Star Citizen is one of the most talked about and debated titles in recent years, mostly due to the insane $275 million it’s raised via crowdfunding, but have you ever actually…played the game? Well, now’s your chance, because Star Citizen will be free-to-play for the next 11 days.
This free period coincides with the Invictus Launch Week event, which is basically an in-game convention where players can check out some of the coolest ships the United Empire of Earth (UEE) have to offer. You’ll even be able to test drive ships from various manufacturers, and buy them at a discount. You can check out a quick teaser trailer for the Invictus Launch Week event, below.
Here’s a bit more detail about Invictus Launch Week:
Known colloquially as Fleet Week, the Invictus Launch Week marks the period between Emancipation Day and Armistice Day and the beginning of the new year of recruits for the UEE Navy. To honor the citizens who signed up to defend the Human systems during this time, pilots will have the rare opportunity for Free Fly test flights, special promotions, community contests, and more, including a special in-game fire-works display to usher in the arrival of immense capital ships appearing in the ‘verse for the first time.
With all of the verse’s largest ship manufacturers vying for attention, the Invictus Fleet Week offers a rare opportunity for pilots to take advantage of test-flying all these vehicles in one place. This caliber of offerings is usually reserved exclusively as a once-a-year event in November — and is the first time pilots will be able to participate in an in-game event of this scale during the first half of the year.
Of course, Star Citizen makes a lot of its money by selling ships, so there’s a very entrepreneurial edge to this event. That said, it’s still cool that players are being given a chance to try out the game and some of its ships – just keep your credit card on lockdown until you’re sure you’re into the experience.
Star Citizen is currently available in alpha form on PC. The game recently updated to version 3.9 and the big 4.0 update should drop sometime in August. Invictus Launch Week runs from today (May 22) until June 1.
