🚀 Star Citizen News: July 25, 2026

Period: July 24, 2026, 04:05 → July 25, 2026, 04:05 UTC. Sources: YouTube, Reddit, Spectrum, Patch Notes, emails, Discord

TL;DR

• 🔧 Alpha 4.10 moves to Wave 1 on the PTU tonight, opening the Siege of Orison instance to a wider audience, while Alpha 4.9 LIVE receives a new client/server hotfix (CL 12302499) that notably fixes mouse control loss and interaction issues upon loading into the PU.
• 🔥 PvP in Pyro is inflaming Spectrum: two mega-threads totaling over 750 replies debate the "hotspot" zone designed for voluntary combat, with unexpected positive echo on Reddit thanking CIG for its transparency on the subject.
• 🕵️ EPTU 4.10 datamining reveals massive hydrogen tank reductions across ships, a complete rebalancing of the Arlington rifle and the removal of Stormwales.
• 🔭 Week's Sneak Peek: Friday's newsletter unveils heavy armor ("Super Heavy Armor") accompanied by a Vendetta minigun in black and gold livery, potentially linked to an August bundle.
• 💰 The verse in numbers: $164,682 collected on July 24 (total $1.03B).

🔧 Patch notes and official CIG announcements

The night was busy on the test environment front: Alpha 4.10 leaves Evocati to open in Wave 1 on the PTU, while Alpha 4.9 LIVE receives an additional client/server hotfix. Meanwhile, CIG's weekly newsletter delivered its traditional Friday evening Sneak Peek.

Alpha 4.10 PTU: Wave 1 opens on Siege of Orison instance

Build VERSION 4.10.0-PTU.12311913 moved to Wave 1 audience after Evocati validation, on the PTU channel (US servers only, long-term persistence enabled). The stated testing objective remains stability and bug fixes between PTU versions, with particular focus on the new Siege of Orison instance.

• Gameplay features: the effective healing range of the medical pistol increases from 1.5 to 2.5 meters.
• Technical: 13 client crashes fixed, 2 main thread deadlocks resolved, performance optimizations on Levski.

Known Issues to watch on this build: - Quantum beacon markers display incorrectly, offset in the upper left corner of the screen (temporary workaround: enable the CVAR ui_markers.enabled_3d = 1). - The airlock doors of the Siege of Orison engine room become impossible to reuse once closed after initial opening. - The force field portal displaying "STANDBY" at Overworld may refuse to open. - Battaglia repeatable missions don't follow the expected generic flow, blocking mission 3 for some players. - The elevator leading to the instance moves after a noticeable delay following button press. - The client may freeze for a few seconds at the second force field when the main instance finishes loading. - Severe performance drop occurs when approaching the Solanki platform. - The ARGO ATLS IKTI can remain stuck in the ground after a high-altitude fall. - The IKTI doesn't display a firing reticle.

Missions and economy, the full list of potential fixes announced: - Cargo elevators no longer incorrectly display an over-capacity message when cargo is under the allowed limit. - Hangar doors now open correctly for the escorted ship during naval battle missions. - The pirate Cutlass Black can no longer be piloted during Battaglia repeatable missions. - Battaglia repeatable missions regenerate faster after completion. - Duplicate fuel tank announcements displaying different prices for identical stats have been fixed in sales terminals. - Industrial resource collection missions now complete correctly regardless of which group member delivers the object to the cargo elevator, not just the group leader. - Refuel Request mission progresses correctly after reaching the beacon. - The data decryption terminal no longer incorrectly displays all data as processed during the smuggler intel mission. - Vanduul fighters now appear correctly upon arrival during the Tactical Strike Group assistance mission. - The Nyx variant of the Bombing Run mission now appears correctly in the mobiGlas. - The Central Hub door panel visibility is restored at the Tactical Strike Group site. - The access card is now correctly returned to the player after drive insertion during the Download Data repeatable mission. - Docking no longer incorrectly displays an error message after completing a refuel mission. - The escorted ship now appears correctly after neutralizing hostiles in Escort Ships missions. - Cargo elevators no longer remain stuck with doors closed, unable to move up or down. - Fixed a contract generation error affecting the small Orison Relief Support transport contract. - The escorted ship from Ship Battles V2 missions now correctly leaves the area after hostile neutralization. - ATLS registered vehicles now correctly count toward objectives for Wikelo IKTI and GEO IKTI missions. - Ore Pods now correctly brick after a first insurance claim following a snapshot. - Foxwell and Headhunter naval battle missions now award reputation at the correct scale. - The refueling AI now correctly accepts the player's docking request. - The QV warehouse loot now regenerates or resets correctly if looted without advancing the mission. - Hostiles now appear correctly for the Eliminate All mission at Pyro's Colonial XS outpost. - Group members on different servers no longer get stuck when attempting to abandon shared missions they shouldn't have received. - Refueling beacons no longer incorrectly display transaction failure when fuel has actually been delivered. - The People's Alliance Idris now correctly repairs player vehicles during the Tactical Strike Group mission. - The command module no longer incorrectly enters claim state after loadout modification in the VMA. - The Highpoint Wilderness Specialists introductory mission no longer remains stuck in accepted status despite completed objectives. - Shooting at a refueling target now correctly fails the mission. - The Tactical Strike Group's Full Strike mission no longer remains stuck at the "Go To" objective. - Claim mode is no longer unavailable at the player's residence location. - The repeatable Board Ship contract now appears and can be correctly accepted.

Ships and vehicles, the full list of potential fixes announced: - Fixed a floating map visual on the Hull A. - Fixed a spelling error in the Disco livery name for the RSI Aurora Mk I MR. - Mining modules can now be equipped on the Drake Golem's mining loadout. - Restored a missing thruster particle effect on the Grey's Basher. - Weapons mounted on nose or ball hardpoints no longer lose their cannons after insurance claim. - Rebalancing of several ships whose weapon stats had degraded over time. - Restored rear ramp and missing ramp panels on the Crusader Hercules Starlifter (all variants). - Restored invisible power pips for shields, quantum, tractor beams and coolers on the Railen and Tyilui MFDs. - The Tumbril Storm now appears correctly at the ASOP terminal. - Vehicles with torn-off parts no longer remain stuck in an infinite repair process. - Fixed a location where players could fall out of the Gatac Tyilui by walking toward the bottom of the canopy. - A new docking request initiated during an active procedure no longer detaches the command module while leaving it full control. - The Drake Ironclad no longer loses collision on its pilot and command module after SMP undock. - Ironclad vehicle elements no longer disconnect after re-docking following a power cycle during undock. - Fixed missing interaction states preventing entry into the Hammerhead and Tiburon via elevators or cargo bay. - The tractor beam no longer incorrectly grabs the Greycat ROC itself when attempting to remove its Ore Pods. - Bricked Ore Pods no longer remain fully functional. - Fixed a case where ship controls ceased responding entirely. - Removed a blocking collision volume on the roof access ladder for the Drake Ironclad series. - Objects no longer lose collision and no longer drift at the RSI Polaris cargo elevator. - Removed an invisible collision wall in the first cargo module of the Drake Caterpillar series. - Fixed external fuel pods on the MISC Starfarer that ceased accepting fuel after repeated transactions at the same station. - Repair services no longer fail outright when a fuse is missing. - Successive docking attempts between two refueling vehicles no longer fail after the first success. - Fixed inability to allocate MFD power after storing/retrieving a ship equipped with a command module. - Fixed inability to exit the pilot seat of the Argo MPUV Tractor via shortcut or PIT wheel. - Docked vehicles equipped with a command module now push correctly to stay in place. - The MISC Starfarer's telescoping boom no longer automatically retracts when entering the captain's seat. - Fuel pods no longer require specific orientation to attach to ships. - Fixed incorrectly labeled utility turrets on the Argo MOTH in the vehicle loadout manager. - Fixed sections of the Drake Ironclad (all variants) lacking breathable air. - The Starfarer's external fuel tanks can no longer be detached via console without first unlocking the object ports. - Fixed inability to resupply countermeasures, ammunition and missiles via the landing tab. - Fixed the "Retrieve" button remaining grayed out after exiting to menu during animation. - Fixed Railen and Tyilui cabin doors clapping abnormally when approached during closing. - Fixed a missing module on the F7CM/F7CM Heart Seeker in the VMA, preventing equipping or removing the special varipuck mount for the Hornet or other top turrets.

Alpha 4.9 LIVE: new hotfix moves to LIVE channel

The 4.9 LIVE HOTFIX channel (client CL 12302499) switched to the LIVE channel overnight. CIG adds a test fix targeting the bug that stripped some players of all mouse control and interactions (including mobiGlas) once loaded into the PU, an issue tracked under ticket STARC-212814. The studio directly invites affected players to confirm whether this fix resolves their situation.

Week's Sneak Peek: heavy armor and Vendetta minigun

Friday evening's weekly newsletter closes, as every week, with its captionless teaser image: this time, a "Super Heavy Armor" silhouette accompanied by a Vendetta minigun, all in black and gold livery. The quote accompanying the image ("Say hello to my little friend") leaves little doubt about the tone being pushed, but CIG never confirms anything in advance: the community sees a possible lead for a bundle or August promotion, without certainty on exact timing.

In brief, also note: the Foundation Festival 2026 makes its return from July 29 to August 12 with new Twitch Drops, an event highlighted today by the French community (see the videos section).

🎬 YouTube Videos

SC Haulers : two formats for the same content. - SIEGE OF ORISON | 4.10 PTU
First gameplay footage from the new Siege of Orison instance, just opened in Wave 1 on PTU 4.10. - SIEGE OF ORISON | 4.10 PTU (Portrait)
Same gameplay content, in vertical format designed for social networks.

Cpt_Foxyloxy : four videos, between news coverage and gameplay sessions. - Alpha 4.10 Wave 1 Live | Siege Of Orison & Instancing
Overview of the Wave 1 opening of 4.10 and how the new instancing system applied to Siege of Orison works. - Alpha 4.10 Wave 1 Today & 4.9 Hotfix Issues & Testing | Star Citizen Update July 24, 2026
News update on the wait for Wave 1 of 4.10 and issues encountered testing the new 4.9 hotfix. - Alpha 4.9 Live | Pyro Must BURN - Life In Pyro
LIVE 4.9 gameplay session focused on daily life in Pyro. - Building A Super Stealthy Bomber & Some Bombing Practice & Test | Star Citizen 4.9 Live
Assembly of a stealth bomber and testing with S3, S5 and S10 bombs, timed in description.

Elguapoe : two parts of the same session. - Star citizen 4.9 Solo Mole Mining in Nyx Hunting Big Rocks and Mission Progress | LIVE
Solo mining session with MOLE in Nyx, searching for large deposits. - Star citizen 4.9 Solo Mole Mining in Nyx Hunting Big Rocks and Mission Progress 2 | LIVE
Continuation of the same mining session, with progress on ongoing missions.

Evenlease : one long video and three short formats. - Star Citizen 4.9 Live
General session in 4.9 Live, no specific content details in the description. - The laser almost killed me! #gaming #robertspaceindustries #starcitizen #hathor #starcitizenlaser : short format showing a mining laser scare near Hathor. - Knock Knock let me in! #gaming #robertspaceindustries #starcitizen #pcgaming #rsiperseus #fail : misadventure filmed aboard or near an RSI Perseus. - I didn't see them there! #gaming #starcitizen #salvage #starcitizenmoth #argo #robertspaceindustries : small salvage incident at the helm of an Argo MOTH.

Infinite Space : - Star Citizen 4.9: New Hotfix, Battaglia Missions & Rare CQ7 Rifles!
Overview of the latest 4.9 hotfix, Battaglia missions and the rare Behring CQ7 rifle.

Cpt Deadwake : - Star Citizen 4.9 Livestream: Gonna Do Stuff in the Verse
Generalist livestream in 4.9 Live, no specific session theme announced in advance.

The Lord Tyler : three videos in French. - Salade et Bavardage !
Replay of live focused on free discussion around the game, no specific gameplay theme announced. - Puissance RSI - Star Citizen #starcitizenfr #1jour1vaisseau #starcitizen : short format from the "1 jour 1 vaisseau" series dedicated to the RSI Meteor, presented as a powerful fighter. - Demi-Mole Exploitable ! : live replay pointing out an exploit spotted on the MOLE, no additional details in the description.

Enderprize : - You need this keybind, dynamic zoom #starcitizen #tipsandtricks #gaming : short keyboard tip around dynamic zoom.

GautSlayer : two news videos in French. - Spectrum se refait une petit beauté et se prépare à des changements + vrac d'infos : decryption of Phase 1 of the Spectrum redesign, presented by CIG as simply a foundation before deeper changes to come to the social tool. - Le Foundation Festival, sa freefly et les twitch drops reviennent ! + Ship Matrix remaniée ! : announcement of the return of Foundation Festival 2026 in early August with freefly and Twitch Drops, and update on the Ship Matrix whose stats are now extracted directly from the game.

💬 Spectrum: synthesis of most discussed topics

The general forum is having an electric night, dominated by an in-depth debate on PvP that never stops circling, but also crossed by an unusual wave of nostalgia, between players hanging it up after over a decade and others rediscovering the game with wonder. No official CIG responses slipped into the hottest threads tonight: the community discusses mainly among itself.

Pyro PvP, a topic that won't cool down

Impossible to miss The open PvP problem, a discussion, which crossed the symbolic 481 reply mark tonight for 79 votes: the "hotspot" zone in Pyro, designed to concentrate players seeking voluntary combat, continues to crystallize tensions between proponents of assumed risk and players who feel targeted despite themselves. In mirror, See how easy it is to get engaging and meaningful PvP, CIG? (203 votes, 286 replies) takes the opposite view by praising the formula as a design success, proof that consensual and localized PvP can work without ruining the rest of the verse's experience. The PvE counterpart to the debate, The open PvE problem, a discussion (156 replies), reminds us that the question of coexisting playstyles remains far from resolved for everyone.

Between disillusionment and rediscovery: the veteran fracture

The thread First time I have uninstalled In 11 years gathered 269 votes and 85 replies tonight, a figure that says much about the resonance of the topic among a longtime player base. It echoes When Even Long Time Supporters Begin to Doubt (200 votes), on the same register of doubt settling in among historical backers of the project. Conversely, Reinstalled the game after a 10-year break... and wow, I'm blown away illustrates that the same prolonged absence can also lead to rediscovered enthusiasm at the progress accomplished.

Ergonomics and recurring expectations

Several threads return to ergonomic frustrations already known but still sharp: F Key or Spacebar for Ladders debates the best key choice for ladders, Put Important Information IN the Game (154 votes) demands that essential information stop living only out-of-game, and Please add trash bins to hangars (104 votes) simply asks for trash cans in hangars. A PSA also circulates warning that a game crash or disconnection with the mobiGlas open can indeed lock the account.

Technical discussions and ships

On the ships front, Polaris Paradox (93 votes) questions the coherence of the Polaris' role, while Solo Capitals vs. Single seat fighters fuels a lively debate of 231 replies on balance between solo big ships and single-seat fighters. The anger of the paying Twitch Drops camp reads in The subscription-based Twitch drop doesn't sit right with me (112 votes), while Why do features that used to work no longer work? crystallizes frustration at perceived regressions across patches.

💬 Reddit r/starcitizen (by theme, general sentiment)

The atmosphere on the subreddit contrasts sharply with the tension palpable on Spectrum: people laugh a lot more than they complain, between hilarious fails, polished screenshots and a real outpouring of recognition toward CIG on the sensitive subject of PvP. The weekly Sneak Peek leak also sets the tone for the evening.

Pyro PvP, seen from Reddit: convergence with Spectrum

The topic dominating Spectrum finds its echo here in Hats off to you, CIG o7, where the author praises CIG's transparency on the logic of Pyro's PvP zone, even citing explanations given by the team to justify this design choice. It's a stark contrast to the more conflictual tone of the same debates on Spectrum, proof that perception of the mechanic depends greatly on where it's being discussed.

The Sneak Peek leaks early

Super Heavies Everywhere! takes the week's Sneak Peek image (heavy armor and Vendetta minigun in black/gold livery) and openly speculates about a possible weapons and armor bundle for August.

Fails, humor and life slices in the verse

The comedic tone dominates much of the day's thread: And I wanted to play with grandmommy... tells a funny typo mishap, As I floated there in the black abyss... details a piloting blunder that cost a Perseus to its owner, and Dangerous in the reclaimer it is twists a Star Wars quote to illustrate Reclaimer dangers. More touching, CIG, I can hold the line 5 more years if you get VOIP to work reliably tells of an improbable elevator encounter at Levski, made possible by in-game comms. Striking screenshots are no shortage either, like Sometimes I really love this game or My little Cutlass.

On the creativity front, Crusader Generalist imagines a generalist ship from the builder, while CIG is recommending the ROC-DS to new players for mining laughs (and worries a bit) about the official choice of ROC-DS rather than MOLE in the getting started guide for new players.

Frustrations and gameplay expectations

Discontent concentrates on specific points: I can't understand why they don't give us an XL hangar gets annoyed at having to sometimes dock a Polaris due to lack of suitable hangar available, and Why. WHY are ladders still automatic climb?!?! echoes the same-name Spectrum debate about ladder ergonomics. On a more prospective register, We need personal thrusters in this game argues for individual thrusters useful in low-gravity environments or for boarding, and Would be cool if you could find large derelict ships in the void dreams of massive wrecks to explore in the void rather than more combat-oriented gameplay.

Community guides and tips

The practical side is well served too, with Beginner to Expert solo mining guide with pictures detailing profitable mining strategies, PSA - Equip your cargo/salvaging/mining ships with MxA cannons recommending arming industrial ships against "murder hobos", and an ever-open question in Best Ground Vehicle for Bunkers Help Needed about the best ground vehicle for bunkers. An Official feedback survey about in-game communication tools also invites the community to shape CIG's priorities on social tools.

More in the background, Server experts: Is Dynamic Server Meshing really possible? relaunches technical debate on the feasibility of DSM after Static Server Meshing, while Genuinely wondering — has the whole AAA industry stopped taking risks steps back to consider why part of the public bets on Star Citizen's promise rather than what's already shipping elsewhere.

🕵️ Leaks & Datamining

Non-official content from community datamining: subject to change, never confirmed by CIG.

The EPTU's move to 4.10.0-12311913 delivered its share of discoveries for dataminers: the Stormwales, flying creatures of Pyro, seem to have been purely and simply removed from the build. On the weapons side, the Arlington rifle receives a complete overhaul in "Rifle" mode: aim-in time reduced from 0.25 to 0.125 seconds, spread tightened from 3 to 1°, damage increased from 70 to 80, maximum damage range extended from 40 to 50 meters, and minimum damage raised from 10 to 35 (at the cost of reduced range from 1200 to 450 meters according to initial observations). The special Clipper Wikelo War mission sees its mission condition corrected (Metamaterial #152 instead of #146, as expected).

The most structural change concerns fuel: hydrogen tanks on ships undergo massive reduction, on the order of 70 to 95% for the majority of aircraft (some between 0 and 70%, but none escape it), while quantum remains unchanged for now. Calculation of distance with hydrogen thus becomes much more constraining, which should mainly benefit the refueler profession. A tracking spreadsheet for fuel changes by ship is already circulating in the community.

Finally, the Sniper Glint could no longer be obtained from loot crates (other "Light" changes being announced for the next day), the Golem's mining laser might move onto a gimbal mount, and new pirate liveries would appear for the Clipper, Ironclad, Basher and Shiv, with no visual preview available at this time.