I’ve been following Squadron 42 since its announcement in 2012, and honestly, at times I’d stopped believing in it. Now Cloud Imperium Games has published a Steam page and confirmed the release for the second quarter of 2027. The single-player campaign from the Star Citizen universe with Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill and Henry Cavill is thus more tangible than ever.

In this review

  1. Rating and verdict
  2. Squadron 42: Story: Recruit of the UEE Navy
  3. Gameplay: Cockpit, capital ship and ground combat
  4. Tech: Star Citizen engine on PC
  5. Release, platform and developer
  6. Trailer
  7. System requirements

Squadron 42 – Raumkampf aus dem Cockpit eines Kampfjägers
In the cockpit: space combat is a core part of Squadron 42.

Squadron 42 – Gespräch mit der Crew an Bord eines Großkampfschiffs
On board, you live and work together with your crew.

Squadron 42 – Navy-Soldat mit Gewehr in der Waffenkammer
You also fight on foot as a recruit of the UEE Navy.

Squadron 42 – Pilot vor einem Kampfjäger im Hangar
In the hangar, your fighter awaits the next mission.

Rating and verdict


Klick auf einen Kreis, um die Begründung zu sehen.

Squadron 42 has everything it needs to become one of the biggest space games ever: a star-studded cast, huge production values and the legacy of Wing Commander. The new trailer looks breathtaking.

After more than ten years of development and several delays, though, I remain cautious. Tech and performance have to convince at release. Still, my expectations are very high.

What we liked

✅ Star cast with Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill and Henry Cavill

✅ Breathtaking graphics and cinematic presentation

✅ Mix of space combat, exploration and ground combat

What bothered us

❌ More than ten years of development with several delays

❌ Performance of the Star Citizen tech still questionable

❌ No exact date and no price known

Score: 87 %

Squadron 42: Story: Recruit of the UEE Navy

In Squadron 42, you join the UEE Navy and experience a cinematic single-player adventure in the year 2945. You live, work and fight alongside a crew played by a genuine star cast. According to Cloud Imperium Games, you’re not meant to watch a hero being born but to become one yourself.

With Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill, Henry Cavill and Gillian Anderson, the cast is bigger than in most films. The new trailer shows that the character models are impressively close to the actors.

Squadron 42 – Ringförmige Raumstation im Nebel
Space stations are among the campaign’s locations.

Gameplay: Cockpit, capital ship and ground combat

Squadron 42 combines space combat in the cockpit with sections on foot. You explore capital ships, space stations and outposts and fight on the front line of a galactic war. Your decisions are supposed to influence which rank and legacy you earn.

The roots of Wing Commander are clearly noticeable. Chris Roberts shaped the genre in the 90s, and Squadron 42 feels like the modern continuation of that idea.

Squadron 42 – Jägerstaffel im Formationsflug durch einen Nebel
A squadron throws itself into battle.

Tech: Star Citizen engine on PC

Squadron 42 runs on the same tech as Star Citizen and, according to the Steam page, requires among other things 16 GB RAM and a graphics card with 8 GB VRAM. Graphically, the scenes from the trailer are among the most beautiful I’ve seen in a space game.

Whether the performance keeps up is the big question, though. Star Citizen has struggled with fluctuating frame rates for years, and a campaign has to run much more stably.

Squadron 42 – Ego-Shooter-Gefecht in einer dunklen Anlage
You play ground combat from a first-person perspective.

Release, platform and developer

Squadron 42 is being developed by Cloud Imperium Gamesand published via Roberts Space Industries. On Steam the release is listed as Q2 2027. There’s no exact date or price yet.

So far, only PC is confirmed. You’ve been able to add Squadron 42 to your Steam wishlist since October 2026. You’ll find more news on the PlayInsider homepage.

Squadron 42 – Pilot im Gespräch in der Messe
The crew helps shape the story.

Trailer

The official wishlist trailer „The Oath“ for Squadron 42.



Systemanforderungen (PC)

MinimumEmpfohlen
BetriebssystemWindows 11Unknown
ProzessorQuad-Core-Prozessor – Intel: i7 (Sandy Bridge oder neuer), AMD: Bulldozer oder neuerUnknown
GrafikkarteGrafikkarte mit 8 GB VRAM und Unterstützung für DirectX 11.1Unknown
Arbeitsspeicher16 GB RAMUnknown
Speicherplatz150 GBUnknown

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