Try Star Citizen For Free!
This page offers both new and returning players instructions to access the ships for the April 2025 Free Fly.
Free to Fly Dates: April 17th through April 28th 2025
How to use this guide
Important Information For New Players (Don't have an account)
Before starting your Star Citizen adventure it can be good to consider game requirements and other details. Here are the 5 steps to get you up and flying in no time!
1 - Before you create an account make sure to have a referral code
2 - Check your system requirements before you download
3 - Sign up for the free fly and download the game
4 - Star Citizen Alpha Player Guide - How To Play
5 - New player checklist
1 - Create An Account - Use A Referral Code!
Creating your account is your first step into the Star Citizen universe. Using a referral code grants you an extra 5000 UEC (in game credits when the game is released) if you decide to purchase the game (not required for the free fly).
Creating an account is free (whether you buy the game or not).
Use this referral code: STAR-TP53-FCKS
*Note that by clicking this link you will go to the official page and it will automatically fill in the referral code if you do not already have one.
2 - Check the system requirements
To get the most out of your Free Fly event you will want to make sure your computer can handle Star Citizen. It is an advanced MMORPG universe under construction therefore the system requirements are quite steep. Even if your computer can handle other games Star Citizen can be very demanding on system resources.
Important Notice: Star Citizen is constantly growing and these specs will be out of date so do your own research always.
Star Citizen aims to push the boundaries of what is technically possible in a 3D virtual universe. As such it requires as good a gaming PC as you can get your hands on.
For a premium experience you will want as close to or better than the following specs:
| Operating System | Windows 11 (or 10) |
| CPU | Late generation fast cores |
| GPU | 12GB+ VRAM |
| RAM | 32GB+ |
| Storage | 2TB SSD or NVME / M.2 |
| Internet | Broadband |
| Screen Resolution | 4K |
3 - Sign up for the free fly and download the game
Step 1 - Create Account (Make sure to use the Referral Code STAR-TP53-FCKS if you don't already have one)
Step 2 - Download the game
Free Fly Code
There is no code to access this freefly. Simply create an account, use the referral code, download the game and launch!
How To Play
To activate the Free Fly go to the Free Fly Page and select the "Fly For Free" button.
4. Alpha Player Guide - How To Play
Roberts Space Industries offer an official Getting Started Guide.
Additionally, if you would like an in-game player to help you when starting out, Star Citizen offers player guides.
Player guides can help you learn up to 4 of the following proficiencies at a time:
- Basics
- Vehicle Combat
- FPS Combat
- Mining
- Salvage
- Missions
- Trading
- Touring
- Miscellaneous
Teaming up with an experienced player can be a great way to start your journey through the stars.
To get started with player guides go here -> Find a Player Guide (Official)
5. New player checklist
Please check the following items before your free fly:
- You have set up an account and used the referral code
- You have checked the system requirements (and have about 100GB free of storage space)
- You have downloaded the game (https://robertsspaceindustries.com/download)
- You have a suitable webcam (30fps to 60fps) for FOIP - Optional
- You have a Joystick or Gamepad - Optional
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of performance to expect?
Expect several major issues:
- Server instability - You could be unable to enter the servers due to high demand
- Bad frame rates - Heavy server loads with the increased activity due to the evens can make the framerates even worse than usual
- Lots of bugs - Star Citizen is under heavy development and has four major patch releases a year as well as minor ones in between
- Unable to join game - Overloaded server queues for joining during these events can mean players sometimes go days without being able to play
Having set the expectation for poor performance also keep in mind that the recent optimizations to the game mean it is still expected to run much better than any previous in-game event.
When Will Star Citizen Be Finished For Commercial Release?
Here at SCFOCUS we have been tracking the Star Citizen release date for many years. Constant delays and the huge scope of the game means that Star Citizen will not be fully finished for a long time and the planned commercial release called Star Citizen 1.0 is on the horizon.
The game is currently in Alpha with the in-game currency currently called aUEC for Alpha UEC. UEC will be the final currency when the game is ready, until then the in-game currency is temporary and reset periodically. You can get 5000 free UEC which also gives you currently aUEC by using a referral code when you sign up and then purchase the game.
What is Squadron 42?
Squadron 42 is a single player game being developed in parallel to Star Citizen by much of the same development team. Both game share resources and Squadron 42 is planned to release before Star Citizen. You do not need Squadron 42 to play Star Citizen. Squadron 42 is no longer available for purchase at this time.
When Is The Next Update?
Star Citizen has been rolling out more frequent updates than ever before. The next update is Alpha 4.1.1 scheduled for after the Free Fly. There will be another Free Fly in May 2025 called Invictus or Fleet Week.
Is Money Earned In-Game Permanent?
No. During Star Citizen Alpha all player accounts are reset periodically. The game is under heavy construction and player items and account balances need to be wiped from time to time even though the stated intention is not to reset.
Some Star Citizen rewards, however, are permanent such as:
- Referral rewards
- Some Items earned through in game events
- Some Items earned through contests outside the game
- Anything you buy with cash or credit on the website
What Ships Do I Get To Fly For Free?
Several ships will be given to you during the free fly:
- Anvil Arrow (Light Fighter)
- Crusader C1 (Light Freight)
- Drake Cutter (Small General Purpose)
- Drake Corsair (Medium combat and freight)
- MISC Prospector (Mining)
- MISC Fortune (Salvage)
Sources
Sources & Links
Referral Code Info (SCFOCUS)