Squadron 42, the single-player installment of Star Citizen, is now available to wishlist on Steam, with developer Cloud Imperium Games targeting a Q2 2027 release.
The announcement arrived on October 10th alongside a new trailer. The game is set in the year 2945, placing players in the role of a rookie in the United Empire of Earth Navy. Stationed aboard a capital ship, players will interact with their crew as they advance through the ranks amidst a galactic conflict. The gameplay is described as a blend of space combat, ground missions, stealth sequences, and narrative moments focused on crew relationships and player decisions.
The game boasts a notable cast, including Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Ben Mendelsohn, Henry Cavill, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, Jonathan Bailey, Mark Strong, Alix Wilton Regan, Damson Idris, Liam Cunningham, and Jane Perry. All actors have undergone full performance capture.
Set in the same universe as Star Citizen, Squadron 42 will deliver a self-contained narrative. It utilizes StarEngine, Cloud Imperium's proprietary game engine. Development on Squadron 42 has been ongoing for over a decade, mirroring the lengthy development of Star Citizen itself. The game's release has been postponed multiple times, most recently to Q2 2027. Studio head Chris Roberts cited the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 as a reason for the delay, suggesting the game would be overshadowed.
Star Citizen, the multiplayer component of the project, surpassed $1 billion in crowdfunding in May. At the time of that milestone, the game introduced a new $5,000 spaceship concept, the Anvil Odin capital ship, which lacked a firm release date. Purchasers were temporarily loaned an Idris P vessel.