Cloud Imperium Games has opened Steam wishlisting for Squadron 42, the cinematic single player space adventure set in the Star Citizen universe, ahead of a planned Q2 2027 release. Players can now wishlist Squadron 42 on Steam to get notified the moment preorders or the full launch go live.
Quick facts
- Game: Squadron 42, a cinematic single player sci-fi adventure
- Developer: Cloud Imperium Games
- Status: available to wishlist now on Steam
- Planned release: Q2 2027
- Setting: the Star Citizen universe in the year 2945
- Role: a rookie recruit in the UEE Navy
- Cast: Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill, Andy Serkis and more
A Blockbuster Cast Takes Center Stage
The headline draw of Squadron 42 remains its ensemble cast, which reads like the credits of a major science fiction film. Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Ben Mendelsohn, Henry Cavill, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, Jonathan Bailey, Mark Strong, Damson Idris, Liam Cunningham and Jane Perry all lend their likenesses and performances to the crew, allies and adversaries players will meet. Through full performance capture, the cast grounds a galaxy scale war story in personal relationships that shape the journey from rookie to veteran.
These performances sit inside the gameplay rather than only inside cutscenes. Players stand shoulder to shoulder with crewmates aboard a massive capital ship, take orders from commanding officers with famous faces and watch relationships shift as sacrifices mount. The intent from Cloud Imperium Games is that players act as participants in the drama, not spectators, with split second decisions on and off the battlefield carrying real weight for the people around them.
A New Perspective on the Star Citizen Universe
Squadron 42 shares its setting with Star Citizen, the massively multiplayer online space experience where millions of players pilot ships, trade goods and carve out lives across a persistent universe. Where Star Citizen offers an open ended galaxy to explore at your own pace, Squadron 42 tells a focused standalone story from one point of view. You enlist as a rookie in the UEE Navy in the year 2945, when the United Empire of Earth stands on the verge of collapse as outlaws and hostile alien forces press in from the darkest reaches of space.
That framing gives the campaign a clear arc. The journey runs from first days aboard ship through the heart of a galactic war, with players earning their place, their rank and their legacy one mission at a time. Along the way they move between capital ships, busy space stations, remote frontier outposts and active combat zones, meeting characters who challenge and define the kind of hero they become.
From the Cockpit to the Front Lines
Life in Squadron 42 extends well beyond the pilot seat. High speed dogfights among the stars sit alongside ground based combat operations, stealthy movement through enemy held positions and quieter moments with the crew behind the fight. Every mission layers new demands on skill, strategy and quick thinking, and some situations ask for more than firepower alone.
The mix of action, exploration and interactive cinematic sequences keeps the personal stakes visible at every scale. One moment has you maneuvering through a fleet battle with capital ships trading fire, and the next has you making a critical call beside fellow crew members with no clean answer. It is this contrast between monumental set pieces and intimate character beats that the studio is betting on, pairing the spectacle of a space epic with a story about the people fighting to survive it.
Built on StarEngine for a Cinematic Experience
Powering the adventure is StarEngine, the proprietary technology Cloud Imperium Games built in house over years of development. The engine combines detailed environments, expansive spaces and realistic characters with unbroken transitions between cinematic storytelling and interactive play. Players do not simply watch the story unfold, since they take an active role in shaping how each scene plays out.
With the Steam page now live, wishlisting is the simplest way to track the road to Q2 2027. Added games trigger a notification at launch, which matters for a project with this much history behind it. Squadron 42 has been one of the most watched campaigns in PC gaming for years, and the arrival of an official Steam presence marks the clearest signal yet that the wait is entering its final stretch.
When is Squadron 42 coming out
Squadron 42 is planned for release in Q2 2027. Cloud Imperium Games has opened Steam wishlisting ahead of launch so players can follow the game and get notified when it releases.
Is Squadron 42 connected to Star Citizen
Yes, Squadron 42 is set in the same universe as Star Citizen. It tells a standalone single player story from the view of a rookie UEE Navy recruit, while Star Citizen offers a persistent multiplayer universe to explore.
Who stars in Squadron 42
The cast includes Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Ben Mendelsohn, Henry Cavill, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, Jonathan Bailey, Mark Strong, Damson Idris, Liam Cunningham and Jane Perry, all brought to life through full performance capture.
Where can I wishlist Squadron 42
You can wishlist Squadron 42 right now on Steam through its official store page. Wishlisted games send you a notification when the game launches or when preorders open.
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