SQUADRON 42

Open world

Is Squadron 42 open world?

Checked 2026-10-17

No, not in the way that phrase usually means. It is a guided campaign with room to walk around between missions.

Source review: a single-player store category alone does not prove linear design. The campaign summary, official gameplay presentation, and attributed Manchester reports together support the distinction between a guided story and Star Citizen's persistent sandbox. Exploration inside a location is not unrestricted access to the universe.

What you can and cannot wander off to do

Campaign freedom is not the persistent universe.
QuestionAnswer on the record
Drop the story and take a job?The cited campaign description does not promise a persistent-universe career sandbox
Walk the ship and talk to crew?Yes, between missions, per the wiki and player notes
Land on planets?The wiki lists planetary landing as a feature
Choose inside a mission?The wiki says decisions affect the campaign
How long is it?Historical estimates are not a final measured runtime; see below

Campaign-length estimates are not measurements

Coverage of CitizenCon 2024 reports a 30–40-hour development estimate. Older summaries and chapter counts refer to earlier scope; they are not equivalent current runtime promises. This site has not completed the campaign.

If you want the multiplayer sandbox, that product is Star Citizen, and it already has its own pledge. Squadron 42 does not replace it.

Official Steam screenshot: a night ground scene with a dam and a small boatOfficial Steam screenshot: a ring station and a fighter against a teal nebula

Questions I keep getting

Can I free-roam Squadron 42?

Published summaries describe crew interaction and exploration around campaign locations. They do not promise the unrestricted persistent-universe sandbox of Star Citizen.

How long is the campaign?

The 2024 presentation was reported as estimating 30–40 hours. Treat that as a development estimate, not a verified final completion time.

Sources I used