A Star Citizen Free Fly is a period, usually around a week, when the game is free to play. You do not need a game package, a handful of ships are added to your account for the duration, and everything else can be rented or bought with in-game currency the same way paying players do.
Free Flys are tied to in-game events rather than announced on a fixed calendar, so the useful question is which events bring one. Below is the pattern, what 2026 has looked like so far, and the account-creation detail that decides whether you keep your signup bonus.
What you get during a Free Fly
During the window anyone can download the game and log in without buying anything. Several ships are unlocked for free on your account so you can fly straight away, and any other ship is reachable the normal way, by renting or buying it with the credits you earn in game. It is a full demo of the live alpha rather than a cut-down mode.
CIG usually pairs the free period with discounts on starter packages and specific ships, aimed at people who decide to keep playing when the trial ends.
The events that usually bring a Free Fly
Free Flys normally run alongside three recurring events. The dates shift by a few days each year, but the months are consistent.
- Late May: the military ship expo. Historically Invictus Launch Week; in 2026 it was DefenseCon, which ran May 14 to 27 and included a Free Fly period
- July: Foundation Festival, a month-long civic event that CIG often pairs with a Free Fly and its Guide System, which rewards veterans for mentoring new players
- Late November: the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, a ship show running more than ten days with a different manufacturer featured each day
What 2026 has looked like
The spring event changed shape this year. Invictus Launch Week 2956 was cancelled outside the Sol system, and Drake’s DefenseCon was held on its own at the Bevic Convention Center from May 14 to 27, expanded to include many manufacturers that normally appear at Invictus. That event carried the year’s first Free Fly window, and it was also when Star Citizen’s crowdfunding passed $1 billion. CIG also cancelled CitizenCon for 2026 to concentrate on DefenseCon and development.
The IAE at the end of November is the remaining regular slot for the year. CIG has not published dates for it at the time of writing, and Free Fly details typically arrive only days before the event opens, so treat late November as likely rather than confirmed.
How to join a Free Fly
You need an RSI account and the launcher. Create the account on the RSI website, download the RSI Launcher, sign in, and install Star Citizen. When a Free Fly is active the launcher lets you play without a game package. The download is large, so start it before the window opens if you can.
Enter the referral code before the Free Fly, not after
The most common mistake is creating an account to try the game and only thinking about a referral code later. A code can be entered on the signup form or added within 24 hours of creating the account; after that the 50,000 UEC bonus is gone. Free Fly accounts are ordinary accounts, so the credits stay on yours and are waiting when you buy a package, whether that is during the event’s discount or months later.
What this means for new players
If you are waiting for the next Free Fly, create the account now with a referral code so the bonus is locked in, install the launcher, and watch for the IAE announcement in November. When the window opens you will be flying within minutes instead of downloading forty gigabytes while it ticks away. Our Star Citizen referral code guide explains how the 50,000 UEC signup bonus works and how to apply code STAR-6WPK-3K56 before you enlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
CIG has not announced one at the time of writing. The next regular slot is the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo in late November, which has brought a Free Fly in previous years. DefenseCon carried the 2026 spring Free Fly from May 14 to 27.
Not permanently. It is free during Free Fly events tied to in-game expos, and the rest of the time you need a game package, which includes a ship and access to the live alpha.
No. You need an RSI account and the launcher. Ships are unlocked on your account for the event, and others can be rented or bought with in-game credits.
Yes, and you should. Enter it when you create the account or within 24 hours. The 50,000 UEC bonus stays on the account and applies when you later buy a game package.
Your account persists, and long-term persistence has been preserved through recent patches. Ships unlocked only for the Free Fly are removed when it ends, but credits and account-level items remain.
Source: Free-fly (Star Citizen Wiki). Event patterns and dates come from the Star Citizen Wiki’s Free-fly, DefenseCon, Invictus Launch Week, Foundation Festival and IAE pages, plus CIG’s 2026 DefenseCon coverage.
