Squadron 42 pushed to 2027 over GTA 6 concerns

Cloud Imperium Games has pushed back Squadron 42, the single-player companion to its long-running space MMO Star Citizen, to the second quarter of 2027. The studio previously targeted a 2026 launch, but studio head Chris Roberts announced the shift in a blog post, explaining that releasing this autumn would pit the game against Rockstar's highly anticipated GTA 6.

Roberts emphasized the significance of the delay for a project that has consumed over a decade of development effort. He noted that launching into what he termed the "attention buzz saw" of GTA 6 would be unwise for a game representing his spiritual successor to the classic Wing Commander series. While GTA 6 will not arrive on PC until next year, Roberts argued that media coverage and content creator focus would be dominated by Rockstar's release, leaving minimal room for Squadron 42 to gain traction.

Development on Squadron 42 began in 2014 and has experienced multiple delays throughout its lengthy production cycle. The game boasts an impressive cast including Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill, Henry Cavill, Andy Serkis, Ben Mendelsohn, and Mark Strong.

Cloud Imperium plans to showcase Squadron 42 to a limited group of content creators and early backers in October, with a more specific release date to follow shortly afterward. The studio reaffirmed the 2026 target as recently as late last year before making this latest adjustment.

Separately, the company unveiled a new capital-class vessel, the Anvil Odin spaceship, priced at $5,000. Notably, the ship was not available at launch despite being offered as a limited-time concept pledge. Purchasers received a loaner Idris P spacecraft while awaiting delivery of their Odin.