Star Citizen is overhauling its gifting system to require gifts to be purchased with a “buy as a gift” option, sent immediately to recipients who must redeem them via the RSI website, with unclaimed gifts refunded after 30 days. These changes aim to prevent gray market trading but may inconvenience content creators and gift-givers by removing the ability to use items before gifting and limiting scheduling flexibility.
Star Citizen is implementing significant changes to its gifting system starting October 30th. Under the new system, only items that explicitly offer a “buy as a gift” option at checkout can be gifted. When an item is gifted, the recipient receives an email with a redemption code, which they must redeem through the RSI website. Importantly, recipients need to have an RSI account with a confirmed email to claim their gifts, and accounts can be created after receiving the gift email but before claiming the gift. Gifting or claiming items requires the user to be signed in, and store credit cannot be used to pay for gifts.
A major change is that gifted items will no longer appear in the purchaser’s hangar before being sent. Previously, buyers could purchase an item, use it, and then gift it later. Now, the gift must be designated at purchase, and the item is added directly to the recipient’s hangar only after they redeem it. Badges and perks associated with gifted items go to the recipient, while referral credits remain with the buyer. Additionally, if a gift is not claimed within 30 days, the buyer will automatically receive a refund.
Existing gifted items and gift codes purchased before these changes will continue to function as they do currently, so those are grandfathered in. However, the update does not clarify how buybacks will be handled under the new system, leaving some uncertainty for those who have used buybacks to reclaim gifted ships. Another key point is that gifts are sent immediately after purchase and cannot be scheduled or delayed, which limits flexibility for buyers who want to gift items at a later time.
The motivation behind these changes appears to be aimed at curbing the gray market and black market trading of ships and items, ensuring that all transactions happen directly through the RSI store. While this may help reduce scalping and unauthorized reselling, it could negatively impact content creators and community members who regularly do giveaways, as they can no longer purchase items, use them, and then gift them later. This shift may require changes in how giveaways and gifting events are managed.
Overall, while the changes might inconvenience some users, especially content creators and those who gift frequently, the update is likely to benefit the broader player base by maintaining a controlled and secure gifting environment. The community is encouraged to share their thoughts on the changes, and further clarifications, particularly about buybacks, are expected in the future.