If you own more than one Star Citizen package, you have until November 1, 2026 to decide which one gets locked to your account for good. Since October 1, RSI protects one "Game Access" pledge per game: that pledge can no longer be melted for store credit or gifted. RSI picked a default for you, but the default is not always the package you'd choose. This guide shows how to check and change it in under two minutes, explains which package you should actually protect, and clears up the myths going around Reddit right now.
Quick answer: Log in at robertsspaceindustries.com → account icon → My Hangar → GAME ACCESS (left menu). The pledge with the orange lock labelled SC GAME ACCESS (or SQ42 GAME ACCESS) is your protected pledge. Click SELECT SC / SELECT SQ42 on another eligible pledge to move the lock to it instantly. You can switch as many times as you like until November 1, 2026; after that RSI says "the access pledge(s) will be set." Protect the package you would never melt (usually your cheapest starter, or the High Admiral reward if you are in the Chairman's Club) and leave valuable ship packs unlocked so you can still melt or gift them. Protection costs you nothing in-game: the pledge stays in your hangar and can still be upgraded with CCUs. This is an account change, not a patch change. The live build is still Alpha 4.10.2 (no full wipe).
What is the Star Citizen game package lock?
It's a new account rule CIG calls the Game Library and protected Game Access pledge. It was announced on Spectrum in late August 2026, refined in a follow-up Updates to Game Access FAQ in September, and went live on October 1, 2026. Access to Star Citizen has always come from owning a pledge that includes the game, usually a starter package. The new system formalises that: each game you own (Star Citizen now, Squadron 42 later) gets one pledge marked as the one that grants it.
RSI's Knowledge Base states the purpose directly: "This pledge will be protected from being accidentally gifted away or reclaimed for store credit to ensure that players can retain their access to our games." (Source: RSI Knowledge Base, Setting Your Game Access Pledge.)
What actually changes for a protected pledge:
| Protected Game Access pledge | Every other pledge | |
|---|---|---|
| Melt (reclaim) for store credit | No | Yes, as before |
| Gift to another account | No | Yes, where it was already giftable |
| Upgrade the ship inside with a CCU | Yes | Yes |
| Stays in your hangar with all contents | Yes | Yes |
| Changeable after Nov 1, 2026 | No (locked) | n/a |
RSI's Reclaim a Pledge article now lists "your protected game access pledge(s)" among the pledges that cannot be reclaimed, and adds that "this protected pledge can be changed until November 1st, 2026."
How many pledges get locked?
At most two: one for Star Citizen and one for Squadron 42. If a single pledge grants both games, that one pledge can carry both locks. Squadron 42 is a separate game: CIG's late-August "Letter from the Chairman" moved it to a Q2 2027 release window. If you own an SQ42 package, you'll see an SQ42 GAME ACCESS lock too. (Source: Star Citizen Wiki, Release date, citing the RSI comm-link.)
Everything else in your hangar keeps its current melt and gift behaviour. Standalone ship pledges that don't include a game never get locked and never show up as options.
How do I set my Game Access pledge? (step by step)
These are RSI's own steps from the Knowledge Base, checked October 21, 2026:
- Log in to your account on robertsspaceindustries.com.
- Click your account icon in the top right.
- Select My Hangar.
- Click GAME ACCESS in the list on the left. You'll see every pledge on your account that grants access to Star Citizen or Squadron 42.
- Find the orange lock. The pledge currently protected shows an orange lock icon reading SC GAME ACCESS or SQ42 GAME ACCESS.
- To move it, click SELECT SC or SELECT SQ42 on the pledge you want protected instead. RSI says the change is instant. The old pledge loses its protection and returns to whatever melt/gift eligibility it had before; pledges that were already restricted, such as rewards, stay restricted.
- Double-check before you log off. Protected pledges are also marked in your full hangar view, but you can only change the selection from the Game Access page.
If the buttons don't respond, RSI's own fix is to disable browser add-ons or try a different browser, then open a ticket with RSI Support if it still fails.
Which pledge did RSI lock by default?
If you never touched the Game Access page, RSI already picked one on October 1 using two rules, per CIG's Game Access FAQ as summarised by SCRC and Elyxir:
- An already-unmeltable pledge that grants the game wins first. The High Admiral reward pledge that Chairman's Club (Concierge) members get is the common example.
- Otherwise, your oldest pledge that grants that game is locked.
Two traps catch people:
- Bought-back pledges count as new. A pledge restored through Buy Back takes the date it was restored, so the auto-pick treats it as your newest, not your oldest.
- Freebies count. Referral rewards, giveaway packs and subscriber rewards that include game access are eligible. If one of those is your oldest, it may be the one that got locked.
The oldest package is often your most expensive original pledge from years ago, the one you'd most like to keep flexible. That's exactly why this deadline matters.
Which package should I protect?
Protect the package you will never want to melt or gift. Leave everything with resale or restructuring value unlocked. A quick decision tree:
| Your hangar | What to protect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One starter package only | Nothing to do, it's already protected | You can't melt your only access pledge anyway; you can still CCU the ship |
| Starter + bigger ship package (both include the game) | The cheap starter | Keeps the big package meltable/giftable for future CCU chains or sales |
| Chairman's Club (Concierge) with a High Admiral reward | The High Admiral reward for the SC lock (usually already the default) | It's unmeltable anyway, so locking it costs nothing and frees your paid packages. It only covers SQ42 if your reward actually lists SQ42 |
| Original Kickstarter/legacy package + a newer starter | The newer starter, unless you'd never melt the legacy one | Legacy packs often hold perks you can't buy back easily; decide deliberately |
| Bought-back starter you want as your anchor | Select it manually | The auto-pick treats buy-backs as newest and won't choose it |
CIG's FAQ makes the same point for Concierge accounts: moving the lock off the High Admiral reward gains you nothing. It just locks a package that would otherwise stay flexible.
Check what your reward actually contains before you copy the screenshot below. RSI's Concierge Levels and Rewards article says every Chairman's Club member ($1,000 total spent, the High Admiral level) gets a copy of Star Citizen added to their High Admiral Reward Pledge, which is "the all important pledge that grants access to the Persistent Universe." Squadron 42 is different. The SQ42 digital download was a one-off reward on March 18, 2022, added only for members who already had SQ42 active at the time. So for most newer Concierge members, the High Admiral reward can carry the SC lock but not the SQ42 lock. The screenshot below is RSI's own demonstration example, from an account whose reward includes both games.
I'm close to Concierge — what happens if I reach it after November 1?
This came up again on r/StarCitizen this week, and the honest answer is that RSI hasn't documented it. Neither the Knowledge Base article nor the FAQ says whether a High Admiral reward earned after November 1 can take over a lock that's already final. Replies in that thread were blunt. As one put it: "You would have to reach concierge BEFORE November 1st, then you could just select the high admiral package as your game access."
Your options:
- Reach Concierge before November 1 and move the SC lock onto the High Admiral reward from the Game Access page. This is the only path that's clearly supported today. Leave your SQ42 lock where it is unless your reward actually lists Squadron 42.
- If you can't, open an RSI Support ticket before the deadline and get a written answer for your account. Don't rely on Reddit or on this article for a decision that's permanent.
- Don't plan around a future exception. The KB's wording is that after November 1 "the choice will be locked in."
Can I melt my game package now and rebuy during IAE?
Not your only one. Another misconception in the same thread was "melt my package now, then buy back in during the IAE sale." Since October 1, your only Game Access pledge is protected, so the melt button won't work on it. One player summed it up: "You can't melt your only SC game access package. You need another in order to melt that one." The workaround is to own a second package that grants the game, move the lock to it, and only then melt the first.
Also remember RSI's standing reclaim rules: there's a 24-hour cooldown after pledging before anything can be reclaimed, reclaiming strips any CCU upgrades applied to the pledge, and rare or limited pledges may not be available through Buy Back. (Source: RSI KB, Reclaim a Pledge.) CIG hasn't announced dates for IAE 2956 yet, so don't time a melt around a sale that isn't on the calendar. For what free-fly windows have looked like this year, see our Ship Showdown 2956 free-fly guide.
What changed about gifting?
The gifting rule change applies only to pledges bought after October 1, 2026. Everything you owned before then keeps its old gifting behaviour, unless it's your protected pledge.
- A pledge meant as a gift must be marked as a gift at checkout.
- A gift-designated pledge can't be used by the buyer.
- Once the recipient claims it, they can upgrade it normally with CCUs.
If you're buying a starter for a friend, tick the gift option at purchase. If you're buying your own first package, it becomes your protected Game Access pledge immediately, which is what you want. Not sure which starter to pick? Our best starter ship guide breaks down the options.
One brand-safety note: RSI's Terms of Service only allow accounts and pledges to change hands "through means permitted by RSI (such as gifting within RSI's system)." Selling or transferring an RSI account any other way is prohibited, and penalties are at RSI's discretion and can include account termination. The new rules make the official gift path even more important. Don't buy accounts or "pre-owned" game packages outside RSI's own gifting system.
Does the game package lock affect my ships, aUEC or the wipe?
No. This is purely a website/account change. It doesn't touch:
- Your in-game progress. Alpha 4.10.2 (live since October 9, 2026) was not a full wipe. RSI's release notes list Long Term Persistence as preserved, so earned aUEC and in-game-bought ships carried over. See our Alpha 4.10.2 patch notes breakdown.
- Pledged ships. Pledges are account-bound and survive wipes whether they're locked or not.
- aUEC. It's still test currency that can be wiped at any patch with no reimbursement. The last full wipe was Alpha 4.8 on May 14, 2026. Earning it in-game is the only safe route; our aUEC money-making guide covers the loops that work.
The new Games Library page under RSI Account Settings simply lists which games your account owns. During the selection window, clicking a game there takes you to the same Game Access page.
FAQ
What is the Star Citizen Game Access pledge? It's the one pledge per game that RSI protects so it can't be melted for store credit or gifted away. It guarantees your account keeps access to Star Citizen (and to Squadron 42 if you own it). It stays in your hangar with everything in it and can still be upgraded with CCUs.
When is the deadline to change my protected pledge? November 1, 2026. Until then you can switch the lock between eligible pledges as many times as you like from My Hangar → Game Access. After that, RSI says the access pledge(s) will be set. RSI doesn't give a time of day, so make your choice by October 31 to be safe. CIG said it won't send a separate reminder.
Why can't I see one of my ship packages in the Game Access list? Only pledges that actually include a game appear. RSI is explicit: a pledge that only contains ships and related items (insurance, weapons, liveries) won't show up, "regardless of how valuable the pledge or ship package is," and Support can't change that.
Can I still upgrade the ship in my locked package? Yes. Protection only blocks melting and gifting. You can still apply Cross-Chassis Upgrades (CCUs) to the ship inside your protected pledge.
Do I need to buy a new game package because of this? No. If you already have game access, you're covered. If you own exactly one package, it's already your protected pledge. You only need to act if you own several packages and care which one stays meltable.
Is the game package lock the same as a wipe? No. It's an account rule on the RSI website and has nothing to do with the game's wipe cycle. Alpha 4.10.2 was not a full wipe; RSI lists Long Term Persistence as preserved. Only aUEC and in-game-acquired items are ever at risk in a full wipe; pledges never are.
Need the rest of the picture? Ships, money loops, patch notes and error fixes for the current Alpha are all in one place.
