UPCOMINGMay 22 – Jun 2, 2026
Invictus Launch Week 2026
What's Included
- Anvil F7C Hornet
- Drake Cutlass Black
- RSI Aurora MR
Annual UEE Navy fleet week. Largest Free Fly of the year.
50,000 UEC referral bonus available
Star Citizen · Free Fly Tracker
Star Citizen Free Fly Events
Anyone can play Star Citizen for free during Free Fly events. Find out when the next one is, what's included, and how to lock in a 50,000 UEC referral bonus before you launch.
The Basics
What is a Free Fly event?
Twice 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.
Your First 60 Minutes
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.
- 1
Create your free RSI account
Use a referral code at signup so 50,000 UEC lands in your account when you log in. You cannot add the code after the 24-hour grace window — get it right the first time.
- 2
Download the launcher
Grab the RSI Launcher from your account page. It downloads the game client (~100 GB). Start this early — the launcher will keep running while you read on.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
Try a delivery mission
Easiest first earner. Pick up boxes on one moon, drop them on another. Pays well, low risk, and you see a lot of the universe quickly.
- 6
Explore a major planet
Microtech (snow), ArcCorp (city), Crusader (gas giant), or Hurston (industrial). Each is enormous and worth a quantum jump.
- 7
Group up with friends
Star Citizen is unforgivingly fun in groups. Use chat or Spectrum to find a crew. Friend other players and queue into shared instances.
- 8
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.
The Referral Bonus
50,000 UEC — only if you use a code at signup.
When you create your RSI account, paste a referral code into the Referral Code field. You receive 50,000 UEC — Star Citizen's in-game currency — the moment you log in. That's real money to spend on rentals, ammo, components, and gear during the event.
Use this code
STAR-GCQJ-N6NC
Important: use the code at signup.
RSI offers a 24-hour grace period to add a referral code after signup, but in practice it's easy to miss. The reliable path: paste the code into the Referral Code field on the signup form itself.
After 24 hours have passed, the code cannot be added — you forfeit the 50,000 UEC permanently. There's no support ticket that fixes it.
Next Event
All events →Invictus Launch Week 2026
PASTNov 21 – Dec 2, 2025
Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2025
What's Included
- 100+ rotating ships
- Daily manufacturer showcase
IAE 2954. Largest ship showcase of the year.
50,000 UEC referral bonus was available
Track Record
Sortable view →Free Fly Event History
Every Free Fly we've catalogued. Use this to estimate when the next one is likely — patterns repeat year over year.
| Highlights | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Invictus Launch Week 2026 | May 22 – Jun 2, 2026 | 11 days | Anvil F7C Hornet |
| Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2025 | Nov 21 – Dec 2, 2025 | 11 days | 100+ rotating ships |
| Invictus Launch Week 2025 | May 23 – Jun 3, 2025 | 11 days | Aegis Hammerhead |
| Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2024 | Nov 22 – Dec 3, 2024 | 11 days | 100+ rotating ships across 11 manufacturers |
| Invictus Launch Week 2024 | May 17–28, 2024 | 11 days | F7C Hornet |
| Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2023 | Nov 17 – Dec 1, 2023 | 14 days | 100+ rotating ships |
Free Flys end. Your account doesn't.
Make the account today. The 50,000 UEC bonus is locked the moment you sign up with a referral code, and it's waiting for you when the next event opens.