A lone gunship ready to hunt the deadliest prey.
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Every two weeks, we accompany the Roadmap update with a brief explanatory note to give you insight into the decision-making that led to any changes. This is part of an effort to make our communications more transparent, more specific, and more insightful for all of you who help to make Star Citizen and Squadron 42 possible.
Just a reminder: The 1.0 column showcases features and content planned for inclusion in or before Star Citizen 1.0. This means you may not have to wait for the 1.0 release to experience them. As features/content in the 1.0 column become ready, they will migrate left into a point patch column for release.
Be sure to check back every two weeks for the latest updates.
With that, let’s dive into this week’s Roadmap Roundup!
-CIG Community Team
The following cards have been set to Released: Item Recovery: Vehicle Loadouts, FPS Weapons Art Refactor, UltiFlex "Novian" Crossbow, Flight Suit "Tailwind", Transport System, New Hairstyles (4.8.0), Kastak Arms - Plasma Grenade, Tactical Strike Groups, QV Extraction Stations, Aegis Hammerhead - Gold Standard, Vehicle Command Module, Flight Suits G-Force Resistance, Refueling Improvements, Ship Hangar Service T0, Refueling Missions
Space Combat Missions - Defend Location
Adding missions where players are now defending a location from NPC Attackers. This includes a standalone mission and a compounding one where players will have multiple conflicting priorities to complete.
Join the discussion on Spectrum.
]]>A lone gunship ready to hunt the deadliest prey.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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Aegis continues to dominate the battlefield with the launch of the Tiburon Heavy Gunship, proving that true strength never wanes.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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What a week it's been! Alpha 4.8: Tactical Strike has officially launched, and if you haven't already rallied your crew, now is the time. Tactical Strike Groups are designed from the ground up around cooperation, and every role matters. Fighters clear the approach, bombers knock out defensive systems, dropships put boots on the ground, and capital ships keep the whole fleet alive, armed, and fueled. Whether you're a skilled pilot, a mechanic servicing ships, a mercenary expert in exfiltrating VIPs, a gunner neutralizing targets or simply an adventurer not afraid of taking rounds to the knee, there's a place for you in the operation.
To help everyone get up to speed, we've also released a dedicated Tactical Strike Groups FAQ, and a developer Q&A diving into Alpha 4.8's biggest additions — well worth a read before you deploy. And if you're looking for a crew, head over to the new LFG lobby on Spectrum, where fellow Citizens are already organizing for the push into Nyx.
Beyond the cooperative combat experience, Alpha 4.8 brings some serious improvements to large-scale spacefaring. Dedicated service ships can now support other vessels directly from their flight decks using physicalized resources stored in their cargo grids: Ship Hangar Service T0, a huge step for logistics gameplay. On top of that, new refueling missions let pilots keep each other moving across the vast stretches of the 'verse. Dive into the full Patch Notes to see everything that dropped with 4.8.
A quick but important note: Alpha 4.8 launched with a comprehensive wipe. Earned aUEC, in-game purchased vehicles, items, resources, reputation progression, and Wikelo/Executive rewards have all been reset. This wipe is a meaningful step toward a more stable economy as new systems come online. Additional safeguards against exploits and duplication have also been put in place, with more improvements on the way.
On the VR front, we've rolled out an experimental VR Support update with improvements to interaction prompts, FPS crosshairs, hit markers, and general usability. If you're exploring the 'verse in VR, be sure to check it out and let us know what you think. And if you are into haptics and immersive hardware, check out our first Haptic System Support experimental release!
Meanwhile, DefenseCon 2956 is in full swing! With Invictus pulled back to Sol, Drake Interplanetary stepped up to host the galaxy's boldest arms expo at the Bevic Convention Center in Area18, and it's running until May 27. Tour manufacturer halls, take ships for free test flights, and earn free rewards with the Referral Bonus program and Twitch Drops available through participating streams.
The event has already introduced some fantastic ships: the Drake Ironclad and Ironclad Assault, the Drake Pitbull, the Origin M80, and the MISC Starlite. And in just a few days: the Aegis Tiburon makes its debut to make you beam! You can review all of these ships in our recent Star Citizen Live | DefenseCon Showcase. Any questions? Check out our DefenseCon New Ships Q&A. Finally, don't miss the Tobii Everyday Heroes Screenshot Contest: capture your best DefenseCon moments for a chance to win some of the event's newest ships and a Tobii Eye Tracker 5.
This past weekend, we attended the Bar Citizen in Basel, Switzerland, a community-organized gathering that brought together more than 200 citizens, from long-time veterans to plenty of new faces. It was great to meet so many of you in person, see some incredible fan creations, including a stunning full armor cosplay by BaharChan (featured below), and spend time just talking Star Citizen with the people who make this community worth being part of.
To kick off the week, this Monday, Days 5 and 6 put MISC, Mirai, Argo Astronautics, and Greycat Industrial in the spotlight. Alongside their showcase, the MISC Starlite officially released with an updated Q&A Comm-Link to go with it.
The Free Fly is also now live and running through May 27! We previously held off on kicking things off until we could get a variety of important fixes in, especially around missions and overall stability. Things are in a much better place, but the team is still focused on fixing remaining issues and continuing to monitor things closely. We want to give a huge shout out to everyone jumping in, sharing feedback, and reporting issues along the way. That feedback is incredibly valuable and sincerely appreciated. Thank you and keep the reports coming!
On Wednesday, Aegis takes the floor for Days 7 and 8, bringing with it the long-awaited debut of the Aegis Tiburon, plus its Q&A update for those hungry for details. We'll also be publishing a Roadmap Update, marking Alpha 4.8 cards as Released while we begin charting the path toward Alpha 4.9.
Friday hands the stage over to Crusader and Tumbril for Days 9 and 10, as DefenseCon begins its march toward the finale. The latest RSI Weekly Newsletter also lands in your inbox. If you’re not subscribed yet, you can sign up at any time through your account settings.
And to close out the week on Sunday, Star Citizen Live returns with a dedicated Q&A on the Anvil Odin, that massive battlecruiser currently looming over Area18's skyline like it owns the place. If you've had your eye on it, this is the one to catch.
a.thl'ē'kol, see you soon.
Smuggling Origin 300
We offer this World to the Galaxy as a place to study and a place to meet We offer this World to the Entity as a place to study and a place to meet Known locally as Pinecone, this Poisonous Main Sequence Dwarf is situated on the further edge of the green band and is often overlooked when compared to Kallis VI Damn right it is. Point is, no damn AI system's ever gonna be as good as an experienced Chief engineer
Known locally as The Hive, this High-pressure Coreless Planet is situated on the further edge of the green band and is often overlooked when compared to Kilian XIII "Maybe you should have a Engineer have a look at you. Be sure." said Hester Polaris A further investigation of the planet revealed a cache of Kr'Thak weapons and war machines. "We don't have anythCore." Ernst said. The Being didn't like that answer.
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We're constantly amazed at the contributions made by the Star Citizen community. Whether it's fan art, a cinematic, YouTube guide, or even a 3D print of your favorite ship, we love it all! Every week, we select one piece of content submitted to the Community Hub and highlight it here. The highlighted content creator will be awarded an MVP badge on Spectrum and be immortalized in our MVP section of the Hub.
Visit the Community Hub.
by BaharChan
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BaharChan took on a new challenge and crafted the Golden Blossom Geist armor. The Arclight Pistol Executive Edition was 3D printed by"Sallin", a member of her community. We had the immense pleasure of discovering her cosplay alongside many of you during the Bar Citizen in Basel this past weekend. What a work of art!
Check it out now on the Community Hub.
And if you’re looking to tackle Tactical Strike Group, be sure to check out MrKraken’s new One-Page Guide for Alpha 4.8!
Don't forget to submit your content to our Community Hub for the chance to see it here!
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Ironclad Assault - EricTheFourier
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The Pilot, Murray Cup Tailwind - CHONKRiDER
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Legends Start Here - Draal Iskaldur
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M80 Strike Attack - KellyHe63
Built for dirt, dust, and difficult terrain, Greycat Industrial rallies its battle wagons to your cause.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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The backbone of the toughest crews in the ‘verse, Argo brings function to your fight.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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Be the lifeline for those stranded in the black and beyond.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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Driven by an uncompromising pursuit of speed, agility, and innovation.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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A light refueler built on MISC’s legacy of reliability and purpose-driven design.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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Devastating allure pairs with uncompromising force to create something far beyond a machine.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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An equilibrium of performance and style at the forefront of aerospace engineering.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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Roberts Space Industries continues to define the evolution of spaceflight.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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Continuing to balance performance and precision, Origin presents a beauty matched only by its lethality.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
]]>This week join us as we explore EVERY newly flyable ship at this year’s DefenseCon before they’re released, with first looks at the M80, Starlite, and Tiburon.
There's a full payload of new ships dropping this DefenseCon, and we know you want that sweet, sweet intel.
We hit up the Vehicle and Gameplay teams to fire off the hard-hitting questions about every ship blasting onto the scene at DefenseCon 2956. Here are the answers, straight from the devs themselves.
Since their concept, the primary change to both Ironclads has been the internal layout in the rear half of the ship, prioritizing ease of traversal throughout what is a complex environment. The original concept interior had a lot of back-and-forth traversal across the width of the ship. Now, there are additional stairwells and ladders to help cut down movement time.
Other changes occurred in the hold, which resulted in increased cargo capacity by adjusting the cargo grid size to allow for more space utilization while maintaining a clear path through the center.
Both platforms have the capacity to go well beyond their intended roles simply due to their cargo areas’ sheer size and volume. For example, other vehicles can be stowed within the cargo hold, allowing the Ironclads to serve as motherships or hubs for other gameplay loops.
Both ships now share an identical Command Module. When making the current Command Module, we wanted to ensure the role of the previous one was maintained for Caterpillar owners, hence why it still has the beds and drop seats. So, regardless of which ship it’s attached to, it can function as the “life raft” as originally intended.
Like the Clipper, the Ironclad Assault features a fabricator, and when available in a future patch, it will be able to craft any available blueprint directly to and from the cargo grid. However, it is not enabled at launch due to the functionality of fabricating to and from vehicle grids not currently being available.
They are all the same size but, due to their locations and ability to be moved (much like the RSI Hermes’ tractor rail), they provide multiple angles of coverage for loading and unloading.
Like other select ships in Alpha 4.8, the Ironclad Assault features the initial implementation of Ship Hangar Services. This is currently ship-wide, so any ground vehicle or ship within the Ironclad Assault can utilize it. However, in a future patch, this will be limited to the rear third of the cargo bay, which is the designated repair area.
The ability to leave behind the main hull allows for easier atmospheric entry and exit while leaving the parent ship above the planet to carry on doing whatever activities are required.
If the main ship is lost or destroyed, the claim will return the host vehicle with a new Command Module attached, effectively claiming both at once. Any previously stored Command Module from that ship will be bricked, whether it was stored at the time of the claim or not. Bricked modules remain visible in the Fleet Manager and can be removed from the ASOP through the new scrap option.
If the loadout is insured, players can select the insured loadout option when filing the claim. This returns both the Command Module and the host vehicle with a snapshot of the prior loadout changes applied.
The Command Module can also be claimed on its own, without triggering a claim on the host vehicle.
With armor now active, the Ironclad takes its place as a durable industrial hauler, plated for sustained industrial operations. The Ironclad Assault carries improved armor on top of that, letting it endure stressful situations better than the civilian variant.
Looking at armor capabilities, the Ironclads sit in the middle of the pack, better protected than lighter civilian haulers, like the C2 Hercules and Starlancer, but below more refined military platforms, like the M2 Hercules. Even so, both Ironclad variants carry more base hull HP, letting them keep soaking up damage long after lighter rivals would be disabled, extending their operative time in hostile space.
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In classic Drake form, the Pitbull has more guns than comparable craft, providing plenty of firepower at the expense of durability.
The Pitbull trades resilience for aggression. Where the Fury concentrates its fire through 4× S2 guns, the Pitbull spreads it across 6 barrels (4× S1 plus 2× S2), putting more rounds on target at the cost of per-shot punch. Built on a lighter frame, it pitches harder, accelerates faster, and turns tighter in the close fight but pays for that edge with a more fragile hull that cannot trade hits.
Simply put, lots. With some careful arrangement, it can easily be into double figures, allowing for the Ironclad to become a snub carrier.
While not packing heavy firepower to damage larger ships, a swarm of Pitbulls is a great hit-and-run deterrent to help screen larger ships and provide complementary fire support.
Naturally, given their size and relative agility, most snubs suit racing, but the Pitbull is not specifically tailored to it.
Part of the initial brief criteria for the Pitbull was to not exceed the volume of the Fury to maximize transport suitability, so any ship that can fit a Fury should be capable of fitting a Pitbull. A great thematic example is the Drake Ironclad Assault, as this allows both the storage of multiple Pitbulls as well as Ship Hangar Services, providing fleet support to other operations, such as mining or escort.
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You call the shots in this snub fighter.
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Drake hits the DefenseCon show floor on its own terms.
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Fight and fly your way with customizable weapon loadouts and tuning.
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Grey’s don’t curate or perfect, they hammer together what they find to make what’s needed.
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Two durable haulers that get you and what’s on board safely to wherever you’re heading.
Visit robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link for more.
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