can then buy a different package or apply the credit to ship pledges or CCUs. Melt is non-destructive in that you don't lose the dollar value, but there are restrictions:

• Original-concept LTI ships often cannot be re-bought once melted (the ship is back in your store credit but you can't put it back together as the original LTI package).
• Certain anniversary or limited-time bundles are one-time only.
• Subscriber-exclusive packages have their own melt rules.
• The 50,000 UEC referral bonus, once received, is not refunded if you melt the package later.

Melt is mainly used by veteran players reshuffling their fleet, not by new players. For your first Game Package, just buy the one you want and ignore melt unless you specifically need it.

Quick recommendation if you're picking your first one

Get the Citizen Starter Pack at $60. Cheapest, includes the Aurora Mk II (good learner ship), 10,000 UEC, full game access, SLV insurance. Add STAR-JTV7-FXLR at signup for 50,000 UEC on top. You land in the alpha with 60,000 UEC, enough for a full armour kit, a primary weapon, sidearm and supplies, plus a couple of ship-component upgrades. From there you earn more UEC in-game and grow your fleet however you want.

The full comparison of all seven Starter Packs (with use-case recommendations for each) is on the Starter Packs page.

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