Today Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games is kicking off one of its biggest events of the year, Invictus Launch Week.
If you’re unfamiliar with the lore of Star Citizen the name of the event doesn’t celebrate its official launch. Invictus Launch Week is the annual celebration dedicated to the in-game UEE Navy.
This time around the celebration will be “big” in a quite literal sense. Players will be able to enjoy a tour of the massive Javelin-class destroyer “UEES War Hammer” and see an even bigger Bengal-class carrier flying from planet to planet escorted by its own task force.
On top of that, the free fly event will start tomorrow (May 22) and will continue until June 3. This means that everyone will be able to try the current build of the game for free for the duration of the event. You’ll also be able to pilot most of the currently-flyable ships and vehicles in the game on brand-based rotation, and there’s a lot of them to enjoy.
In order to get ready, you can create an account on the official website and download the client, keeping in mind that you won’t be able to access the game for free until tomorrow.
To celebrate the event, Cloud Imperium Games released an epic new trailer and a batch of screenshots and art featuring the content that you can expect.
Below you can read the lowdown of the event directly from the press release:
- Enlist for Free: Download the Star Citizen client and play for free during the Invictus Launch Week 2951 event. Find out more and start your journey today by visiting the official website.
- Test-Fly Every Vehicle for Free: A total of 59 vehicles will be available for players to test fly for free, including the latest from the galaxy’s most respected manufacturers on show for the first time during the Invictus Launch Week 2951 event.
- Explore a Navy Javelin: Designed for use by the UEE military, the UEES War Hammer Javelin destroyer is one of the most powerful warships in the ‘verse. For the first time ever, players can explore the interior of an in-service UEE Javelin and join ship tour groups led by NPCs who will share the history of the War Hammer and UEE. The Javelin is scheduled to dock at major hubs throughout Invictus Launch Week 2951. Head to Everus Harbor above Hurston, Baijini Point above ArcCorp, and Port Tressler above microTech to join.
- Witness the Largest Warship in Bengal Fleet Tour: Event organizers have a special never-before-seen surprise that is sure to delight attendees. Be sure to keep your eyes on the sky in the Stanton area for the most impressive display of the UEE Navy’s might to-date with a fleet tour led by the behemoth Bengal-class warship. Often referred to as the “tip of the sword,” the iconic Bengal is the largest and most powerful warship available to the UEE Navy, eclipsing the size of the next biggest Warship, the Javelin, by over four times. Bengals carry multiple squadrons of fighters, bombers, and support craft. Their massive armaments and extremely heavy shielding make it nearly impossible for any individual craft to threaten them. Only a combined effort could ever hope to destroy or capture one.
- Crusader Hercules Starlifter C2/M2: For players who need more room, nothing beats out the Crusader Hercules Starlifter. A behemoth of the skies and one of the largest flyable ships in-game, the Starlifter features both strong defensive weaponry and massive cargo capacity. The M2 Variant can transport all ground vehicles and select ships, making it a versatile choice to use as a dropship or troop carrier. The C2 variant boasts the largest cargo capacity in-game, perfect for racing teams, ship dealers, and those aspiring to make their riches amongst the stars.
- Tumbril Nova Tank: As the first full-combat tank introduced to Star Citizen, the Tumbril Nova Tank comes armed with anti-vehicle, anti-aircraft, and anti-personnel weaponry and can be manned by multiple crew members.
- The RSI Scorpius Revealed: Armed with a remote turret that offers greater fire arc coverage than the Vanguard Warden, the RSI Scorpius is the best two-person fighter for dogfighting. Its unique X-shape design comes with wings that can be adjusted between a landed state and flight state. This powerful new concept ship will be revealed for the first time during Invictus Launch Week 2951.
In other Star Citizen news, the crowdfunding total has reecently passed $359 million and it’s currently sitting on $359,718,471.
The number of registered accounts recently passed three million, and it’s at 3,091,129 at the moment of this writing.
As usual, you should keep in mind that it’s known that not all of them are paying players. The number includes free accounts created for a variety of reasons, including Free Fly events like the one mentioned above.
We recently learned that a new studio has been opened to create new systems and content for Star Citizen, while Firesprite will work on the Battlefield-like mode “Theaters of War.”
If you’re wondering whether the game is actually fun to play, this is a good place to start.
The game’s recently-released alpha 3.13 is currently playable on PC, and a star-studded single-player campaign titled Squadron 42 is in development.
For the sake of full disclosure, do keep in mind that the author of this article has been a Star Citizen backer since the original Kickstarter campaign several years ago.
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