Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games has pulled back the curtain on single-player spinoff Squadron 42 with a new cinematic trailer, the launch of Steam wishlists, and a full cast reveal.
Squadron 42 is the story-driven off-shoot of space sim Star Citizen, which Cloud Imperium Games has worked on for the last 12 years. Its 12-year development is led by Chris Roberts, creator of the Wing Commander series. Indeed, Squadron 42 is a spiritual successor to Wing Commander, and like the Wing Commander games, Squadron 42 features a string of Hollywood stars, such as Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Ben Mendelsohn, and Henry Cavill.
The game fuses space combat, first-person shooter action, and a character-driven narrative supported by full performance capture. CIG said the performances are woven directly into gameplay, so you won’t just see those famous actors within cinematics.
Here’s the setup:
The year is 2945, and the United Empire of Earth stands on the verge of collapse as threats from outlaws and hostile alien forces emerge from the darkest reaches of space. Players enlist as a rookie in the UEE Navy, embarking on a dangerous journey that will take them from a recruit to the heart of a galactic war. Stationed aboard a massive capital ship, they’ll live and work alongside a dynamic crew, forge relationships, and face the sacrifices and split-second decisions that will shape their path forward as they earn their place, their rank, and their legacy.
And here’s what to expect from the structure of the game:
Whether maneuvering through a space battle, stealthily moving through an enemy-held location, or making a critical decision alongside fellow crew members, players will experience the story firsthand through a mix of action, exploration, and interactive cinematic sequences. Together, these elements pair the scale of a space epic with the personal stakes of a story about the people fighting to survive it.
The trailer shows a decent amount of gameplay, including first-person sections, some of which involve platforming and puzzle solving, ship customization, off duty activities, a hacking mini-game, and a glimpse at narrative choices. Ian Duncan, best known for playing Todd Todmore on BBC comedy Broken News, is the male player character, and prolific video game actor Alix Wilton Regan (Samantha Traynor in Mass Effect 3, the female Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Aya in Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider games) plays the female player character.
Star Citizen cast
- Mark Hamill
- Gary Oldman
- Mark Strong
- John Rhys-Davies
- Henry Cavill
- Ben Mendelsohn
- Liam Cunningham
- Andy Serkis
- Jack Huston
- Rhona Mitra
- Eleanor Tomlinson
- Sandi Roberts
- Harry Treadaway
- Danny Huston
- Jonathan Bailey
- Gillian Anderson
- Ian Duncan
- Alix Wilton Regan
- Damson Idris
- Jane Perry
In August, CIG delayed Squadron 42 to Q2 2027, with Roberts insisting it wouldn’t get the attention it deserves if it came out at the end of 2026 because of November’s GTA 6.
“At CitizenCon 2024, we announced we would ship in 2026. Our plan was to release in Q4 around IAE,” Roberts said at the time. “But much like the rest of the industry there is no way I want to launch my spiritual successor to Wing Commander, a game that has had 12 years of blood, sweat and tears invested into it (we started Squadron 42 development in 2014 as 2013 was opening studios, hiring people and getting the Hangar module out for Star Citizen) launching into the attention buzz saw of GTA 6. While GTA 6 isn’t launching on PC this November, pretty much all outlets and most content creators will be all over it, not leaving a lot of room for other coverage.”
The delay announcement came hot on the heels of a disastrous Star Citizen developer livestream that went radically off the rails. After early access players complained of bugs and issues with a new update to the game, CIG held a stream to show the “intended” version of the experience, only to be met with the same issues, if not worse. It led to passive-aggressive comments between the developers themselves and an uncomfortable tension in the air.
Star Citizen crossed the $1 billion raised barrier in May — a significant milestone that came shortly after a $5,000 virtual spaceship you couldn’t actually fly in-game went on sale. It’s since raised a further $50 million.
Star Citizen is considered one of the most controversial projects in all video games. Over the 14 years since its crowdfunding drive began, Star Citizen has been called many things, including a scam by those who wonder whether it will ever properly launch. Its virtual ships, some of which cost thousands of dollars, are often the focus of criticism. But its loyal fanbase insist it’s one of the most compelling space sims around, and continue to pump millions of dollars into the project via ship sales.
Star Citizen itself remains without a release window.