CitizenCon Direct 2025 - Nyx Introduced In November 2025

I spent a couple of hours on Saturday watching CitizenCon Direct, the 2-hour condensed digital version of Cloud Imperium Games usual in-person annual convention. My main takeaway was that the Nyx system was coming this year, in November's patch 4.4 to be specific.

I didn't know much more about the system than what was said on stream so I went to the Galactapedia to find more.

Nyx is an unclaimed planetary system situated at the border of an unusually dense and dark stellar cloud. It consists of an F-type main sequence star orbited by three planets and an asteroid belt. Due to the cloud's interference with navigational equipment, travel through the system is difficult and hazardous. The system's main settlement, Levski, located on a moon-sized asteroid in the Glaciem ring, is considered a haven for Humans who wish to live beyond the reach of United Empire of Earth (UEE) law.

Levski has been in the game before so the developers did not have to start from scratch, although I believe the site needed a lot of retrofitting work to fit in with current game systems. Nyx looks like another PvP haven which may or may not sit well with the PvE crowd.

The presentation did go into what is coming up for the next year. Here is a summary.

• Launch timing: Nyx arrives next month with Alpha 4.4.
  
  
• Key locations: Levki landing zone returning and updated; Glacian Belt (large icy asteroid belt); Delmare asteroid, Lefki base and associated POIs.
  
  
• Narrative: continues 2025 storylines (Pyro Burn, Science Runner/regen crisis) and ties ASD/Intersect investigations into Nyx content.
  
  
• Activities: combined-arms operations, mining-focused content, permanent repeatable missions (including a multi-stage station mission involving Vandals), and player-driven discovery.
  
  
• Atmosphere and visuals: gas clouds bordering Vanduul space, “space snowflakes,” unique rock and environmental aesthetics.

Yes, the Vanduul were mentioned and even seen. A lot of Star Citizen commentators believed the Vanduul would remain hidden until the release of Squadron 42 but in retrospect the move makes sense. If Squadron 42 features a fight with the Vanduul, then those moving from the single player game to Star Citizen would expect to see the aliens in the Persistent Universe as well.

Speaking of business, CIG came out with three new ships to sell during the event.

• Anvil Paladin: Costing $350, the Paladin is a multi‑crew gunship for sustained ground/space support; heavy armor, remote turrets, crew-focused layout.
  
  
• Esperia Vandal Stinger: With a price of $315, the Stinger is an alien heavy fighter adapted for PU use; retains one bespoke size‑5 plasma weapon; most mounts are standardized for customization.
  
  
• Shiv (Gray market): The Shiv's designation of grey market speaks to the lore of who produces the ship. The cheapest of the new ships at $150, the hybrid Frankenstein ship built from parts; rustic Drake-like aesthetic, unique and powerful.

The CCU Game Dashboard covers six days of sales around CitizenCon events. Through the first 36 hours sales had reached over 60% of those last year and 50% of those in 2023's record year of nearly $5.6 million.

Sales through the first 36 hours of CitizenCon 2023, 2024, & 2025

With patch 4.3.2 coming up later in October and patch 4.4 with Nyx launching ahead of the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo next month, I think CIG is well on its way to $150 million in cash shop sales in 2025.