Star Citizen is moving to bimonthly major patches starting with Alpha 4.6

Cloud Imperium Games says Star Citizen is shifting to a more predictable update schedule. Starting with Alpha 4.6, the studio plans to ship a major content patch every two months, with smaller “in-between” patches landing between those bigger drops.

The change was outlined by Content Director Jared Huckaby in a recent video, where he said the goal is a steadier cadence for players, alongside more frequent developer updates like Inside Star Citizen.

As for what’s actually in Alpha 4.6, CIG is adding a new story mission set in Levski. The mission revolves around a mold outbreak tied to the “people’s ailment,” and it’s framed as less combat-focused and more about helping stabilize conditions for the citizens. Huckaby also said players can earn medical tools as rewards.

Alpha 4.6 also includes a “gold standard” pass for the Aurora, one of the game’s long-running starter pledge ships, bringing it up to current quality standards. On top of that, CIG is continuing ship cockpit lighting updates, a long-requested visual tweak.

Looking past 4.6, the team said a smaller follow-up patch is planned with faction-based missions meant to introduce players to career specializations. Seasonal events for Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year are also on the schedule, though specific dates weren’t shared.