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Squadron 42, the single-player campaign of Star Citizen, has been in polishing mode since late 2023. Cloud Imperium Games originally announced that it would launch in 2026. However, Content Director Jared Huckaby recently expressed concerns during a live videocast, suggesting there might be another delay.
Huckaby said: “There will be no Squadron 42 presence at CitizenCon Direct this year. That team is heads down. We drew a line in the sand when we said 2026. I don’t know that we’re gonna make it; I just know that we’re going to do every single thing possible to make it, and part of that is not taking time for the distraction of CitizenCon. It’s why we’re not doing a larger event this year. It’s why we’re doing a smaller, more focused thing. Even when we did digital CitizenCon, those were still big 6, 8, 10-hour things. This is not CitizenCon, it’s CitizenCon Direct. It’s a much smaller, more focused thing, specifically on the work of the Star Citizen team and what they plan for the next year of development.”
Huckaby’s statement caused some panic among fans, but he later clarified in a forum post that his comments were general and about the unpredictability of game development, not specific issues with Squadron 42. The campaign remains on track.
Cloud Imperium Games founder Chris Roberts described Squadron 42 as a mix of Star Wars and Top Gun and hopes for its launch to be a significant event similar to GTA VI, considering it one of the biggest AAA releases scheduled for 2026 after Rockstar’s release. With an estimated budget based on Star Citizen’s $865 million in crowdfunding and the cost of its star-studded cast (including Gary Oldman, Henry Cavill, Mark Hamill, Gillian Anderson, Ben Mendelsohn, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Mark Strong, and Liam Cunningham), Squadron 42 is expected to be a major release.
