Finally, it’s here: Cloud Imperium Games has announced an “approximate” release date for Squadron 42, the single-player part of Star Citizen, which is set to enter beta in summer 2020.
So, 2020 is the year. We will experience a space action game that fans of the classic Wing Commander have been wishing for years. At least, if everything goes smoothly.
Squadron 42 has a start date for the beta
What happened? Cloud Imperium Games received a cash injection of 46 million dollars from a private investor. The money comes from Clive and Keith Calder’s Snoot Entertainment. Both are well-known in England’s music business.
The investors acquire 10 percent of the company’s shares. Additionally, crowdfunding is continuing to progress well.
A large part of this money will now, according to Cloud Imperium founder Chris Roberts, go into the development of Squadron 42.
The money will now be used to increase advertising for the game, as apparently more players know about Star Citizen as an MMO, while Squadron 42 as a single-player game is somewhat overlooked.
The company did not want to bring a publisher on board for marketing, which is why it sought other investment opportunities that it has now found.
When will Squadron 42 be released? In addition to the cash injection, Chris Roberts also stated that they have now set a release date for the beta of Squadron 42. The beta is set to start in 2020.
All features and any content are supposed to be finished by the end of 2019. The first half of 2020 will be used for bug fixing and optimizing. Then, in summer, the game will enter beta. A release will follow later.
On the game’s website, a roadmap has been published that shows how far development has progressed and which things will be addressed next.
Has everything gone smoothly so far? Squadron 42 has already been postponed 4 times. Most recently in October 2017. It was originally planned for 2014.
This also progresses Star Citizen
What does this mean for Star Citizen? A beta start of Squadron 42 in 2020 suggests that by this time the “core game” is sufficiently finished to provide a complete single-player experience.
This also means that controls, flight behavior, space combat, ground missions, and other important systems are in a state that can be described as “finished”.
The MMO is, of course, significantly more extensive, offering more content and additional systems such as an economic system. Nevertheless, the launch of Squadron 42 represents an important milestone for Star Citizen. It should not take long from Squadron 42 to Star Citizen.
