During the DefenseCon event, Chris Roberts spoke about the planned release of Squadron 42 in 2026 and quelled rumors that the single-player spin-off of Star Citizen would be delayed again.
When is Squadron 42 coming out? Last year, Chris Roberts explained that they aim to release the single-player version of Star Citizen sometime in 2026. The grand space MMO is set to follow in all its glory a year or two later – in 2027 or 2028.
At the DefenseCon, the studio head of Cloud Imperium Games reinforced this plan to Variety. They are “in the final phase” of development and want to start “drumming up publicity for Squadron soon.” The priority is to prevent potential leaks:
Chris Roberts explains: “As we approach the launch – and I say this in the language of game development – it’s damn hard to keep it all under wraps.”
Insider believes in a delay
An insider nonetheless expects a delay: The Star Citizen-focused channel TheAstroPub explains in their new video on YouTube that they could speak with various anonymous developers from the Star Citizen team, and they seem to paint a different picture:
- Apparently, Squadron 42 was supposed to enter some kind of internal beta in February or March 2026.
- Currently, the game’s performance seems to be a major concern.
- Due to these performance issues, the release may be delayed again, from Q4 2026 to 2027.
- Nevertheless, Squadron 42 is expected to make an appearance at the upcoming Summer Game Fest.
TheAstroPub apparently already knows the new release date: “They all said: ‘No, it’s not October, it’s 2027.’ They mentioned a specific date in 2027. I won’t repeat that date to avoid getting them in trouble.”
Insiders and the studio head seem to agree on one thing: The marketing campaign for Squadron 42 is likely to start soon, giving us much more information about the game. It will certainly soon focus on the targeted release timeframe, as the year 2026 is already almost halfway over. Development will certainly not fail due to funding: MMO Star Citizen has now raised 1 billion dollars and two unfinished games
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