Crew becomes available at Level 2, but that does not by itself confirm an autopilot button or automatic campaign travel. The official full-release notes verify the crew unlock. Exact steering automation behavior, controls and mission restrictions are 待确认.
Crew is a separate unlock
The September 2026 full release moved crew availability to Level 2. An earlier Rescue Update mentioned improvements to crew assignment and behavior, and the full release improved crew replication in multiplayer. Those notes show that NPC crew is an active system. They do not specify that Level 2 automatically enables every navigation function.
Automatic travel claims
The official full-release announcement listed campaign Auto-Travel among planned first post-release improvements. Its proposed purpose was to take players directly to the next harbour containing their next campaign mission. The announcement explicitly said it was not part of the September 24 launch build. A later release or current in-game confirmation is needed before presenting it as available today.
Other systems that can look automatic
The Career Update says port operations can continue while the player is not completing every step. The August update added a paid service that loads and unloads compatible containers automatically. Neither fact proves that the vessel can steer itself along a chosen route. Likewise, fast travel is a separate feature that the full release moved to Level 1.
These distinctions matter because “autopilot” can mean automated steering, a hired crew action, a travel skip or a port service in a video title. The official sources reviewed here name the latter systems but do not give a definitive current autopilot control. A useful current demonstration would show the in-game label, route, active crew role and resulting movement. Without that evidence, button-by-button autopilot instructions remain 待确认.
Crew behavior and input changes
The Rescue Update improved crew assignment and behavior, and a December patch fixed an officer clipping into the steering wheel. The full release later improved replication of crew and vessel interactions for multiplayer clients. These are real crew-related changes, but a fix involving an officer at the wheel is not proof of a specific autopilot capability. Check the present ship interface before assigning a navigation task that is not documented here.
A dated player description of the bridge officer
In a December 2025 Steam discussion, a player reported that a bridge officer followed a track placed on the chart when fast travel was not used. The same reply said the mechanic maintained engines using filters or oil and that both crew options were found in the radial menu. This is a firsthand account of an earlier build, not a developer specification for every current ship. It provides a concrete interaction to check without turning it into a guaranteed full-release autopilot rule.
To test whether that behavior still applies, inspect the route drawn on the current chart, the available crew action in the radial menu and what the officer actually does after selection. Keep automatic cargo services and Level 1 fast travel out of that test because they are separate features. The available evidence does not say whether a crew officer can hold speed, recover from every obstacle or complete every route. Those capabilities remain 待确认.
Autopilot versus co-op players
The official game site says a crew of up to four players can share duties aboard a vessel. Human teammates are different from NPC crew assignment and from automatic route travel. When a guide says “crew,” check which of those meanings it uses. This prevents a multiplayer feature description from being mistaken for a single-player automation instruction.
Evidence
The official update log confirms the Level 2 crew milestone, while the game site confirms co-op duties. No verified current autopilot control map is available in these sources. Specific keys and automation limits remain 待确认.