The game
What is Squadron 42?
Checked 2026-10-17
Squadron 42 is a single-player campaign in the Star Citizen setting. It is not the persistent universe, and it is not for sale yet.
Source review: the game definition follows publisher store copy. Credits and lore are separately attributed below. Historical runtime estimates and chapter counts describe different stages of development; none is a completion time measured by this site.
The definition I can defend
Cloud Imperium Games develops it. Roberts Space Industries publishes it. IMDb credits Chris Roberts as director and Dave Haddock, William Weissbaum, and Adam Wieser as writers. Steam genres are Action, Adventure, and Simulation. The store text describes a single-player cinematic campaign: capital ships and fighters, on-foot and space combat.
squadron42.com opens with the year 2945 and a UEE on the brink of collapse, and it says the game launches in Q2 2027. Wikipedia calls it a spiritual successor to Wing Commander, developed under Erin Roberts at Foundry 42. It shares the setting and Star Engine with Star Citizen. It is a separate product.
Campaign length and historical scope
- The 2024 CitizenCon presentation was reported as estimating a 30–40-hour campaign. This is a development estimate, not a measured completion time.
- Older summaries quote roughly 20 hours or count chapters and missions. Those historical figures should not be presented as alternative current specifications.
- Final playtime depends on the released campaign and the player. This site has not completed the game and does not publish a HowLongToBeat-style measurement.
Questions I keep getting
Is Squadron 42 the same as Star Citizen?
No. Same setting and engine family. Squadron 42 is the single-player campaign. Star Citizen is the multiplayer universe.
Who is making it?
Cloud Imperium Games, directed by Chris Roberts. IMDb lists the writers above. Publishers on Steam are RSI companies.
Sources I used
- Steam app 4045720 — Checked 2026-10-17. Coming soon, release date Q2 2027, price_overview null, Windows only.
- Steam appdetails API — Minimum spec, languages, categories, and The Oath trailer movie id 257447920.
- squadron42.com — Official landing page: LAUNCHES Q2 2027.
- IMDb tt5194726 — Secondary title listing. Current availability follows Steam and RSI, not an IMDb year field.
- Star Citizen Wiki: Squadron 42 — Secondary. Used for ship and character names, marked when not on Steam.
- Squadron 42 CitizenCon 2954 Live Gameplay Reveal — Official Star Citizen upload, 2024-10-19T17:10:18-07:00.
- PCGamesN: CitizenCon 2024 gameplay report — Secondary, October 2024; reports Roberts' 30–40-hour estimate. Checked 2026-10-17.
- Wikipedia: Star Citizen — Secondary account of the Wing Commander connection and Foundry 42 development history.