An in-universe opportunity for the development team behind Star Citizen to boast their currently flyable and in-development crafts to a broad audience, Invictus Launch Week has commenced at the Area18 Convention Centre from today. Every two days from now until 1 June 2020, a different group of manufacturers will take over the venue, showcasing their available ships (which will be available to rent for free) and giving holographic previews of their incomplete works. Things started today with Origin Jumpworks, Roberts Space Industries and Tumbril taking over the show floor. Should you travel around Area18 and its surrounding stations, you will find many other events to enjoy – from firework shows to a hidden event running parallel to the United Earth Empire’s (UEE) festivities.
This event coincides with the release of Star Citizen Alpha Patch 3.9.1, which brings a number of stability improvements and the DRAKE Interplanetary Cutlass Blue being made flyable. This is the third and final ship in the Carrack series, and while the Red focused on providing emergency medical services, the Blue is a police / bounty ship – filled with pods to store any wanted criminals you catch.
Had your eye on a pledge ship, but not been able to nab yourself one due to its unavailability? Throughout this event, a number of hard-to-find ships will be put back on sale for a limited time, some of which are already flyable and others which are still in various stages of development. With Origin Jumpworks and RSI holding the show floor, you can visit the official Invictus 2950 website to pledge towards the RSI Polaris, the cool looking Apollo Triage medical ship and more.
Looking to test fly some already available ships? Be sure to head to the Convention Centre every two days to gain access to the following ships:
22-23 May: Origin/RSI/Tumbril
325a: Origin’s sleek signature fighter, the 325a makes a great companion for finding your mark with style and sophistication.
Aurora LN: Designed for dangerous combat situations, the Aurora LN comes with bigger shields and larger weapons that pack a punch.
Constellation Andromeda: A multi-crew freighter with a modular design, the RSI Andromeda is one of the most iconic ships in the ‘verse.
Constellation Aquila: Explore the stars and distant horizons thanks to an uprated sensor suite and redesigned cockpit that offer maximum visibility.
Constellation Phoenix: A chariot of the gods, this converted luxury freighter is ideal for VIP transport.
Mantis: Stop ships dead in their tracks with RSI’s premier quantum enforcer.
24-25 May: Anvil Aerospace
Arrow: Featuring an ultra-aerodynamic frame and slight profile, it’s the most agile ship in its class.
C8X Pisces: This mini-explorer is ideal for scouting and reconnaissance.
Carrack: A self-sufficient explorer built to endure extreme conditions in both space and atmosphere.
Gladiator: A rugged two-person dive bomber.
Hawk: The ideal ship for independent bounty hunters and local security.
Hornet F7C: Tough and dependable, the F7C is a textbook multi-purpose medium fighter.
Hurricane: A heavy fighter with an almost excessive loadout. Includes a turret that punches through shields and defenses.
Terrapin: Heavily armored ship with a sophisticated scanner. Ideal for recon and exploration.
Valkyrie: A heavily armed dual-purpose gunship/dropship.
26-27 May: Aegis Dynamics
Avenger Stalker: A modified version of the Avenger catering to bounty hunters. Equipped with prison cells.
Avenger Titan Renegade: Special-edition Avenger Titan with custom livery and a loadout geared to Arena Commander.
Avenger Warlock: A variant of the Avenger armed with an EMP generator to disable enemy vehicles.
Eclipse: A sleek stealth bomber armed with heavy torpedoes.
Gladius Valiant: Special-edition of the Gladius with custom livery and a loadout geared to Arena Commander.
Hammerhead: A multi-crew corvette bristling with manned turrets to counter fast fighters.
Retaliator Bomber: A long-range, anti-capital bomber. Covered in manned turrets and capable of launching size 9 torpedoes.
Sabre: Favoring agility over durability, this ship is light, sleek, and deadly.
Sabre Comet: Special-edition of the Sabre with custom livery and a loadout geared to Arena Commander.
Vanguard Harbinger: A powerful bomber that can operate out of the roughest forward operating bases.
Vanguard Hoplite: A long-range squad dropship with manned turret.
Vanguard Sentinel: Designed to fight smart instead of taking enemies head-on.
Vanguard Warden: A long-range heavy fighter with manned turret.
28-29 May 2020: ARGO/MISC/CNOU
ARGO MPUV 1P: A small and unarmed utility runabout for transporting personnel.
Freelancer MIS: The MIS is a limited-edition militarized variant of the classic Freelancer.
Mustang Delta: The Mustang Delta is armed with heavier weapons and missiles to give new citizens a little more firepower.
Razor EX: Stealth-edition of the Razor outfitted with signature-reducing materials and low-draw components.
Reliant Tana: An easy to maintain, versatile, lightweight fighter.
Starfarer Gemini: The Gemini version sacrifices fuel capacity for armor and a missile launcher.
30 May – 1 June: Drake Interplanetary
Buccaneer: A light fighter that sacrifices durability (and ejection seat) for raw firepower.
Caterpillar: A heavy multi-crew commercial freighter. Lightly armed with superior cargo capacity.
Cutlass Black: Back in black. Drake’s pirate-favorite is a highly versatile ship with combat and cargo prowess.
Cutlass Blue: The ship of choice for patrolling thanks to missiles, quantum dampener, and holding cells to the standard model.
Cutlass Red: An emergency response and support ship with a medical bay, long-range radar capabilities, and a suite of defensive options.
Dragonfly Black: A two-seater grav-lev bike that easily traverses rough terrain or open space.
Herald: No secret is safe. Drake’s Herald captures and stores information before leaving at blistering speed.
In development by Cloud Imperium Games and their studios across North America and Europe, Star Citizen is being helmed by Wing Commander (1990s) creator Chris Roberts. The game has currently been in a long-term alpha phase with no confirmed release date. Despite this, the studio has raised more than $265 million USD through on-going crowdfunding. Please keep in mind should you decide to purchase towards Star Citizen, that this is an incomplete project and that you are pledging towards an extended crowdfunding campaign with no 100% guarantee of a finished product.
