This just in: Star Citizen is the most expensive free-to-play game.

Just kidding.

Star Citizen isn't going free-to-play. It's not even out yet. However, as part of the game's annual Foundation Festival, potential citizens can pilot one of six ships in Star Citizen for a limited time without paying for it.

The "Free Fly" event will run from July 8 to July 15 and let players try out the ambitious space sim without paying at least $45 for the cheapest starter pack. The free ships are the Cutlass, the Avenger Titan, the Dragonfly, the Arrow, and the Mercury. Unfortunately, you can't keep the said ships forever once the promotion ends. After July 15, you'll have to give the ships back or buy them.

Star Citizen is easily the most expensive video game ever made with a running development cost of $400 million (and growing). What makes Roberts Space Industries' project unique is that it doesn't sell gamers the actual game. Instead, the crowd-funding revolves around individual ships that can range in price from $45 to tens of thousands of dollars. Despite its notoriety, Star Citizen boasts a healthy community of players eager to help out newbies.

Throughout the Foundation Festival, Star Citizen veterans can play the role of Guides to the new players, Recruits, and play co-op sessions with them for a minimum of 30 minutes. RSI will reward players who will participate with unique cosmetics. In addition, the developers are running a referral program that rewards both the referrers and referees with a hoverbike. Referees will have until July 18 to buy a starter pack using a referral code. Both parties will receive the said bonus afterward.

@xfire.com Star Citizen is going free to play for a week#StarCitizen #freetoplay #gamingnews ♬ original sound - Xfire.com

RSI has worked on Star Citizen since 2011 and it appears that the game is not any closer to releasing now than it was before. The last we heard, both Star Citizen and its single-player campaign, Squadron 42, are still years away from launching.

For what it's worth, RSI has never stopped adding new content to Star Citizen and refining its gameplay. If nothing else, The Foundation Festival event will help attract new gamers to Star Citizen. It should help Star Citizen meet its goal of making half a billion in revenue this year.