THE CRUNCH
Cloud Imperium Games has published the Steam store page for Squadron 42, the long-gestating single-player spinoff from Star Citizen, and given it a promised release window of Q2 2027, meaning it should arrive before July of that year. The page describes a cinematic space adventure in which players enlist as a rookie in the UEE Navy during the early days of a galactic war, fighting across fighter cockpits, capital ships, space stations and frontier outposts.
Gameplay spans space dogfights, ship exploration missions and ground-based first-person combat against a variety of alien races, with the store page hinting at choices-matter elements that suggest multiple endings or some kind of morals system. An all-star cast brings the player's crew to life, according to the listing.
The release window is a notable shift for a game with a storied history of slips: Squadron 42 was originally slated for 2015, then pushed to before the end of 2026 before landing on its current mid-2027 target. Interest appears healthy regardless, with the page gathering 18,000 Steam followers shortly after going live.