What if the RSI Mantis removed its interdiction capabilities and instead clapped a whole slew of guns and missiles on its chassis? Then you’d basically have the Meteor, the newest ship arriving to Star Citizen with the pending release of alpha 4.2.1.

The Meteor is a medium size fighter that CIG says is designed to be lived in and used for regular daily space travel and mission running, though considering its aggressive loadout, it’s probably not going to be a great space truck. To wit, the ship fields two size 5 ballistic cannons that are said to pack a punch, along with repeaters, gatling guns, and missile racks that can accommodate a variety of configurations. It also has a hidden compartment in its main floor that stores several FPS weapons.

A release date for 4.2.1 (and by extension the Meteor) was not provided, but the new build is currently available for PTS testing to all backers, so it likely won’t be too long before it arrives. That test, by the way, is also granting players a look at the Volt pistol, a new ship escort mission type, and some Wikelo recipe updates.

sources: YouTube, official forums Longtime MMORPG gamers will know that Star Citizen was originally Kickstarted for over $2M back in 2012 with a planned launch for 2014. As of 2025, it still lingers in an incomplete but playable alpha, having raised over $800M from gamers over years of continuing crowdfunding and sales of in-game ships and other assets. It is currently the highest-crowdfunded video game ever and has endured both indefatigable loyalty from advocates and immense skepticism from critics. A co-developed single-player title, Squadron 42, has also been repeatedly delayed.