Star Citizen's Squadron 42 Delayed Over GTA 6 Release Overlap
The game is now expected to release in 2027.
Cloud Imperium Games
Squadron 42, the single-player mode of Star Citizen, has been delayed after its developer cited concerns about launching in the same window as Rockstar's highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6.
"At CitizenCon 2024 we announced we would ship in 2026. Our plan was to release in Q4 around IAE," Head of Cloud Imperium Games and Game Director Chris Roberts said. The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo will reportedly take place mid-to-late November 2026.
However, Roberts explained that he would like to avoid the overlap with GTA 6's release period:
"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 twelve 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 GTA6. While GTA6 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."
Roberts shared plans for the newly defined release window, which will follow several months after the previously announced November 2026 date:
"We have taken a look at the release windows at the start of 2027, and decided that Q2 provides a better time for Squadron 42 to release."
Squadron 42 has been in development for more than a decade, nearly as long as Star Citizen itself, and has faced several delays over that time. The single-player campaign runs an estimated 30 to 40 hours and has drawn attention for its large lineup of well-known actors, among them Henry Cavill, Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, and others.
Check out Squadron 42's gameplay:
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