It’s been quiet around Squadron 42 for a long time, but now there’s finally hope for a release soon.
It probably won’t be released before GTA 6, but at least there’s now something concrete to go on regarding Squadron 42. The single-player mode of Star Citizen is now “available” on Steam—not for purchase, but to add to your wishlists.
This also confirms the leaks from September. Recently, unreleased Steam achievements for a number of games had surfaced, including those for Squadron 42.
No release date, but a new trailer
You still won’t find a specific release date on the Steam page, which editor Peter also points out as a shortcoming. However, developer Cloud Imperium Games is still sticking to a release in the second quarter of 2027. There’s still something new to check out, though, because with the debut on Steam, a new trailer was released:
Squadron 42 is essentially the story campaign for Star Citizen, the massive space MMO that has been in a playable alpha phase for 13 years. However, you can purchase and play Squadron 42 independently of the main game. Recently, some of the game’s crowdfunding backers were given the chance to try out a five-hour demo.
Here’s what Squadron 42 is all about: In the distant year 2945, the United Empire of Earth (UEE) is on the brink of collapse. You take on the role of a new recruit in the UEE Navy who must prove themselves in the midst of a galactic war. Together with your crew, you’ll live and work on a massive warship, fan out on ground missions, or defend yourselves in space battles.
The faces of your comrades might look familiar, as the roles in Squadron 42 were cast over a decade ago with real Hollywood stars. The cast includes Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Gillian Anderson (The X-Files), Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings).
With the release of Squadron 42 on Steam, Cloud Imperium Games has now decided to enter the mainstream market. Its big brother, Star Citizen, has so far only been playable via the company’s own launcher with an account on Robertsspaceindustries.com.
However, the company apparently wants to achieve greater visibility on Steam—at least for the more manageable single-player campaign. Whether that means the multiplayer game will eventually land on Valve’s gaming platform remains to be seen. But it will likely be a while before that happens anyway.
