The Star Citizen Week in Review for September 15th, 2025, highlights the imminent release of patch 4.3.1 with new features like the Apollo medical ship and Volt LMG, alongside ongoing technical developments and roadmap updates indicating some delays. The video also covers community events, technical challenges, and a notable slip-up about Squadron 42’s release status, emphasizing cautious optimism amid steady progress.
In this Star Citizen Week in Review for September 15th, 2025, Salty Mike covers the imminent release of patch 4.3.1, highlighting key updates such as the addition of the Apollo ship, which signals the patch is nearing completion. However, some anticipated features are unlikely to make it into this release. The week also saw the first live Star Citizen session with Benois, though opinions on its value are mixed. Alongside gameplay updates, Salty Mike introduces the sponsor Coopert, a browser extension that helps save money while shopping online.
The patch 4.3.1 PTU brought significant changes, including the opening of the science wing in Onyx and adjustments to ballistics and missile effectiveness, aiming to improve combat balance. The new Volt LMG was introduced, notable for its heat mechanics affecting fire rate and damage. A weapon shop was added to Lurville for player convenience. Despite these additions, some bugs persist, and the ballistic changes were tweaked multiple times based on feedback. The Apollo medical ship was also introduced, featuring multiple medical beds and improvements to med gel healing mechanics.
Roadmap updates reveal that many features are committed but with some delays, notably the mission pickup at location and FPS turrets, which have been pushed back again. The new heavy armor set and the Volt LMG are confirmed but still undergoing balancing. The engineering gameplay tech preview is anticipated as the next major update after the current Vulcan tech preview is fully integrated, with hopes to see it before the end of the year, though no guarantees are given. Dynamic server meshing and instancing are in development, focusing on better workload distribution rather than increasing player counts immediately.
A lengthy discussion with Ben Ma provided insights into ongoing technical developments, including the challenges with Wiccolo rewards and the transition from the current transit system to a more robust transport system. Long-term persistence (LTP) remains a work in progress, with a temporary solution to persist player entitlements across patches rather than full game state persistence. This approach is seen as a band-aid that may delay more comprehensive stability and reworks planned for the future.
The video concludes with a notable announcement slip-up by Jared regarding Squadron 42’s absence at CitizenCon Direct, which sparked speculation about delays. The team clarified that no release date is set, and the focus remains on development without distractions. Additional updates cover community engagement events like Pirate Week and the CitizenCon package, with concerns raised about monetization practices involving weapons and armor. Overall, the week was packed with incremental improvements, technical deep dives, and cautious optimism for upcoming features.