Star Citizen Is
Free to Play

Star Citizen
IAE 2956

• Author:

  Watty

• Category:

  Star Citizen

• Date:

  Nov 9, 2026

If you have been curious about Star Citizen, this is the time to try it. To celebrate the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2956, Star Citizen is free to play from 13 to 27 November. You just create an account, download the game and jump in.

How the free fly works

Anyone can explore the Persistent Universe during IAE, even without a game package, and RSI's Aurora Mk II is available to everyone for the whole event. Find an ASOP terminal, claim a ship, and set course for New Babbage on microTech in the Stanton system, where the expo opens on 13 November at 16:00 UTC. Inside the expo halls, free rentals unlock each day according to the manufacturer schedule, and RSI promises new reveals and surprises throughout.

The Galaxy arrives

Day 1 belongs to RSI, and it is the flyable debut of the long-awaited RSI Galaxy: a fully modular ship with an onboard hangar for small craft that can be outfitted for cargo, medical or refining work, and that RSI says can hold its own in combat. The rest of RSI's lineup is there too, from the Constellation Mk V Centaurus and its Skylark snub to the Perseus and Polaris.

The manufacturer schedule

13 to 14 November: Roberts Space Industries, including the Galaxy.

14 to 15 November: Origin Jumpworks.

15 to 16 November: Anvil Aerospace.

16 to 17 November: Crusader Industries and Tumbril.

17 to 18 November: Drake Interplanetary.

18 to 19 November: ARGO Astronautics, Consolidated Outland, Greycat Industrial and Grey's Market.

19 to 20 November: MISC, Mirai and Kruger Intergalactic.

20 to 21 November: Aegis Dynamics.

21 to 22 November: Aopoa, Banu, Esperia and Gatac.

22 November, Best in Show: the four finalists of this year's Ship Showdown, won by the RSI Perseus ahead of the Drake Ironclad Assault, Drake Corsair and Origin M80. Owners of any of the four semi-finalists also get a free limited-edition livery.

23 to 27 November, the finale: every ship from the show can be test-flown from the rental kiosks at the Tobin Expo Center.

Also this month

Watching any Drops-enabled Star Citizen stream earns a Galaxy-themed set: two hours for the undersuit, four for the armor and six for a backpack. And Alpha 4.10.3, with the Vanduul incursion missions in Nyx we mentioned in our Day of the Vara post, opened to every PTU wave in late October.

Flying with the org

If IAE is your first time in the 'verse, it is a lot easier with people who already know where everything is. Our Star Citizen org UTLAGARNIR is in the Discord, and the Star Citizen hub has more on how we fly. New pilots always welcome.

Further reading: RSI: IAE 2956 Free Fly and Manufacturer Schedule | RSI: Twitch Drops, IAE 2956 | The Exiles Star Citizen hub