Pledge gifting: gifts will be sent by email with a redemption code (October 28, 2026)

In a FAQ published on Spectrum, CIG clarifies the updates to the gifting and game access system, in addition to an announcement made a little earlier. The new rules apply starting October 30. They change how a store item is gifted, claimed, and refunded.

Which items can be gifted

Only items that display the "Buying as a gift?" option at checkout can be gifted. You also need to be logged into your account to gift or claim an item. Store credit cannot be used to pay for a gift.

A gift is no longer credited directly to the buyer's hangar. It is sent by email to the recipient with a redemption code, to be used on the redemption page. Delivery is now immediate and automatic: it is no longer possible to schedule a gift for later.

What the recipient must do

To claim a gift, the recipient must have an RSI account with a confirmed email address. They can create this account after receiving the email.

Badges and perks tied to the purchase go to the recipient who claims the gift. Referral credit, however, remains with the buyer.

Refunds and older gifts

A gift that is not claimed within 30 days is automatically refunded to the buyer, who is notified by email.

Gifts already present in hangars and older gift codes remain valid. They can be used through the same redemption page.

A community reading: the end of the gray market

On Reddit, the thread CIG effectively just killed the gray market in one fell swoop... argues that the measure blocks most informal resales of ships between players. The argument put forward is that you can no longer keep a ship in your hangar and decide later to give it away. The topic was also picked up by French-speaking content creator The Lord Tyler in a video on the end of the gray market. This is an interpretation from the community. The FAQ does not present this goal and simply describes the new rules.

Context

The overhaul is part of a series of changes to game access. On October 2, tracking channels relayed the rollout of game access locks, with a support article and two FAQ threads on the official forum. Those threads already detailed the consequences of this update for gifting pledges. Today's FAQ therefore clarifies the gifting aspect of this move.

What we still don't know

Several points remain to be clarified:

• the list of items that will or will not display the "Buying as a gift?" option;
• the exact time the rules take effect on October 30;
• the special cases of linked packages and legacy access, for which no official answer has been found;
• the reason behind the overhaul, which CIG did not explain in the FAQ.

The next signal to watch is October 30, the day the rules apply. We will see whether CIG updates its FAQ on Spectrum, or whether players report discrepancies between the text and how the store actually works.