Star Citizen Free Fly & New Player Guide for 2026

It’s always a good time to jump into Star Citizen! You can buy the game anytime, and if it isn’t for you, CIG offers a 30-day refund window. However, new players often prefer to start during a Free Fly event, which happens several times a year and gives you temporary, free access to the game. Events like Invictus Launch Week (ILW), Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE), and other seasonal free flies are ideal times to try the game without paying upfront.

Are you a Virtual Reality (VR) enthusiast? If so, you're in luck! CIG just enabled experimental VR within Star Citizen which has been incredibly well received. Get in game now to try it out!

A Free Fly is a time-limited event during which anyone can play Star Citizen for free - no purchase required. CIG makes available a lineup of various ships and vehicles to use for free during major in-game events like the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE), Invictus Launch Week (ILW), Foundation Festival, and more.

You can always find the latest dates, ship lists, and schedules on my Free Fly guide page.

You can create a Star Citizen account for free using a referral code link. Simply click “Enlist Now,” and fill in your desired handle, email, password, and other details — the referral code (STAR-SFVL-W7BT) is already prefilled. After you confirm your email, you’ll receive 50,000 in-game credits (UEC) automatically. That’s all you need! Once your account is activated, you’re ready to either participate in a Free Fly event or purchase a game package.

Check out my Account Creation guide for full step-by-step instructions.

Star Citizen features recurring in-lore events throughout the year, including Red Festival (Lunar New Year), Stella Fortuna (St. Patrick’s Day), Day of the Vara (Halloween), Luminalia (Christmas/winter holidays), and more.

In addition, CIG regularly hosts major gameplay and ship-showcase events like Invictus Launch Week, Ship Showdown, and the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE), along with occasional special events tied to new patch releases.

For the full list, visit the Events page.

Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) is the studio developing Star Citizen (the MMO space sim) and Squadron 42 (the single-player campaign).

Roberts Space Industries (RSI) is an in-universe ship manufacturer — and the branding used for the official Star Citizen website at robertsspaceindustries.com.

Squadron 42 is a cinematic, single-player space adventure being developed by Cloud Imperium Games (CIG). It features an all-star cast including Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, John Rhys-Davies and Henry Cavill.

In October 2024, CIG announced that Squadron 42 is feature-complete and targeting a 2026 release window.

Take the role of a rookie UEE Navy combat pilot in a story-driven campaign to defend humanity from the Vanduul swarm. Encounter a new level of immersion as you seamlessly transition between daring dogfights in space and exhilarating ground combat. The narrative leads directly into the modern-day Star Citizen universe, although the two games are purchased separately.