Summary of "Star Citizen Week in Review - This New Event Just Doesn't Hit"

Star Citizen Week in Review - Summary (January 19th, 2026)

Game Version & Event Overview

Star Citizen patch 4.6 is now in open PTU (Public Test Universe).
The newly introduced “pricing surge” event is considered underwhelming.
The patch feels light on major content but includes many small, interesting changes.

Storyline & Missions

Evocati missions for mining and salvage are now official but have some odd mechanics:
- Hand mining missions require refining to complete.
- Players can complete ore missions by buying or finding ores, which is faster than mining.
- Missions are region-specific, with different ores requested in different Stanton areas.
New milestone missions like Molina Mold spawning in Levki quarantine zone add some depth, but the overall storytelling remains weak and repetitive.
The “Clearing the Air” event adds extra story missions at 50% progress but still feels disconnected from player involvement.

Gameplay Highlights & Changes

Weapon animation improvements allow rapid weapon swapping and canceling reloads without issues.
Fire extinguisher in EVA now propels players quickly, enhancing movement.
New light amplification (LAMP) effect on some ship cockpit glass improves visibility in dark environments; rollout to all ships is ongoing.
Ground vehicle missile lock-on range reduced to ~50 meters, requiring players to lead targets; improves balance but missiles remain less effective than desired.
Black market changes were searched for but no significant updates found.
VR support improved but not compelling enough for regular use.
Fixes for hanger audio issues (no more coughing sounds).

Patch & Balance Notes

Aurora ship designated as the new gold standard but has a critical design flaw: power plant repair is difficult in gravity due to its placement.
Medium and large salvage panels renamed to “wreckage” with unclear implications.
PTU is currently in a poor technical state with backend issues causing severe lag (e.g., freight elevator delays, quantum travel lag).
Mission box sizes in the pricing surge event increased after community feedback.

Strategies & Tips

Money currently holds little meaningful value; focus on acquiring valuable items instead.
Players can complete resource gathering missions by killing others carrying required items, not just mining or salvaging.
Use weapon swapping mechanics to cancel reloads or sprint for better combat flow.
Take advantage of light amplification on ships for night-time mining or exploration.
Leading targets is crucial for ground vehicle missile effectiveness due to lock-on range and missile maneuverability.

Roadmap & Developer Insights

LAMP (light amplification) is the first roadmap card, with manufacturer-specific colors.
Ongoing efforts to improve mission storytelling and depth, but currently NPC-centric.
Discussion about adding vendors to spaceports for easier component and repair canister purchases; currently limited to a few items.
Technical limitations prevented raw ore turn-ins for mining missions, but devs are aware and may address this.
Night vision on helmets planned for FPS content in dark areas, though less useful inside ships.
FPS desync issues acknowledged after years of community feedback; hopes for network team intervention to improve FPS combat experience.

Criticisms & Community Feedback

Pricing surge event concept is good but poorly executed; needs better timing and more impactful rewards.
Ship designs sometimes prioritize aesthetics over gameplay functionality (e.g., Aurora power plant repair).
Store bundles criticized for high prices and incomplete delivery (items not usable until patch release).
Cities and spaceports lack engaging content beyond basic shops; players want more reasons to visit.

Summary

4.6 introduces many small but welcome improvements, especially in weapon handling, lighting, and mission polish. However, the major new event and mission content feel lackluster due to weak storytelling and limited gameplay impact. Technical issues in PTU raise concerns about stability on live servers. The developer roadmap shows promising features but still needs to address core gameplay and network problems. Overall, a modest start to the year with room for growth.

Featured Gamer / Source

Salty Mike (host and commentator)
Discussion included community interaction and developer comments from Twitch chat with Elliot and references to Torstston and Jared (developers or community figures).