Star Citizen is free to play this week, which means that whether you’ve spent hundreds of dollars on pre-order ships, or have never even heard of it, everyone can battle it out in the game’s Alpha 2.1.2. Included are several space stations and environments, a few scripted missions, and a stellar range of interstellar scenes to explore.
As per the game’s steady release of various modules from its development, free players will also be able to have a go in its Arena Commander mode, which lets you take a shot at competitive multiplayer. You will also be able to have a play with the social module, which might make teaming up with other players a little easier, or at the least give you an idea of what first and third person movement will be like in-game.
If you would like to take part in the free week of gameplay you can sign up here, but think a bit about what your flight-handle might be, as it must be devoid of special characters.
Related: Star Citizen’s long-promised virtual reality support arrives in 2016
This isn’t the first time Cloud Imperium has run a free fly week though, so for those who have taken to the stars before but still haven’t purchased, your old login information should still work correctly. The game has changed a lot since then though, with this being the first event in which the Crusader planet is available.
While the game does feature a large number of in-game ships that are fully featured, accessible and flyable, the free-player will only be able to use the Hornet F7C military fighter, the Aurora LN starter, and the Mustang Delta interceptor.
It was recently announced that Star Citizen would be splitting its Squadron 42 single-player gameplay into a separate entity altogether, though it will be purchasable with the main game. As with every aspect of its development, Cloud Imperium is suggesting that people buy it now rather than later to save money.
Speaking of which, Star Citizen continues to break new records as the most impressively crowd-funded game and project ever, currently sitting at a total of over $107 million, with more than 1.2 million individuals having pledged at least a few dollars towards its creation.