Star Citizen is one of the most ambitious space games ever, and if you’ve ever fancied finding out why it’s so popular then you’re in luck. A Star Citizen free fly event just kicked off, giving you a little over a week to try the game for yourself without spending a single penny, and it’s in conjunction with the return of the Star Citizen Foundation Festival – an event aimed at encouraging veterans to help newcomers learn the ropes.
The Star Citizen budget is quite frankly astonishing at this point, eclipsing many of the biggest and most expensive games of all time. With over $580 million raised in crowdfunding alone, and even more money coming in from other investors, Cloud Imperium Games has certainly amassed a staggering fund to help build its incredibly deep, rich universe.
Thankfully, you won’t need to spend anything to check out what Star Citizen is all about, because the return of its free fly event means that Star Citizen is a free game from Thursday July 6 until July 17. You’ll have access to 12 different ships, so you can get a feel for some of the variety on offer, and there are discounts on starter packs if you decide you want to jump in for the long haul.
Star Citizen patch 3.19 recently revamped the new player experience, so you’ll find it much easier to get started. If the sheer scale seems intimidating, there’s great news there as well. The Star Citizen Foundation Festival returns from Thursday July 6 to Monday July 31, 2023. The Foundation Festival is designed to welcome in new players by helping them connect with long-time veterans to help them get used to all the systems.
As part of the Foundation Festival, the Guide System returns – this is a program which covers the 12 most important parts of your Star Citizen journey, from mining and trading to vehicle combat and beyond. There are a ton of rewards to be earned by working your way through this as a new player, including weapons and a handy multi-tool set.
If you’re a veteran player wanting to help welcome newbies into the star system, there’s plenty up for grabs for helping out with guided sessions, including pilot cosmetics and additional gear. There’s also bonus rewards for both guide and recruit for each of the categories on offer.
On top of this, complete three sessions over a weekend during the Foundation Festival and both of you will get a unique armor and weapon set. These are up for grabs each weekend (July 7-10, July 14-17, July 21-24, and July 28-31), meaning you can grab a total of four sets over the course of the Foundation Festival.
Star Citizen free fly event and Foundation Festival – July 2023
Here are the dates for the Star Citizen free fly event:
| Region | Start Time | End Time |
| US West | July 6 at 9am PT | July 17 at 1pm PT |
| US East | July 6 at 12pm ET | July 17 at 4pm ET |
| UK | July 6 at 5pm BST | July 17 at 9pm BST |
| Europe | July 6 at 6pm CEST | July 17 at 10pm CEST |
Here are the dates for the Star Citizen Foundation Festival:
| Region | Start Time | End Time |
| US West | July 6 at 9am PT | July 31 at 1pm PT |
| US East | July 6 at 12pm ET | July 31 at 4pm ET |
| UK | July 6 at 5pm BST | July 31 at 9pm BST |
| Europe | July 6 at 6pm CEST | July 31 at 10pm CEST |
If you’re looking to get started, you can head over to the Star Citizen website to find out more and begin your journey.
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