It isn’t due until 2027, but Squadron 42 now has a shiny new Steam page as Cloud Imperium Games readies the road to release. With the mainline Star Citizen having passed a billion dollars in funding earlier this year, the ambitious, grand-scale space game shows no signs of slowing down. For the average outsider, however, Squadron 42 is much more likely to be an approachable entry point to the universe, building a single-player “blockbuster” adventure around an impressive cast of names. It’s been a long time coming, but seeing it on Valve’s storefront makes it feel just a little bit more real.
In Squadron 42, the Star Citizen team promises to deliver a single-player game telling the tale of a UEE Navy recruit thrown into “the heart of a galactic war,” and filled with spectacular action both on the ground and among the stars. CIG has recruited quite the cast to deliver that story: Mark Hamill, Gillian Anderson, Jonathan Bailey, Gary Oldman, Alix Wilton Reagan, Henry Cavill, Ben Mendelsohn, Jane Perry, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, and Mark Strong are just a sampling of the names already revealed.
Their performances aren’t just limited to big-budget cutscenes, either; CIG notes that the characters will be heavily featured during the gameplay, ensuring you always feel like an “active participant in the unfolding drama.” Our setting is 2945, where the United Empire of Earth is on the brink of collapse, threatened by human outlaws and hostile alien forces alike. Your character will be working alongside the crew of a vast capital ship, where you’ll build relationships and “face the sacrifices and split-second decisions” that will shape your legacy.
When it comes to the action, CIG says we can expect to “engage in high-speed dogfights among the stars, take on ground-based combat operations, survive devastating battles, and confront situations that demand more than firepower alone.” It won’t all be high intensity, though, with plenty of opportunities for exploration, as well as many “interactive cinematic sequences” that will help emphasize the personal stakes of the people fighting alongside you.
It certainly all sounds impressive. If CIG is able to encompass the sheer scale and spectacle of Star Citizen into a story-led adventure that anyone can enjoy without having to worry about all the depth, complexity, and established player economies of the MMO, it could be something special.
Just one month ago, studio founder and CEO Chris Roberts announced that Squadron 42’s release would be pushed back from late 2026 to avoid the GTA 6 launch window. After studying the team’s potential options, he declared the second quarter of 2027 as “a better time” for the new game’s debut. “It is truly something special, and so needs the opportunity to have the focus of the wider gaming world.” Its arrival now on Steam, as simple as it seems, might lend some additional confidence in that newfound target.
Squadron 42 is set to launch in the second quarter of 2027, but you can wishlist it now on Steam. Head here if you want to keep track of its progress, or you can follow it to put further updates in your feed.