Star Citizen spinoff Squadron 42 delayed to Q2 2027 to avoid GTA 6

Facepalm: Squadron 42, Cloud Imperium’s single-player, cinematic sci-fi game set in the Star Citizen universe, has been delayed once again. The title, which was originally slated to launch more than a decade ago in 2015, is now expected to be released in Q2 2027.

In a message posted on the official Roberts Space Industries website, game director Chris Roberts said the decision is intended to avoid competing with GTA 6, which is scheduled to launch this November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S after an extended development cycle and multiple delays over the past couple of years.

Roberts noted that the decision to delay Squadron 42 was made after much deliberation, as the media attention surrounding the launch of GTA 6 will leave very little room for reviewers, streamers, and content creators to cover other games launching in the same window.

According to Roberts, Squadron 42 is a labor of love, with “twelve years of blood, sweat and tears” invested in it, and he doesn’t want the game to get caught up in the “attention buzz saw” surrounding GTA 6. He added that his team ideally wanted to launch the game in early 2027 but decided it would be better to release it after the hype surrounding GTA 6 had died down.

While the vast majority of players will have to wait until 2027 to get their hands on Squadron 42, Cloud Imperium will give “a small number of original backers and long-time Star Citizen content creators” an opportunity to play the game on October 9 and 10. The final launch date will be announced shortly thereafter.

Roberts acknowledged that many Star Citizen faithful will be disappointed that they won’t get to play Squadron 42 this year, but insisted that “it is the best thing for the project as it is truly something special and so needs the opportunity to have the focus of the wider gaming world.”

Set in the Star Citizen universe, Squadron 42 is described as the spiritual successor to Wing Commander, featuring branching missions and first-person combat. The game was announced in 2013 via a Kickstarter campaign, with a tentative release date set for 2015. However, it has since been delayed multiple times, with the first gameplay video released only in 2024.

Squadron 42 is expected to be released in multiple episodes, with Episode One said to offer about 70 missions spanning an estimated 20 hours of gameplay. Episodes Two and Three will launch later. The game will feature a star-studded cast, including Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Henry Cavill, and Gillian Anderson, among others.