: Using cracked software violates the Terms of Service. Furthermore, the game's development is entirely crowdfunded; playing without supporting the project undermines the creators' ability to finish the game. How to Play Legally

: Running the game on an HDD will cause severe stuttering and long load times. Clear Shader Cache

A legitimate way to play Star Citizen's pre-alpha version for free is to participate in one of the recurring Free Fly events

Appendix — Quick checklist (for users)