DefenseCon 2956 is closing out with a bang, and CIG is juggling hotfixes for Alpha 4.8 alongside a final wave of ship reveals, free-fly events, and community contests.
The Bug Hunt Continues in 4.8
CIG acknowledged a slew of persistent issues in Alpha 4.8, from broken contracts and Starmap glitches to ship and service bugs. The team has been tracking reports and pushing fixes through testing, with more hotfixes planned. Players should keep submitting reproduction steps on the Issue Council—that visibility is directly speeding up priority fixes. If you’ve been frustrated by a recurring crash or a mission that won’t complete, know that several fixes are already in the pipeline.
DefenseCon’s Grand Finale
The in-game convention hits its final two days, with every manufacturer back on the show floor at the Bevic Convention Center until May 27. This is your last chance to rent, buy, or test-fly everything from the MISC Starlite (now flyable, opening up refueling gameplay) to the Aegis Tiburon (straight to flyable) and the massive Anvil Odin battlecruiser, which looms over Area18. If you haven’t joined the Free Fly yet, now’s the time—and don’t forget the Referral Bonus (a Drake Dragonfly with Coalfire paint for you, a DefenseCon Gear Pack for the new player) and Twitch Drops (earn the Tailwind Murray Cup Set after four hours of watching).
“Every manufacturer has returned to the show floor for the final two days. One last chance to get in on every ship, every rental, every weapon, everything DefenseCon 2956 has to offer.”
What’s Left This Week
- Tuesday/Wednesday: DefenseCon finale—last chance to grab ships and rentals.
- Friday: RSI Weekly Newsletter hits inboxes (sign up in account settings).
- Friday: Bar Citizen world tour continues.
- May 27 (20:00 UTC): Everyday Heroes contest closes—submit your screenshot for a chance to win a Tobii Eye Tracker 5 and DefenseCon ships.
The Everyday Heroes contest is a smart way to spotlight emergent storytelling, and the Tobii Eye Tracker 5 prize is a solid incentive for immersion-focused pilots. If you’re still on the fence about DefenseCon, the final day rush might be your best shot at snagging a rental you’ve been eyeing—just keep an eye on the patch notes for those incoming hotfixes.
