Squadron 42

I Held the Line

Tracking Squadron 42 — the single-player campaign from Cloud Imperium Games

Q2 2027 Release Window

Aug 2026Q2 2027 windowApr 2027

No specific release date has been announced by CIG. Q2 2027 is their stated target window, set in the August 27, 2026 Letter from the Chairman after the 2026 target was dropped to avoid launching alongside GTA 6.

What is it?

Squadron 42 — the single-player campaign

Squadron 42 is a single-player, story-driven space game set in the same universe as Star Citizen. Developed by Cloud Imperium Games, it follows a new UEE Navy recruit through a cinematic military campaign — think Wing Commander for a new generation.

The game features a star-studded cast including Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill, and Andy Serkis, with full motion-capture performances throughout.

Unlike Star Citizen's persistent multiplayer universe, Squadron 42 is a standalone, offline-capable campaign. CIG is targeting a Q2 2027 release, moved from 2026 in the August 2026 Letter from the Chairman — no specific date has been announced.

…without victory there can be no survival!
Admiral Ernst Bishop (Gary Oldman) — Squadron 42, Senate speech · the speech, explained →

Latest Update

Squadron 42 Delayed to Q2 2027 — Chris Roberts Cites the GTA 6 Launch Window

Cloud Imperium Games has moved Squadron 42 off its 2026 target. In a Letter from the Chairman published August 27, 2026, Chris Roberts wrote: "We have taken a look at the release windows at the start of 2027, and decided that Q2 provides a better time for Squadron 42 to release." The reason is Grand Theft Auto 6: Roberts said there is "no way" he wants his "spiritual successor to Wing Commander, a game that has had twelve years of blood, sweat and tears invested into it" launching "into the attention buzz saw of GTA6," adding that "While GTA6 isn’t launching on PC this November, pretty much all outlets and most content creators will be all over it, not leaving a lot of room for other coverage." Roberts confirmed the original plan had been to ship in Q4 2026 around IAE. He also gave the first public confirmation of the October hands-on sessions: a small number of original backers and long-time content creators will play Squadron 42 on October 9 and 10, CIG will make "further announcements about our release plans during this time," and "a specific release date" will follow "shortly afterwards."

Read the full update →

“I held the line.”

The phrase long-time backers use while waiting for Squadron 42 — honored on stage at CitizenCon 2953, when CIG declared the game feature-complete. Chris Roberts returned to it in the August 2026 Letter from the Chairman, thanking the backers who took crowdfunding past one billion dollars: “All of you that have held the line.”

Squadron 42 is coming — Star Citizen is playable right now.

Join Star Citizen While You Wait

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Everything on the site

Development News

The latest Squadron 42 updates from official CIG sources — monthly reports, CitizenCon reveals, milestone announcements, newest first.

Read the timeline →

Cast

Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill, Andy Serkis, and more — all ten confirmed cast members with roles and official sources.

Meet the cast →

Release Date Tracker

Every official CIG statement on the Squadron 42 release window, in one place. Delayed to Q2 2027.

Track the date →

SQ42 vs Star Citizen

Single-player or multiplayer? One purchase or two? The key differences explained from official CIG sources.

See the differences →

Official Videos

Every official Squadron 42 video from Cloud Imperium Games — trailers, gameplay reveals, CitizenCon presentations, and cinematic clips.

Watch the videos →

FAQ

What is Squadron 42? Who's in the cast? When does it release? Is it included with Star Citizen? Answers from official CIG communications only.

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Gameplay Systems

Seamless transitions, AI squad companions, zero-G traversal, and a living NPC crew — every confirmed gameplay system, sourced from official CIG reports.

See the systems →

"I Held the Line" Video

The CitizenCon 2953 cinematic that gave this site its name — where the backer community's long wait for Squadron 42 was honored on stage.

Watch the video →

The Vanduul

The alien enemy of Squadron 42 — who the Vanduul are, their ships, and their role in the campaign, from official CIG lore and reveals.

Know the enemy →

The Odin System

Squadron 42's setting — a white-dwarf star system home to Fortune's Cross station and The Coil, revealed in the Q3 2025 subscriber newsletter.

Explore the system →

Worth Buying?

Thinking about buying in before Squadron 42 ships? What you get today, what's still coming, and how the two games are sold.

Read the breakdown →

Sources

Every factual claim on this page is verified against official Cloud Imperium Games sources. Dates and figures are checked against the primary RSI Comm-Link or page linked below — not third-party trackers.