Ship Showdown 2955: Elite Eight Free Fly and Match-Ups

Well, slap my thrusters and call me a Cutlass, it’s that time of year again — Ship Showdown 2955 has strutted onto the flight deck, and we’re down to the Elite Eight. This is where the ‘verse’s favorite hotrods, workhorses, and space-bruisers go head-to-head for braggin’ rights, shiny paints, and eternal glory. You folks hollered, voted, and even built Lego replicas just to prove your loyalty. The strongest have clawed their way here, and now y’all get to fly them for free during this stage of the contest.

The Quarterfinal Match-Ups

Asgard vs Ursa Medivac

Talk about a tale of opposites. On one side, you’ve got Anvil’s Asgard, a hulking vehicle-dropper built to rain trouble on the enemy like a hailstorm in Hurston. On the other, RSI’s Ursa Medivac, a rolling clinic that patches up the poor souls who’ve been on the wrong end of too many plasma bolts. One brings the pain, the other brings the bandages. Your votes pick who makes it out of this bout — and who’ll need a check-up afterwards.

Razor vs Gladiator

Here comes the speed demon versus the old warhorse. Mirai’s Razor is faster than a greased gremlin on a grav-slick, while Anvil’s Gladiator has been dropping bombs and earning fan devotion since before half the current contenders even had engines welded onto their frames. The Razor zipped past the M50 to get here, but the Gladiator’s fans are as stubborn as a mule at feeding time. Will it be sleek speed or old-school kaboom that wins this race? Only your votes know.

Zeus Mk II vs Vulture

This one’s a showdown of galactic proportions. RSI’s Zeus Mk II ES, a modern spin on the ship that first flung humanity into the black back in 2140, just toppled the Corsair in a shocker. It’s kitted with exploration amenities and a radar suite that could spot a sneeze in deep space. On the other side stands Drake’s Vulture, an industrial beast that chewed the MOLE into scrap last round. One’s about finding the stars, the other’s about stripping them bare. Either way, the semi-finals await.

Prowler Utility vs Polaris

Closing the quarterfinals we’ve got Esperia’s alien-crafted Prowler Utility up against RSI’s hulking Polaris corvette. The Prowler Utility is agile, exotic, and versatile enough to make a multitool jealous. The Polaris? Well, that thing brings more firepower than a backwoods Fourth of July gone wrong. After flattening the Starlancer TAC, Polaris is looking unstoppable — unless the Prowler can dance its way past those turrets. Only one goes to the semis, and it’s bound to get messy.

Shiny Prizes Await the Victors

The Final Four ships won’t just get bragging rights — they’ll be celebrated at this year’s Intergalactic Aerospace Expo with fresh Best-In-Show paints for 2955 and a manufacturer-themed poster. The ultimate champ gets crowned ‘verse-wide and earns an in-game championship pennant, hanging their banner alongside the legends of past Showdowns.

Fly the Elite Eight for Free

From August 26 to September 2 (wrapping up at 8 PM UTC sharp), you can hop in and take all eight contenders for a spin in Star Citizen’s universe at no cost. Whether you’re itching to dogfight, explore, salvage, or haul, this free fly’s your golden ticket to try out the best of the best. Existing pilots can unlock the vessels straight from the ‘Fly For Free’ button, so get out there and kick the tires — or the thrusters.

Source: Roberts Space Industries