IAE 2956: free flight and over 200 ships for rent in New Babbage (November 7, 2026)
CIG has started the countdown to the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2956: Star Citizen will be playable for free from November 13 to 27, with more than 200 ships available for rent at New Babbage. A Save The Date video already reveals the Liberator, the Galaxy, the Drake Marauder and the Gatac Hyun.
In the official article Countdown to IAE 2956, published on November 6, CIG set the schedule for the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo. From November 13 through the 27th, the game will be accessible for free, and players will be able to rent more than 200 ships at the event's kiosks. These kiosks are located at New Babbage, on microTech. A short video, IAE 2956 - Save The Date, accompanies the announcement.
What CIG announces for IAE 2956
The Comm-Link covers the entire duration of the show. CIG promises new ship announcements, exclusive equipment and themed paints.
CIG's weekly newsletter of November 6, titled "Weekly Update: IAE 2956 Countdown", repeats this information. It also confirms that the final stop of the Bar Citizen World Tour 2026 will take place in Barcelona on November 14, the day after the IAE opens.
The Save The Date video: four ships in preview
The official clip shows four craft expected at the event: Anvil's Liberator, the Galaxy, the Drake Marauder and the Gatac Hyun. It also shows themed "BIS" paints. These paints appear on the Marauder and the Hyun, according to images shared on Reddit, notably in the thread Images of Hyun and Marauder + BIS paints.
The creator MrKraken devoted a video to the full IAE schedule and the ships spotted. He refers to the Marauder as a "Drake Heavy Fighter" and the Hyun as a "Hyun Salvager": these are his own labels, not names confirmed by CIG.
The Liberator flyable, the rest still speculation
For the Liberator, CIG had already given a signal. According to the October PU Monthly Report, the ship will be flyable at the IAE. A French translation of the report by GautSlayer summarizes it this way: October 2026 Report.
For the other vehicles, caution is warranted. A community relay counts seven weapon hardpoints visible on screen on the Marauder, probably split between sizes 2 and 3. The same relay believes the Hyun is leaning toward a general-purpose salvage role. CIG has confirmed neither the number of weapons, their sizes, nor the Hyun's role. These details are interpretations of the images.
Context
The October Monthly Report indicated that the Liberator and the Galaxy had passed their final review, with a Liberator showcase planned at the IAE.
The Gatac Hyun had already made a discreet appearance. According to datamining, a line about it ("32 SCU → 40 SCU | Largest Box: 8 SCU") appeared in a version of a salvage patch note before being removed from the final text. This point is not official.
Finally, datamine users spotted on November 7, in the game files, a set of manufacturer posters for IAE 2956. They are likely intended to decorate the event's environments. This content has not been confirmed by CIG.
Next steps
The next signal will be the opening of the IAE on November 13, preceded by any CIG announcements before then. The Barcelona Bar Citizen on November 14 will close the 2026 World Tour.