Star Citizen Free Fly Events
Anyone can play Star Citizen for free during Free Fly events. Create your free account with our code first — the 50,000 UEC bonus can't be added later.
The next Free Fly is on the horizon.
No Free Fly is announced yet — the next expected window is the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) in late November, which has had a Free Fly every year since 2021. You can still create a Star Citizen account today and lock in the 50,000 UEC bonus — your account will be ready the moment the event opens.
STAR-GCQJ-N6NCPaste it into the Referral Code field on the signup form. The code cannot be added after about 24 hours, so the bonus never attaches. Full details on our referral code page.
IAE 2956 — Intergalactic Aerospace Expo
Official 2026 dates not announced yet. Past IAE Free Flys ran Nov 17 – Dec 5.
Historically it is the biggest free-to-play event of the year: roughly two weeks, 100+ ships rotating through daily manufacturer showcases, free for anyone with an RSI account.
Get ready now
- 1Create your free RSI account now with our code. Use a referral code at signup so 50,000 UEC lands in your account when you log in. The code cannot be added after about 24 hours.
- 2Start the launcher download early. The game client is about a 100 GB download; plan on 150 GB free on an SSD.
- 3Run the new-player tutorial. 30–45 minutes well spent.
What is a Free Fly event?
Several times a year, Cloud Imperium Games — the studio behind Star Citizen — opens the game to everyone. For roughly 10 days, no purchase is required. You make a free RSI account, download the launcher, and you're in.
The two main events are Invictus Launch Week in May (a Navy fleet showcase) and the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) in November (the largest ship show of the year, with 100+ ships rotating through the free roster).
Free Fly is the moment to try Star Citizen. If you bounce off, you've lost nothing. If you're hooked, you'll know it within an afternoon — and you can decide whether to grab a Game Package while still inside the event window. Wondering is Star Citizen free to play? outside of Free Fly too — the honest answer is no, but here's the full breakdown of what each tier gets you.
What can you do during a Free Fly?
Use this checklist whether the event is live now or you're preparing for the next one. Each step is bite-sized — get through them and you'll have a real sense of the game. The numbered steps happen once the event is live. The gold box is the one thing to do beforehand.
- 1
Download the launcher
Grab the RSI Launcher from your account page. The game client is about a 100 GB download; plan on 150 GB free on an SSD. Start this early — the launcher will keep running while you read on.
- 2
Pick a ship from the Free Fly list
During the event, several ships are unlocked for everyone. The featured ships rotate by event — check the current event card on the homepage.
- 3
Run the new-player tutorial
Spawn at your starting station, follow the contract markers, and learn flight, quantum travel, and ship combat basics. 30–45 minutes well spent.
Full first-day walkthrough at dayonecitizen.com → - 4
Try a delivery mission
Easiest first earner. Press F1 for your mobiGlas, open the Contract Manager, and accept a delivery. Pick up boxes on one moon, drop them on another. Pays well, low risk, and you see a lot of the universe quickly.
- 5
Explore a major planet
Microtech (snow), ArcCorp (city), Crusader (gas giant), or Hurston (industrial). Each is enormous and worth a quantum jump.
- 6
Group up with friends
Star Citizen is unforgivingly fun in groups. Use in-game chat, or Spectrum (RSI’s forum and chat site) in your browser, to find a crew. Friend other players and queue into shared instances.
- 7
Decide before the event ends
If you're enjoying it, pick up a Game Package while still inside the event window. Your referral bonus and any Free Fly progress carry over.
Already signed up? Join the DayOneCitizen Discord for starter help and ship advice.