Based on an alleged leak from Steam Achievements, it seems clear that Chris Roberts’ new space shooter, Star Citizen: Squadron 42, will be available on Valve’s platform at launch.
Until now, the online space game Star Citizen and its separate single-player campaign, Squadron 42, were available exclusively purchased on the official websiteas part of the crowdfunding campaign.& nbsp;But that’s likely to change soon.
A currently unconfirmed leak is shaking up Steamand bringing to light information that was supposed to remain strictly confidential.& nbsp;A massive data breachon an achievement-tracking platform has exposed countless achievements for as-yet-unannounced projects.
In addition tospoiler-heavy entriesfor upcoming titles such asPersona 6orKingdom Hearts 4the dataset also contains an achievement list that is of particular interest to fans of space simulations: Squadron 42.
Apparently, Cloud Imperium Games plans to release the long-awaited single-player spin-off of Star Citizen on PC not only through its own distribution channelsbut also via Steam. This is revealed by a total of 48 leaked achievements, which also provide further insights into the plot and missions of Squadron 42.
What the Achievements Reveal (Spoiler Alert)
Fearing story spoilers, moderators on the official Star Citizen Discord are currently deleting all messages related to the leak and issuing warnings or bans to users. However, the administrators have announced a possible revision of their spoiler rules for tonight.
Originally, ten achievements with brief descriptionswere published, providing some clues about the campaign structure and story. We’ll discuss them in the spoiler box below due to their newsworthiness.
Since thenAccording to an unconfirmed source, 38 additional achievements followed, bringing the total to 48. The latest achievement is aptly titled “Wing Commander”—a reference to the legendary series of space shooters led by lead developer Chris Roberts before he went public with Star Citizen in 2012.
What the Steam Release of Squadron 42 Means
The alleged Steam leak lists Squadron 42 under app number 4045720;& nbsp;on the SteamDB database pagethere is already a corresponding entry.
If Cloud Imperium Games is indeed planning a Steam release, assuming the gamelaunches in the second quarter of 2027 as announced, this would have several consequences.
Steam reviews for Squadron 42would mark a shift in the game’s public perception: Currently, there is no simple mechanism for Star Citizen purchasers to rate the game’s alpha version for other interested players with stars or a recommendation or warning.
With a Steam release, Cloud Imperium Games would also be subject to themoney-back guaranteeoffered by platform owner Valve, which grants players a refund if they are not satisfied after up to two hours of playtime—and, in exceptional cases, even longer. The developers already have a similar goodwill policy in place for Star Citizen, which is sold through their own store.
It stands to reason that the MMO portion of Star Citizen will eventually be available for purchase on Steam as well—perhaps even as early asduring Early Access.
A Steam release would definitely give Star Citizen and Squadron 42 additional visibility. Currently, there are around 200 million users who use Steam at least once a month. For Star Citizen, there are about 550,000 people in the alpha.
