Cloud Imperium Games has rolled out Star Citizen Alpha 4.1, titled Orbital Assault, and it’s one of the biggest updates yet. It introduces Laser Quest, a multi-stage event starting with ground battles on Daymar and ending in a full-scale orbital fight. It’s chaotic, cinematic, and pushes the combined-arms experience further than ever.
Star Citizen Alpha 4.1: Orbital Assault trailer
A mysterious new NPC, The Curious Collector, now roams the Stanton system of Star Citizen. Bring him rare minerals, and you might walk away with the best loot in the game.
Arena Commander also gets a major refresh with Crossroads of Crime—a large-scale map featuring three main bases and multiple modes like Tank Royale, Gun Rush, and Team Elimination.
Tech-wise, the Character Creator has been overhauled with 60 new scanned heads, more realistic facial animation, and improved genetic blending. It’s now one of the most advanced avatar systems in gaming.
Much of this comes from Sean Tracy, Senior Tech Director at Cloud Imperium. His team also enhanced FOIP (Face Over Internet Protocol), enabling real-time facial tracking, and improved content pipelines for faster, higher-quality development.
With over 1 million players and 32 million hours played in 2024 alone, Star Citizen continues to raise the bar for space simulation. Alpha 4.1 Orbital Assault isn’t just an update—it’s a statement.
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