Upcoming Star Citizen Ships Before 2026

scripted by: Space Tomato edited & formatted by: Mrs.Tomato

Things are busy on the ship development front. Over twenty ships are currently on the cards, with twelve confirmed in production and at least four more likely to arrive within the next two months.

With CitizenCon right around the corner, you might already have one or two of these ships by the time you read this. But today, I’m giving you a quick rundown of the ships most likely to launch before 2026.

Confirmed Ships

First, let’s start with the ships we’ve seen in official development reports and know for sure are coming. Then, we’ll move into the ships spotted by the community through ads and leaks, the ones that haven’t been publicly discussed yet.

Anvil Perseus

Our likely November release is this heavy hitter. The Anvil Perseus looks much bigger than the Paladin, roughly double its length, and operates with a crew of 4–7.

It features dual turrets rumored to be size 7 or 8, two size 3 dual turrets, 20 size 5 torpedoes, and space for 50 SCU of cargo. Onboard facilities include sleeping quarters, a mess hall, and even room for a ground vehicle.

This ship is built for deep-space patrol and sustained combat operations, ideal for long missions or ground support. With its recent progress through LOD0 and substantial downstream work completed in September, the Perseus looks primed for a November release.

RSI Salvaging Ship

This one’s a surprise candidate for an earlier-than-expected debut. While it carries a design reminiscent of Anvil ships, the RSI Salvaging Ship is meant as an entry-level salvager, a counterpart to the Golem (for miners) and the Intrepid (for haulers).

First revealed in March 2025 alongside the Wolf and Meteor, this smaller ship seems to have been waiting for the recent salvaging gameplay overhaul. With those changes landing in patch 4.3.2, this release could easily happen before the year’s end.

Aurora Gold Standard Update

Longtime players know how essential gold standard updates are for older ships, and the Aurora has been overdue for one. After being quietly pulled from the pledge store over the summer, development reports confirmed that a full overhaul is in progress.

The new Aurora will feature updated dimensions, cargo space, interactables, components, and lighting, bringing it back up to modern standards. Expect it to re-enter the store soon, likely around its original $45 price point, and improve the new-player experience overall.

Hammerhead Gold Standard Update

The Aegis Hammerhead has been receiving a similar level of attention since September. Interior work, component bays, and corridors have been in progress, and the ship’s detailed interior is shaping up beautifully.

It’s expected that players will see it featured prominently in Squadron 42, so this upgrade matters more than ever. Based on its progress, I’d expect to see the updated Hammerhead drop between November and December.

Unconfirmed and Leaked Ships

Apollo Variant Leak

There’s growing speculation that one of the unannounced ships tracked this year is a cargo-focused variant of the Apollo. Evidence points to an unannounced vehicle undergoing unique cargo development earlier this summer, and CIG has been teasing a new variant of a fan-favorite ship.

Among recent releases, the Apollo fits that description best. Personally, I’ve always wanted to see an Apollo built for general exploration and survival gameplay, so this rumor has my attention.

If true, it also highlights an interesting trend: CIG seems to be retooling specialized ships to appeal to broader player bases as gameplay systems evolve. Medical mechanics, respawning, and mission design have all changed since the Apollo’s original concept, so this variant could make the chassis more relevant again.

Still, nothing is confirmed. There are leak reports pointing to a near-ready unannounced ship, but we can only speculate for now.

One More Unannounced Ship

In addition to the Apollo variant, there’s at least one more unannounced ship in the works that may arrive before year’s end. Based on recent development progress, with two ships in LOD0, one at final art, and another between greybox and LOD0, there’s a strong chance we’ll see at least one of them debut soon.

It could be one of the remaining silhouettes from CitizenCon 2024, possibly the CNOU or Drake ship that has yet to be revealed.

That means by the end of 2025, we could see four brand-new ships and two major gold standard updates hit the game.

Beyond 2025

Of course, this list doesn’t include larger, long-term projects like the Railen, Kraken, Ironclad, Pioneer, and Hull-B, all still in active development. Those will likely stretch into 2026 and beyond.

If you’d like to keep up with the evolving ship lineup and broader Star Citizen development, make sure to subscribe to Space Tomato Gaming for breakdowns like this, or follow Space Tomato Too for daily updates, commentary, and podcasts featuring guests like Luck Stephens and other community figures.

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Conclusion

That wraps up my look at what’s next for Star Citizen ships heading into 2026. Between confirmed updates, likely releases, and a few spicy leaks, this end-of-year window could be one of the most active periods for ship development in years.

Thanks for sticking around to the end!