What we know so far
Squadron 42 is a single-player UEE Navy campaign from Cloud Imperium Games, set in 2945 during the Vega II events, targeting a Q2 2027 release on Windows via Steam and the RSI store - with wishlists open since 10 October 2026.
Here is the short version: Squadron 42 is a single-player UEE Navy campaign set in the Star Citizen universe, built by Cloud Imperium Games on its own StarEngine technology, and it is targeting a Q2 2027 release on Windows through Steam and the RSI store. Wishlisting opened on 10 October 2026 alongside the Oath trailer. Everything below is dated and tied to an official source.
The story setup
Squadron 42 begins during the events of Vega II in 2945, as the United Empire of Earth faces threats both human and alien. You play a rookie joining the UEE Navy's celebrated 42nd Squadron, and at some point you serve aboard the UEES Stanton, a capital ship attached to the 5th Fleet's 87th Battlegroup in the Odin system. That setup has been consistent in CIG's public material for years - it is the frame the whole campaign hangs on.
The tone is deliberately cinematic: a story with a beginning and an end, full performance capture for the cast, and a war that gives the campaign its stakes.
What you actually do
- Fly and fight. Missions run from cockpit dogfights to boarding actions and ground firefights, and the game is built around switching between the two without a seam.
- Live with a crew. The capital ship is not a menu. You walk it between missions, talk to the people around you, and build the relationships that carry the story.
- Upgrade your ship. In the hangar you can improve the fighters you are assigned as the campaign progresses.
- Make calls that stick. CIG has described branching storylines and decisions that affect how the campaign plays out. Some missions, once finished solo, can be replayed with a friend in co-op.
Confirmed, with dates
| Fact | Detail | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Release window | Q2 2027 (April-June), set after the 2026 slot was dropped | 27 Aug 2026 |
| Storefronts | Steam wishlist live; RSI store for backers | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Platform | Windows (64-bit), DirectX 12 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Engine | StarEngine, CIG's in-house tech | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Format | Single-player campaign; selected missions replayable in co-op | 2018, still current |
| Languages | English (full audio) plus text for 9 more, including Simplified Chinese | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Steam features | Achievements, Steam Cloud, HDR, full controller support, Family Sharing | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Cast revealed | Full ensemble, led by Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill | 10 Oct 2026 |
The road here, in one breath
Announced in October 2012 with a crowdfunding campaign, Squadron 42 grew from an introductory module into a full stand-alone campaign - 28 chapters' worth by 2016. CIG declared it feature complete at CitizenCon in October 2023, targeted 2026 through 2024 and 2025, and then moved to Q2 2027 in August 2026 to keep the launch away from a certain other galactic release. The full dated record lives on the release tracker.
What the screenshots show
The 15 Steam screenshots and the official site media are the best unfiltered look available: hangar walks toward a Gladius, cockpit HUD shots with a target locked, station approaches, a dam lit at dusk, and a crew scene over dinner. The ships page catalogues what each image confirms, and story and cast covers the people.
What to watch next
The signal chain from here is simple: the Steam listing updates first with news and a price, the RSI comm-link carries CIG's letters and newsletters, and the Squadron 42 channels on YouTube and X carry the trailers. When the quarter narrows to a day, this page and the tracker get updated the same day.
