Star Citizen Release Date Estimates

Estimated Release Date (Live): Early Mid July 2025

Features that could be released (Speculative)

• Small mission updates
• Bugs fixing and optimization

Ships that could be released (Speculative)

• Unknown

Alpha 4.2.1 went to Wave 3 testers on  26 June 2025.

Alpha 4.2.1 went to Wave 2 testers on  24 June 2025.

Alpha 4.2.1 went to Wave 1 testers on  20 June 2025.

*Note: This information is highly speculative but based on Citizencon 2954, the official roadmap, as well as following development of the game. These details have a high chance of variation until release.

Star Citizen 1.0 is the point where the game can be considered finished enough where it is out of early access. These are features that are planned on or before Star Citizen 1.0 launch:

• 1000s of players per system
• Friendly to new players
• Stable
• Polished
• Enough Engaging Content
• Update / Review for all existing ships
• Star Citizen Storyline & Quests
• 5 Systems (Stanton, Pyro, Nyx, Castra and Terra)
• Crafting
• Vehicle & Ship Crafting
• Profession Guilds & Career Paths
• Player Organization Management Features
• Player Base Building
• Player Station Constructing
• Player Shops
• Blueprints
• AI Blades
• StarWear
• StarSim
• Dynamic Server Meshing
• Dynamic Weather✅
• Quantum Travel
• Law & Security
• Realistic Audio Mode
• IFCS Control Surfaces
• Insurance, Taxes & Warranty
• No more resets & wipes
• Death of a Spaceman

Update 21 October 2024: Star Citizen's vision for release was defined at Citizencon 2954 (2024). The divergence of features from Alpha 3.24.2 to Star Citizen 1.0 is very large and therefore the release date estimate for 1.0 is being pushed back from 2026 to well beyond 2027.

Update 17 July 2024: With the delays of Alpha 3.24 as well as the features planned for Star Citizen 1.0 there could easily be more than a year of work between Alpha 4.0 and SC 1.0. Another year buffer is being added as the minimum estimate window is at least 2026 (changed from 2025+).

Given the divergence in features between what is currently playable and what could be considered 1.0 there could easily be a year of development to get the game to the required state from the time of announcement (April 2024).

The period from Pyro / Persistence / Meshing (Alpha 4.0) to Star Citizen 1.0 could possibly be considered Star Citizen Beta. Beta signifies the end of early development and the road to commercial launch.

The following is a list of features that are either known to be not planned or speculated (by SCFOCUS) for Star Citizen 1.0 but will come sometime after:

• NPC Crew (Not confirmed in 1.0 "most likely" coming after)
• Fishing (Confirmed again at Citizencon 2954)
• MISC Endeavor
• Most Star Systems (Confirmed again at Citizencon 2954)

Released: 19 June 2025

Features that were released

• Charge / Drain - (New Estimate Alpha 4.3)
• Life Support - (New Estimate Alpha 4.3+)
• FPS Radar Scanning
• Radiation
• Dynamic Rain
• Storm Breaker Sandbox Activity

Ships that were released (Speculative)

• ATLS IKTI
• ATLS IKTI Geo
• ATLS IKTI Rad

Estimated Release Date (Live): Q3+ June 2025

Note: Features estimated to be in this patch are highly speculative and based on the Roadmap. These features could move into a 4.1.X branch or be pushed to after Alpha 4.2.

Features that could be released (Speculative)

• Charge / Drain
• Engineering T0
• Life Support
• FPS Radar Scanning
• Radiation
• Dynamic Rain

Ships that could be released (Speculative)

• ATLS IKTI
• ATLS IKTI Geo
• ATLS IKTI Rad

Alpha 4.2 went to all waves PTU on May 30 2025. This patch introduced the Apex Valakkar.

Alpha 4.2 entered Wave 1 testing on May 27 2025. This patch introduced Storm Breaker activity, Dynamic Rain, Radiation ATLS IKTI and a few more bug fixes. See Alpha 4.2 Wave 1 patch notes here.

Release Date: (Live): 13 May 2025

Alpha 4.1.1 introduced many new additions and ships. Patch notes can be found Patch Notes (Spectrum) and Release Notes (RSI).

Features that were released

• Blades (Flight)
• Idris K and T kits*
• Invictus 2955 Free Fly (Area 18)
• Idris Tour
• New Flight Combat Tutorial Missions
• Research Facilities
• Physical Scrips (Faction currency)
• More locations and missions

Ships that were released

• Idris M
• Idris P
• Starlancer TAC
• Guardian MX
• Greycat MTC
• Guardian MX
• Asgard

*Thanks for the correction

Estimated Release Date (Live): April May 2025

This patch brings in more content for the game and is expected to have more bug fixes and polish also.

Features that could be released (Speculative)

• Blades (Flight)
• Invictus 2955 Free Fly (Area 18)
• Idris Tour
• New Flight Combat Tutorial Missions
• Research Facilities
• Physical Scrips (Faction currency)
• More Events
• More locations and missions

Ships that could be released (Speculative)

• Starlancer TAC
• Paladin (Estimated for IAE - November)
• Greycat CAV
• Greycat MTC
• Guardian MX
• Anvil Asgard

Star Citizen Alpha 4.1 went to LIVE March 27th 2025. This patch included the Idris M and P (including the K and T kits) available for owners. See official patch notes.

Alpha 4.1.1 went to Open PTU on 26 April 2025. See official patch notes.

Alpha 4.1.1 went to Wave 4 on 25 April 2025. See official patch notes.

Alpha 4.1.1 went to Wave 2 on 25 April 2025.

Alpha 4.1.1 went to Wave 1 on 16 April 2025. In addition to the Evocati features this patch also brings in Cross Platform Chat (Spectrum and In-Game) as well as Idris Insurance timers and more. See official patch notes.

Release Date (Live): 27 April 2025

Features that were released

• Align & Mine Event
• Valakkar
• Collision Physics Update
• Mining Update
• Banu Collector Emporium
• Item Recovery T0

Ships that were released

• ATLS GEO
• Drake Golem

Estimated Release Date (Live): Q2 2025 March 2025

This patch brings in more content for the game and is expected to have more bug fixes and polish also.

Features that could be released (Speculative)

• More bug fixes and polish
• More content such as armor and weapons
• Sandbox gameplay stations
• Valakkar
• Collision Physics Update
• Mining Update
• Banu Collector Emporium
• Item Recovery T0

Ships that could be released (Speculative)

• RSI Perseus
• Starlancer TAC
• ATLS GEO
• ATLS combat variant
• Drake Golem

Star Citizen Alpha 4.1 went to all backers for testing on March 13th 2025. This patch brings new Collision Physics Update for ship ramming. Additionally, Alpha 4.1 has pilot control gun changes to ships such as the Corsair and Reclaimer, as well as Arena Commander additions and mining update. See official patch notes and Alpha 4.1 patch watch.

Star Citizen Alpha 4.1 went to Wave 1 testers March 7th 2025. See official patch notes.

Released: February 28 2025

This patch brought more bug fixes as well as some content.

Features that were released:

• Fixes

Ships that were released:

• MISC Fortune

Estimated Release Date (Live): February 2025

Another bugfix patch for Alpha 4.0 series.

Features that could be released (Speculative)

• Fixes
• Save Stanton Chapter 2 Phase 2

Ships that could be released (Speculative)

• F7CMk II Super Hornet(Released Alpha 4.0.1 Coramor)
• MISC Fortune

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0.2 went to LIVE February 28th 2025. See official patch notes.

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0.2 went to all backers on 11 February2025. This patch introduced some stability and performance fixes and the Supply or Die event. See official patch notes.

Release Date (Live): January 28 2025

Features released:

• Fixes
• Save Stanton Chapter 2

Ships that were released

• F7C-M Mk II Superhornet (Released during Coramor)

Estimated Release Date (Live): January 2025

This is a small patch to fix bugs and stability. Expect few features to be included.

Features that could be released (Speculative)

• Fixes
• Save Stanton Chapter 2

Ships that could be released (Speculative)

• MISC Fortune
• Anvil Super Hornet Mk II

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0.1 went to LIVE January 28h 2025. This patch introduced some bug fixes, Save Stanton Chapter 2 as well as the F7C-M Mk II Superhornet. See official patch notes.

Released 19 December 2024

Features that were released:

• Pyro System
• Jump Points
• Server Meshing
• Increased Player Caps (500)
• Asteroid Bases
• Space Stations - Contested Zones

Ships that were released:

• Mirai Guardian
• Mirai Guardian QI

Estimated Release Date (Live): Q3 Q4

Features that could be released (Speculative)

• Pyro System
• Server Meshing
• Solar Burst
• Life Support - Removed
• Fire & Fire Propagation (Fire Extinguisher) - Removed
• Engineering (In PU) - Removed
• Persistent Entities (Released in Alpha 3.18)
• Increased Player Caps
• Charge / Drain - Removed
• Asteroid Bases (Added)
• Space Stations - Contested Zones (Added)

Ships that could be released (Speculative)

• Mirai Guardian
• Polaris - Released in Alpha 3.24.3
• Zeus Mk II ES - Released in Alpha 3.24.2
• Zeus Mk II CL - Released in Alpha 3.24.2
• Hull C - Released in Alpha 3.20
• Banu Merchantman - Removed

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0 went to LIVE Preview on December 19th 2024. This patch finally brings Pyro and Server Meshing and a lot of other things including asteroid facilities, contested zones and the Mirai Guardian. See official Alpha 4.0 Patch Live Preview Notes.

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0 went to Wave 5 (all) testers on 13 December 2024. See official patch notes here.

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0 went to Wave 4 testers on 11 December 2024.

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0 went to Wave 2 testers on 7 December 2024. Shards at 500 players for Stanton and Pyro.

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0 went to Wave 1 testers on 16 November 2024. This patch adds Pyro system and the jump point Stanton - Pyro (static server mesh).

Star Citizen Alpha 4.0 went to Evocati testers for a 2 hour playtest on 12 October 2024. This patch adds Pyro system and the jump point Stanton - Pyro.

• Roadmap Roundup (30 October 2024)
• Citizencon 2954 (October 2024)
• Star Citizen Roadmap
• Roadmap Roundup (May 2024)
• Roadmap Roundup (July 2024)

Update 1st August 2023: There is still no sign of Alpha 4.0 and the features associated with it except for the Hull C which is nearing completion.

Update 22nd May 2022: Alpha 4.0 will bring the start of the road towards Beta. Alpha 4.0 will have Pyro and the ability to add unlimited content going forward.

Update 27th December 2021: Alpha 4.0 features are still no where in sight. Pyro could appear mid 2022 or early 2023 at this rate.

Update 24th December 2020: Alpha 4.0 (and with it Pyro) seems like it will be introduced some time in 2021. This estimate could be revised but at this time it appears the earliest Pyro will be released is mid to late 2021.

Update 11th May 2020: Due to delays of various kinds and renaming of 4.0 to 3.10 this patch was removed from the Roadmap. Alpha 4.0 has been a long ride and is still no where in sight.

(11th May 2020) - 4.0 has now been changed several times and now even removed. Even though the estimate date for 4.0 would be end of December 2020 if it were to come out in 2020, it would be unfeasible for the end of year patch to also be the biggest patch of the year. Even if a 3.12 patch does not slide in for December 2020 then 4.0 will still be no sooner than January 2021.

Estimate: No sooner than January 2021 but more likely end of March 2021.

Due to the delay in Alpha 3.9 due to the global pandemic, the estimate for Alpha 4.0 is being pushed back significantly to approximately mid August 2020. This will probably be revised further as the dates get closer. Expect 3 major patches in 2020 instead of 4.

Update to this note (11th May 2020): It turns out  4.0 was halted and 3.10 and 3.11 will come instead before it. 2020 will contain several minor patches with major features going to 2021.

Estimated Release Date (Live): Early to Mid July 2020 -  Mid August 2020 - End of March 2021 - Mid to late 2021

What could be released (Speculative)

• Pyro System

Ships that could be released:

• Polaris
• G12

Update 31st August 2019:: 4.0 has been added to the RSI Roadmap and still does not feature the original 3.4 major features such as Traveling to Multiple Star Systems, Science and Research or Exploration & Discovery. It looks like 5.0 could be the next possible major patch to include them.

Update 13th February 2018, on the Roadmap we have 3.4 instead of 4.0. The main difference being that 4.0 originally encompassed concepts of traveling between star systems. Our estimation is that features to do with travel between systems will define 4.0 and will come in late 2019. Therefore our original estimates provided a year ago remain the same, except our estimate should be labelled for 4.0 instead of the original 3.4 terminology. The new 3.4 patch planned in the roadmap does not contain the features required to class it as 4.0. We provided no orginal estimate for 3.4 and therefore the content of our estimate still remarkably applies for 4.0 instead.

• Q3+ 2019 (Date Guessed on 24th January 2017)
• Update April 2019: It seems that Q3 2019 will not have the following features meaning that the estimate was short. New potential date for the following now seems to be at least 2020.

Disclaimer: All dates are for our own speculation and enjoyment, provided for entertainment value only.

What could be released:

• Travel To Multiple Star Systems
• Exploration & Discovery
• Science & Research
• Additional Solar System Locations

Ships that could be released:

• RSI Orion
• Anvil Crucible

Update 24th January: Alpha 3.9 and Alpha 4.0 have received what has been described by the community as the "blood bath" update to coincide with the Red Evenvelope Hong Bao celebrations. Many features have been stripped from the roadmap. It is to be seen if these features reappear and when.