Official: Star Citizen IAE 2956 lands in New Babbage November 13–27 with Free Fly and 200+ rentals

It’s official. @RobertsSpaceInd locked in Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2956, and she’s heading back somewhere that feels right: Tobin Expo Center in New Babbage, microTech, starting November 13. Free Fly runs through November 27, you can pull 200+ ships and ground vehicles off the rental kiosks, and RSI is promising new ship releases. Hit play.sc/iae2956 for the Countdown to IAE 2956 Comm-Link.

Earlier this week we only had the Tobin halls open on PTU. No live dates, no Free Fly wording. That gap’s closed.

Dates, New Babbage, and Free Fly

The Comm-Link keeps it simple: November 13 to 27 at Tobin Expo Center up on chilly microTech, with Free Fly running the entire expo. Doors look like they open around 11 a.m. ET on the 13th, and the window wraps about 3 p.m. ET on the 27th — same bookends RSI put on X.

If you’ve walked New Babbage in the snow before, you already know the vibe. RSI is calling this the biggest ship show in the ‘verse, and for two weeks you can jump in for free, rent from the show-floor kiosks, hunt exclusive IAE armor and paints, and see what each manufacturer actually parks in the halls. The page also teases brand-new vehicle announcements and live releases — but the Comm-Link still doesn’t name those hulls. RSI’s X post just says “New ship releases,” so that’s the line until the pledge pages drop.

What the official promo actually shows

The 30-second video on RSI’s announcement is a New Babbage flyover packed with fleet shots. RSI headlines the show, but there are several new ships sneaking in with that Perseus, Polaris and Galaxy shot — plus that awesome small carrier, the Anvil Liberator. This expo is going to be one to remember!

Manufacturer schedule is up; full ship lineup still TBA

The Comm-Link drops the official IAE 2956 pledge and free rental schedule graphic and tells players to check back for the full list of ships and ground vehicles you can obtain and try. Manufacturer days run like this:

• Nov. 13–14: RSI
• Nov. 14–15: Origin Jumpworks
• Nov. 15–16: Anvil Aerospace
• Nov. 16–17: Crusader Industries and Tumbril
• Nov. 17–18: Drake Interplanetary
• Nov. 18–19: Argo Astronautics, Consolidated Outland, Greycat Industrial and Kruger Intergalactic
• Nov. 19–20: Mirai and MISC
• Nov. 20–21: Aegis Dynamics
• Nov. 21–22: Aopoa, Banu, Esperia and Gatac Manufacture
• Nov. 22: Best in Show
• Nov. 23–27: Finale — last chance to try all IAE vehicles for free

RSI opening the calendar tracks with them leading the celebration. Individual ship SKUs, warbond wording and any Best in Show winner still aren’t on the page.

PPR take: This is the Save the Date I wanted after the Tobin PTU drop. Location was already feeling right…microTech snow, expo halls, that New Babbage energy. Now we have the real window: November 13 through 27, Free Fly the whole way, and over 200 rentals off the kiosks. RSI opening the schedule is also on brand for a manufacturer-led year. The promo is pure eye candy — RSI Perseus, Polaris, Galaxy, the Drake Marauder and the Ironclad all show up in the fleet shots — but CIG still has not named the actual new releases in the Comm-Link. I’m not guessing which hull gets the first pledge page. Clearing the calendar and waiting for the real drop list. o7