The upcoming CitizenCon event, Star Citizen’s biggest annual showcase, is just under a month away. This year, the event will take the form of a two-hour CitizenCon Direct video, focusing specifically on the Star Citizen team’s plans for the next year of development rather than broad hype or major releases. Notably, there will be no updates or presence related to Squadron 42, as the developers want to keep that project separate and allow the team to stay focused. This means no announcements about a release date or story developments for Squadron 42 at this event.
Expect the event to primarily cover progress on projects revealed last year, such as the Genesis Planet Tech V5, which combines several technologies to create detailed planets and biomes. Last year’s presentations were mostly concept art and early development stages, so this year might offer a more concrete look at how these systems have advanced, possibly showcasing a planet fully utilizing the Genesis suite. Additionally, there could be a demonstration of the ray-traced global illumination system, which uses software-based lighting to realistically illuminate entire planets, speeding up development by avoiding manual lighting of locations.
Other anticipated topics include social tools and organization features, though these might not see much progress or reveal this year given the lack of recent updates and shifting priorities. Creature updates may be shown, potentially introducing new monsters or Apex versions for monster hunting gameplay, but major armor and starwear updates seem to have been deprioritized. Fans are also curious about the Nyx system, where last year’s demo showed an asteroid base; this year might include a more detailed interior tour or early looks at Nyx’s planets and moons, though a full release is not expected soon.
Ship reveals remain a staple of CitizenCon, with expectations for new flyable ships rather than concept ships. There is speculation about possible surprises, including a Drake silhouette ship or others that could be released directly to players. Crafting is another area likely to be addressed, with a multiplayer crafting prototype already mentioned in recent reports, though it’s expected to be in early, programmer-art form. Base building, however, appears to be less of a priority at the moment, with little recent news or development progress.
Finally, other potential topics include updates on engineering, which is nearing tech preview status, and the new inventory system, which might be shown in-game for the first time. There could be some work revealed on underground facilities and distribution centers, which have been somewhat neglected. While dynamic server meshing and the Vulcan engine update are unlikely to be featured due to their early development stages, there is always hope for surprises like official VR support. Overall, the event is expected to provide a focused, in-depth look at Star Citizen’s near-future development rather than broad or flashy announcements.
