Star Citizen backers have until November 1 to pick their protected Game Access pledge, then it locks for good

This is the last week to change your mind. Since October 1, CIG’s new Game Library system has marked one pledge on every account as the protected Game Access pledge for Star Citizen, plus one for Squadron 42 if you own it. A protected pledge can’t be melted for store credit or gifted away. You can still move that protection to a different pledge, but only until November 1, 2026. After that, RSI’s support article says the selection is locked in.

Why it matters. If you’ve never touched the setting, the system picked for you. According to CIG’s FAQ, a pledge that already can’t be melted (like a High Admiral VIP reward) gets protected first. Otherwise it’s your oldest pledge that grants the game. That may be the very package you planned to melt or CCU later. As SCRC points out, a pledge you restored through Buy Back counts as new from the day you restored it, so the auto-pick can surprise people.

How to check it (takes a minute)

1. Log in on the RSI website and open My Hangar from your account menu.
2. Pick Game Access in the left-hand list. You’ll only see pledges that include a game. Ship-only packages don’t show up, no matter how pricey they are.
3. The protected pledges carry an orange lock labelled SC GAME ACCESS or SQ42 GAME ACCESS.
4. To move it, hit SELECT SC or SELECT SQ42 on another eligible pledge. The switch happens immediately, and the old pledge goes back to being meltable and giftable.

The fine print

• You can switch as many times as you like before the deadline. Protection is per game, so you can split Star Citizen and Squadron 42 across two pledges.
• A pledge you buy or buy back during the window counts too.
• Ships inside a protected pledge can still be upgraded with CCUs.
• CIG won’t send a reminder. The FAQ is explicit about that, so this is your reminder.

One more deadline: Twitch Drops end tomorrow. RSI Discovery Month’s Twitch Drops wrap up on October 27, according to the Open Hangar calendar. Watch four hours total of any Drops-enabled Star Citizen stream and you get the free Phoenix Insignia Display, the glowing hangar hologram pictured above. Also on today’s calendar is This Week in Star Citizen, and Alpha 4.10.3 is still on the Wave 1 PTU.

PPR take: It’s not glamorous, but it’s the one Star Citizen task this week that can’t be undone. Spend sixty seconds in your hangar before Sunday, then go farm that Phoenix hologram.