When is the next Star Citizen Free Fly?
IAE 2956: confirm dates and public access before planning
Sources checked 1 November 2026: RSI’s public Free Fly is closed. No exact IAE 2956 dates, new public trial window or associated ship roster were confirmed in the official announcements inspected.
Before buying for an expected IAE sale, check the actual offer and trial eligibility. A manufacturer day or temporary ship rental does not establish a discount or permanent ownership. Discovery’s mission-earned rental requires existing game access. Add a referral at signup or within 24 hours on a new unlinked account; that entry window is not a deadline to buy. Any special event incentive has its own announced purchase conditions.
Maintained by Domux. Editorial approach and referral disclosure
No Free Fly is live for new players as of 11 October 2026. The backers-only Ship Showdown window ended on 2 September. The last window open to everyone was the Foundation Festival, 29 July to 10 August. The next one expected to be open to new players is IAE 2956 in November, but RSI has not announced exact dates. Below is the full 2026 calendar and the small trick that locks the 50,000 UEC referral bonus in for whenever you decide to upgrade.
How to get ready for the next 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 the referral code 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. RSI referral conditions
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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 again as soon as the Free Fly window closes.
The code locks in for the long game
RSI advertises the 50,000 UEC signup bonus after buying a Game Package. For the referrer to earn a Recruitment Point, the account must own a Game Package and reach $40 USD in eligible fresh-money spending across the pledge store. Store credit and gifted pledges do not count toward that spend.
What was flyable in the recent Free Flys
The Foundation Festival (29 July to 10 August 2026), the last window open to everyone, offered the RSI Aurora Mk II, Drake Cutter, Drake Golem, Crusader Intrepid and RSI Salvation. Before that, DefenseCon's Free Fly ran 18 to 27 May, with a showcase line-up that included:
- 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 Starlite, light refueling vessel
- Origin M80, heavy fighter
- Anvil Odin Battlecruiser, concept-sale event finale
Each Free Fly has its own roster, published on the official RSI Comm-Link a couple of weeks before it opens. IAE in November is the one that puts essentially the whole fleet in the air.
Full Star Citizen Free Fly calendar 2026
CIG announces exact dates 2 to 4 weeks ahead on Comm-Link. The pattern below has held for several years.
The expo ran 14 to 27 May. The Free Fly started on 18 May after CIG held it back for stability fixes, then ran through 27 May alongside the military and industrial ship showcase.
The summer Free Fly, tied to the project's founding anniversary, and the last window that was open to everyone. The roster was the RSI Aurora Mk II, Drake Cutter, Drake Golem, Crusader Intrepid and RSI Salvation. It ran alongside a referral promotion that has now expired.
The annual community ship popularity bracket. The Elite Eight are free to fly for the week, but this year CIG limited the Free Fly to existing backers so the team could focus on the Alpha 4.10 release. A new account cannot use it.
The biggest event of the year. The announced trial roster is available to eligible accounts, 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.
What changes when a Free Fly ends
When the event window closes (CIG usually sets a clean midnight UTC, as Invictus did on 27 May), here is what happens:
- 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
the referral codeduring signup, it remains tied to your account permanently. The 50,000 UEC bonus credits whenever you later complete a 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 FlyAdd the code at signup or within 24 hours of creating your account. That is not a deadline to buy. A free account can join public Free Fly events during their announced windows. Special event rewards have separate rules. RSI rules
✓ Verified referral code · Today: 11 November 2026FAQ
When is the next Star Citizen Free Fly event?
No Free Fly is live for new players as of 11 October 2026. DefenseCon's Free Fly ran 18 to 27 May, Foundation Festival ran 29 July to 10 August, and the backers-only Ship Showdown window ended on 2 September. The next expected public window is IAE 2956 in November, with exact dates still TBA.
What is the Star Citizen Free Fly schedule for 2026?
Confirmed windows were DefenseCon Free Fly 18 to 27 May, Foundation Festival 29 July to 10 August, and Ship Showdown 26 August to 2 September for existing backers only. IAE 2956 is confirmed, but RSI has not announced exact dates.
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?
RSI advertises the 50,000 UEC signup bonus after buying a Game Package. For the referrer to earn a Recruitment Point, the account must own a Game Package and reach $40 USD in eligible fresh-money spending across the pledge store. Store credit and gifted pledges do not count toward that spend.
What ships were flyable during the May 2026 Invictus?
DefenseCon’s public trial ran 18 to 27 May after a delayed opening. The Foundation Festival trial later offered Aurora Mk II, Cutter, Golem, Intrepid and Salvation. Each event has its own official roster; those ships are not a confirmed IAE 2026 list.
How many Free Fly events does CIG run per year?
The number and audience vary. In 2026, DefenseCon ran 18 to 27 May and Foundation Festival ran 29 July to 10 August. Ship Showdown, 26 August to 2 September, was for existing backers. A recurring annual event does not guarantee public trial access.
How long does each Free Fly last?
Use the start and end dates in the official announcement. In 2026, DefenseCon’s public window ran 18 to 27 May and Foundation Festival ran 29 July to 10 August. Do not assume another event uses the same duration.