Introducing Fleet Rentals in Star Atlas: Play and Earn Your Way

The Star Atlas universe is home to a wide variety of user personas, ranging from the hardcore gamer to the financially savvy space-faring investor. Now, all those players will converge to cooperate in a new age of prosperity with the Star Atlas Fleet Rental Program.

Starting March 5th, galactic entrepreneurs will be able to generate automatic revenue in ATLAS by allowing active players to rent their idle fleets and actively play Star Atlas with minor upfront costs.

Whether you’re a fleet owner looking to generate revenue, a seasoned player wanting to expand your operations with high-level fleets, or even a curious captain interested in understanding what Star Atlas has to offer, this program makes it seamless, secure, and fully automated — all powered by blockchain technology.

How Fleet Rentals Work

At its core, the Fleet Rental system allows Owners to rent out their fleets to Renters in exchange for payment. This is done on-chain using smart contracts, ensuring security and automation for both parties — no middlemen and no counterparty risk — just a smooth, transparent transaction.

For Renters: A Galaxy of Opportunities

The rental system opens the doors to uncountable possibilities to seize and leverage the valuable resources of the Star Atlas universe to your benefit. Whether you are representing a massive DAC with a complete supply chain, playing as a solo captain looking forward to expanding your operation, or even a completely new player who wants to get started in Star Atlas with minor upfront costs, the Fleet Rental Program opens the door of prosperity to you through many different paths!

Join us now to explore the many play styles and possibilities this new system offers.

Mining Moguls: Build Your Mineral Empire

The mining operations are the foundation of the Star Atlas ecosystem. Everything in the game requires resources, and using fleets to mine is one of the quickest ways to generate ATLAS.

Using the Fleet Rental Program, you can become a mining powerhouse even if you don’t own a single fleet. Even if you do own ships, you can take advantage of fleet rentals to leverage your operation to a size many times greater than your existing scale.

For example, to acquire a fleet of 16 Armstrong Tips to mine Hydrogen, you would expend 4.5k USDC in current market costs for the ships, and this fleet is able to generate 16,272,872 units of Hydrogen a day, worth in the current on-chain market value of 5,544 ATLAS in net profits a day or 8.87 USDC.

Instead of using the capital to acquire fleets, you can use it to rent them, increase the scale of your operations, and use the profits to expand your presence in Galia (or whatever else your heart desires). Going back on our example, why mine with a single fleet if you can have 10 fleets acquiring 162M of Hydrogen units daily? Or mine many different types of resources at once? The possibilities are endless!

The ship owners will be delighted to rent their fleet to you for the fees, and you will surely be happy to put them to good use! Everybody wins!

Starborne Logistics: How to Leverage the Galactic Trade Network

Another way to leverage fleet rentals is by focusing on the supply chain business. Fleet crewmembers need food to eat, fuel to warp, and ammunition to mine, which the galactic freighters provide.

Cargo space is very valuable in Star Atlas. No sector of the Galaxy is self-sufficient, and players must rely on other players to haul necessary items for their daily in-game operations.

The trick here is to watch the different sector marketplaces of your faction and find where you can acquire cheap goods (usually in the sectors they are produced) and haul them to where there is a demand.

Then, you rent fleets with a seizable cargo capacity and start hauling the items across the galaxy.

For example, as this article is written, there is an opportunity to transport food in the Ustur Faction. You can acquire food for 0.0011 ATLAS/unit in Eol-Garadar (MRZ-23) and sell instantly for 0.00185 ATLAS/unit in Pavo Passage (MRZ-17).

The opportunities are endless across the more than fifty sectors in the Star Atlas galaxy. If you pay attention, you will even find zones where some of the essential resources for operations are depleted, with demand being more significant than supply!

Leveraging the fleet rental system to build a robust logistical supply chain to supply the vast universe of Star Atlas with goods is another interesting path to prosperity!

The Supply Chain of Creation: Moving Crafters with Fleet Rentals

If mining is the Star Atlas economy’s foundation, crafting makes the galaxy move. Raw materials are undoubtedly necessary, but they require the hard work of crew members to become useful for players’ fleets and operations.

This mechanic creates many opportunities. Having your workers in the right place can increase operational efficiency by saving travel costs, acquiring cheaper products in the local markets, facilitating cargo hauling, and producing goods closer to demand zones.

Nevertheless, to seize this opportunity, you must possess fleets capable of accommodating your crew members, which is where the fleet rental system comes in.

If you need to pivot your workforce quickly to adapt to a change in the markets, or if you find a more desirable gameplay loop that requires the relocation of your operations, or even if a vital starbase is devoid of essential consumables and needs assistance, the fleet rental system will allow you to cover this logistical gap seamlessly and efficiently.

Once your crew is deployed, you can cancel the contract and move on!

Upcoming Opportunities: Defending or Assaulting Star Systems

We are working on another exciting update for Star Atlas players: The introduction of combat mechanics later this year.

To provide a quick and early overview, this update will allow players to attack and defend star systems, acquiring resources from their defeated opponents.

This new dynamic will heavily impact rental opportunities, as players will be able to leverage other players’ fleets to launch raid parties in other factions’ star systems or even defend their homeworlds and friends by acquiring those fleets to enhance their power instantaneously.

Anything that can tip the scales of combat in Star Atlas will be of the utmost importance. Players who can strategically use the fleet rental system might be the key to protecting their faction’s borders or conquering enemy territory.

How to Get Started: Find a Fleet & Accept the Offer

The system is pretty straightforward:

• Once the system is live on March 5th, we will share the link to the Fleet Rental Page. Players will then be able to search the available fleet inventory for fleets that fit their needs.
• Once you have found the right fleet, click the rent button. This will prompt you to pay the rental deposit, and then the fleet will be immediately assigned to you on SAGE.
• On a separate note, if you do not already have consumable resources in the game (food, fuel, ammunition, and toolkits), you should search for fleets that possess a balance of those items, as they will be needed to operate in Galia!

Now, you just have to focus on making the most of that fleet for the duration of the contract. No extra actions are required from your side since the ship owner payments are automated at scheduled intervals.

Flexible Playtime, Clear Rules & Easy Exit

Our system also allows you to cancel the rental contract at any time and get refunded for unused time. For instance, if you did not like the fleet you rented or simply won’t be able to play during that period, you can just cancel the contract on the Fleet Rental Page and get a refund for the unused rental period.

You will also not have to worry about returning the fleet. If the time expires or your deposited value cannot cover the rent contract, the fleet possession will be automatically returned to the owner.

For Fleet Owners: Activate Fleets, Maximize Earnings

Not everyone has the time or desire to manage fleets in active gameplay full-time. Nevertheless, with the introduction of the fleet rental program, you will become an entrepreneur in the ship marketplace, and there will be no more idle fleets!

The system allows you to set your fleets for rent for the price and duration you establish, and then works seamlessly to collect payment and guarantee lending security through on-chain contracts.

All you have to do is:

• Go to our SAGE website, set up your account, and create a fleet using your ships and crew. The process is super simple: no registration is required, and you can complete it in a few clicks.
• Once it is live on March 5th, go to our Fleet Rental Page and choose your fleet rental rate (how much you charge for the entire rental), then assign the duration of the rental contract. The interface is super intuitive, and we are preparing a tutorial video for the release day later this month!

Once your contract is created, you then wait for an interested player to rent your fleet.

A State-of-the-Art Smart Contract: How The Rental System Works

The fleet rental system is a smart contract that allows the renter to access your fleets without giving them the property–you maintain underlying ownership of your fleet at all times. A renter can only use your fleet within the limits of SAGE. Even there, the renter is limited to in-game activities such as mining, searching for SDUs, or hauling cargo. They cannot disband your fleet, access your crewmembers, or withdraw those assets from the game.

Once the rental period ends or the renter cancels the contract, your fleet automatically returns to you. The fleet will be automatically relisted on the rental platform with the same parameters unless you cancel or modify it. No actions are needed!

The Automated Earnings System

Another interesting perk of our rental system is that it automatically collects rent payments at set intervals based on the duration of your rental period (hourly, daily, etc.). If the renter cancels early during the rental period, the system will automatically provide a proportional payment based on how long the renter used your assets.

This way, our system ensures that ship owners receive their payments with minimal effort, are not at risk of security breaches, and enjoy full control over their fleet’s pricing and availability.

Tips For the Fleet Owners

Last but not least, we also prepared a few tips to help our ship owners maximize their fleet’s utility in the Fleet Rental program.

Design Attractive Fleets: The most critical step for a shiplord is creating an efficient fleet. Try to have clear fleet configurations, such as keeping all ships within a specific specialization, such as mining, fighters, or freighters.

Dock Your Fleet in a Relevant Location: Fleet renters look forward to making the most of your fleets with the time they are given, so try to dock them in strategic starbases or your Faction Central Space Station to make them more attractive. No one wants to rent a fleet stranded in the middle of nowhere!

Use Data Tools to support your decisions: The Star Atlas community has many data tools that allow you to check the efficiency, revenue, consumption, and overall information on all in-game assets. Use tools like the Aephia Dashboard and Eveeye operations tab to guide you on fleet pricing and potential. Also, if you have any doubts or want to trade points on SAGE mechanics, the Star Atlas community will gladly provide you with information and support on our Discord!

Save the Date: Fleet Rental Goes Live on March 5th

If you are interested in becoming a galactic entrepreneur and want to amass sizeable fleets to offer to other players for lending, or if you are drafting plans on leveraging rented fleets to conquer the universe, get ready!

The Fleet Rental program will go live on March 5th, and nothing will remain the same as thousands of new fleets join the battle for the universe’s future.

Join us and become a part of the next step in the evolution of gaming through a living economy in Star Atlas!

Star Atlas Fleet Rentals — FAQ

1. What is Fleet Rentals in Star Atlas?

Fleet Rentals allows players to lend and borrow ships in SAGE, providing new ways to play, earn, and strategize—smart contracts on Solana power the system.

2. When will Fleet Rentals be available?

The feature is launching on March 5th as an MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

3. How do I rent a fleet?

1. Navigate to the Fleet Rentals page on play.staratlas.com.
2. Select a fleet from available listings.
3. Choose your rental duration.
4. Pay the total amount upfront (held in escrow).
5. Start using the fleet immediately.

4. How long can I rent a fleet for?

• Minimum: 1 day
• Maximum: 24 days initially, with plans to extend up to 3 months.

5. Can I cancel a rental early?

• Yes, renters can cancel anytime and receive a refund for unused days.
• The escrow system releases payments daily.
• Refunds and rental closeouts occur on the next scheduled tick (00:00 UTC).

Example Timeline: If accepting a rental at 1000 UTC for a duration of 5 days

6. What happens if a rental expires?

• The fleet remains where it was last used in space.
• Owners regain control automatically.
• Any crew from the borrower is returned to their CSS.
• All cargo, ammo, and fuel at expiration remains on the fleet. This includes the SOL used for rent with the associated token accounts.

7. How do I list my fleet for rental?

1. Go to My Fleet Inventory.
2. Click “Create Rental”.
3. Set your daily price.
4. Confirm the listing.

8. Can I cancel a rental once it’s active?

• No. Once a fleet is rented, the lender cannot cancel the rental.
• Lenders can flag it for closure, meaning once the current rental ends, the fleet won’t be relisted.

9. How is payment handled?

• Renters pay the full amount upfront into an escrow account. This includes the SOL required for payment transactions.
• The lender receives payments daily at 00:00 UTC.

10. What happens if a renter disappears or loses their wallet?

• A maximum rental period of 24 days is enforced.
• If the renter cannot access their wallet, the fleet automatically returns to the owner after the rental period ends.

11. Can I rent a fleet with no crew?

• It is possible, but a warning system may be added to alert renters.

12. What happens to the crew and resources when the rental ends?

• Crew: Borrowers get their crew back at their CSS.
• Resources (fuel, ammo, cargo): Stay with the fleet and return to the lender.

13. What happens if a fleet is rented without fuel or ammo?

• Borrowers must check fuel, ammo, and crew before renting.
• If a fleet is left in deep space without fuel, you must self-destruct it to bring it back to your faction CSS, so pay attention to the fleet's location before renting.

14. Can I rent fleets privately (e.g., for a guild)?

• Not yet, but private rentals are a planned feature.

15. Will there be filters for different ship types?

• No filters at launch, but this may be added in a future update.

16. Will there be a scholarship-like revenue share system?

• Not in MVP, but possibly post-MVP.

17. Can I extend a rental while it’s active?

• It's not in MVP, but it may be added later.

18. What improvements are planned for the UI?

• Showing rental end-time in the SAGE UI.
• Possibly allowing custom fleet names for branding rentals.

19. How will the market price itself?

• Early rental prices will be experimental and self-correct with market demand.

Players may initially price fleets too low or too high, but market competition will balance it over time.

ABOUT STAR ATLAS

Star Atlas is a next-gen gaming metaverse emerging from the confluence of state-of-the-art blockchain technologies, real-time graphics and multiplayer video games.

Using Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite real-time graphics technology allows for cinematic quality video game visuals. In addition, blockchain technology using Solana establishes a largely serverless and secured gameplay experience. Player assets obtained and traded within Star Atlas create an economy that replicates tangible world assets and ownership.

To learn more, join a faction at Play.StarAtlas.com, get a spaceship in the Galactic Marketplace, and start playing the SAGE Labs browser game to explore, gather, craft and prosper on the galactic frontier.

Then, download the UE5 PC Game from the Epic Games Store.

Participate in governance of the Star Atlas DAO. Send your spaceships on a deep space mission by enrolling them in a Faction Fleet and harvest resources with Faction Claims.

Join the Star Atlas community on: Twitter | Discord | YouTube | YouTube Clips | Reddit | Medium | LinkedIn