When is the next Star Citizen Free Fly?
Updated daily. Right now there's a Free Fly in progress, so the short answer is "today". Below is the live event status, the full 2026 calendar, and the small trick that locks the 50,000 UEC referral bonus in for whenever you decide to upgrade later.
How to join the current Free Fly
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Create your RSI account
Go to
robertsspaceindustries.com/enlist. Fill in Account Name, email, password, date of birth. -
Paste STAR-JTV7-FXLR in the Referral Rewards field
Even though you are not buying anything, paste the code anyway. It costs nothing and locks the 50,000 UEC bonus in for whenever you decide to upgrade. The field disappears 24 hours after account creation.
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Download the RSI Launcher
From
robertsspaceindustries.com/download. About 150 GB of game install, plan for several hours on a typical connection. See the full download guide for details. -
Sign in during the event window and pick a ship
From your hangar, request any of the featured ships. Fly, explore, do missions. The ships lock when the event ends on 27 May.
The code locks in for the long game
Plenty of people try Free Fly, don't buy a Game Package immediately, then come back months later to upgrade. As long as you pasted STAR-JTV7-FXLR during signup (or in the 24 hour window after), the 50,000 UEC bonus credits whenever your $40+ Game Package purchase eventually clears. No expiry on the code attachment.
What ships are flyable in this Invictus 2026
The Drake DefenseCon / Invictus 2026 line-up features several new and showcase ships:
- Drake Ironclad, large armored freight hauler
- Drake Ironclad Assault, combined-arms variant of the Ironclad
- Drake Pitbull, light combat ship
- Aegis Tiburon, large area-denial ship
- MISC Starlight, light refueling vessel
- Origin M80, heavy fighter
- Anvil Odin Battlecruiser, concept-sale event finale
The exact daily rotation runs by manufacturer day (Drake May 14-15, RSI + Origin May 16-17, etc), with the all-ships finale weekend on 26-27 May. CIG publishes the daily roster on the official RSI Comm-Link as the event progresses.
Full Star Citizen Free Fly calendar 2026
Three confirmed annual windows. CIG announces exact dates 2 to 4 weeks ahead on Comm-Link. The pattern below has held for several years.
Annual military and ship showcase. Multiple manufacturers spotlighted across two weeks. Game Package sale runs concurrently. Best Free Fly for sampling combat and capital ships.
The shortest of the three windows, typically one week. Themed around alien-design ships (Vanduul Blade, Xi'an Khartu-Al / Nox, Banu Defender, Esperia line). Lighter ship roster but unique flight characteristics.
The biggest event of the year. Every flyable ship in the live alpha is free to test, rotating across themed days for each manufacturer (Anvil, Aegis, Drake, MISC, Origin, Crusader, RSI, Tumbril, Esperia, Banu). Deepest Game Package sales of the year. Highest concurrent player counts.
CIG sometimes runs a smaller summer Free Fly tied to the project's founding anniversary. Not always confirmed in advance, but recurring most years. Smaller ship roster, often paired with subscriber-side promotions.
The DefenseCon variant of Invictus 2026 is the in-fiction theme this year. Drake Interplanetary is the highlight manufacturer with multiple Ironclad variants. This is the same event window as Invictus Launch Week.
What changes when the event ends
The Free Fly ends on 27 May 2026 at midnight UTC (or whatever exact time CIG sets in the Comm-Link, usually a clean midnight). What happens then:
- Your account stays. Permanent.
- The rented event ships lock. You cannot request them from your hangar anymore.
- You cannot enter the live alpha unless you have a Game Package on your account.
- Your referral code attachment stays. If you pasted
STAR-JTV7-FXLRduring signup, it remains tied to your account permanently. The 50,000 UEC bonus credits whenever you later complete a $40+ Game Package purchase.
Make the account during Free Fly. Lock in the bonus. Decide on a Starter Pack any time after, even months from now.
STAR-JTV7-FXLR Create account during Free FlyFAQ
When is the next Star Citizen Free Fly event?
Right now. Invictus Launch Week / Drake DefenseCon 2026 is live 14 May to 27 May 2026. After Invictus, the next Free Fly is expected in mid to late September 2026 for Alien Week.
What is the Star Citizen Free Fly schedule for 2026?
Three confirmed annual windows: Invictus / DefenseCon mid to late May (currently live), Alien Week mid to late September, and the IAE in mid November to early December. CIG announces exact dates 2 to 4 weeks ahead on the official Comm-Link.
Can I join Free Fly without paying?
Yes. Free Fly is genuinely free. Create an RSI account, download the launcher, log in during the event window. The curated event ships are flyable for the duration. Account stays after the event ends; ships lock.
Should I enter the referral code during Free Fly?
Yes. Paste STAR-JTV7-FXLR in the Referral Rewards field at signup. The 50,000 UEC bonus only triggers when you later buy a $40+ Game Package, but the code attachment is permanent. Lock it in now, decide on a package whenever you want.
What ships are flyable during the May 2026 Invictus?
Featured roster includes the Drake Ironclad, Drake Ironclad Assault, Drake Pitbull, Aegis Tiburon, MISC Starlight, Origin M80 and the Anvil Odin Battlecruiser. Rotating manufacturer days plus all-ships finale weekend May 26-27.
How many Free Fly events does CIG run per year?
Three confirmed annually (Invictus in May, Alien Week in September, IAE in November-December) plus occasionally a fourth smaller event (Foundation Festival in summer). Most years total 3 to 4 Free Fly windows.
How long does each Free Fly last?
Invictus is the longest at 2 weeks (14 days). IAE is similar at roughly 2.5 weeks. Alien Week is the shortest at typically 1 week. Foundation Festival is usually 4 to 5 days when it happens.