Free Fly Events
Star Citizen, free for a week. No purchase needed.
Several times a year, Cloud Imperium opens Star Citizen up for free. Download the full game, fly real ships, explore the ‘Verse — no pledge required. This page explains what a Free Fly is and how to join.
Exact dates for every Free Fly, past and next, live on freeflyevent.com’s event history and its next Free Fly page.
What it is
A promotional window, usually ten to fourteen days, where the full Star Citizen alpha is downloadable and playable for free. You make a free RSI account, download the launcher, and start flying.
What you can do
Fly the loaner ships on offer, run missions, explore planets and moons in Pyro and beyond, dogfight, mine, salvage, trade. The whole game is open. Your character is wiped after the event ends.
What it costs
Nothing. If you decide to keep playing after the event, the cheapest game package is $45 on sale ($60 list price, as of September 2026). Use a referral code on signup for 50,000 UEC free — see the step-by-step referral code walkthrough.
No Free Fly is running at the moment.
CIG announces each window by official blog post, usually one to two weeks ahead. See when the next Free Fly is, or add the Free Fly calendar to your phone. The 50,000 UEC referral code bonus does not depend on an event. It applies whenever you create an account.
During Free Fly: use a referral code on signup.
You can use a referral code only on a brand new account. If you create your free Star Citizen account during a Free Fly and decide to pledge later, the 50,000 UEC bonus carries over to your real character. Don’t skip this step.
Exact dates for every Free Fly, past and next, are on the full event history and the next Free Fly page. New to the game? The first-session guide walks through your first Free Fly.