Cloud Imperium Games has unveiled new details about single-player spinoff Squadron 42, revealing a cinematic trailer, launching Steam wishlists, and announcing the game’s full cast. The studio has worked on the story-driven offshoot of space sim Star Citizen for 12 years.
The 12-year development is led by Chris Roberts, creator of the Wing Commander series. Squadron 42 serves as a spiritual successor to that franchise, and like its predecessors it features a string of Hollywood stars including Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Ben Mendelsohn, and Henry Cavill.
The game fuses space combat, first-person shooter action, and a character-driven narrative supported by full performance capture. According to the studio, the performances are woven directly into gameplay, so players will see those actors beyond just cinematics.
The trailer shows a decent amount of gameplay, including first-person sections—some involving platforming and puzzle solving—ship customization, off-duty activities, a hacking mini-game, and a glimpse at narrative choices. Ian Duncan, best known for playing Todd Todmore on BBC comedy Broken News, voices the male player character, while prolific video game actor Alix Wilton Regan plays the female lead.
Regan is known for roles including Samantha Traynor in Mass Effect 3, the female Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Aya in Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider games.
The full cast announced includes Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, John Rhys-Davies, Henry Cavill, Ben Mendelsohn, Liam Cunningham, Andy Serkis, Jack Huston, Rhona Mitra, Eleanor Tomlinson, Sandi Roberts, Harry Treadaway, Danny Huston, Jonathan Bailey, Gillian Anderson, Ian Duncan, Alix Wilton Regan, Damson Idris, and Jane Perry.
In August, the studio delayed Squadron 42 to Q2 2027. Roberts said it wouldn’t get the attention it deserves if released at the end of 2026 because of GTA 6’s November launch.
“At CitizenCon 2024, we announced we would ship in 2026. Our plan was to release in Q4 around IAE,” Roberts said at the time. “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 12 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 GTA 6. While GTA 6 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.”
Chris Roberts
The studio crossed the $1 billion raised barrier in May—a milestone that came shortly after a $5,000 virtual spaceship you couldn’t fly in-game went on sale. It has since raised a further $50 million.
Star Citizen is considered one of the most controversial projects in video games. Over the 14 years since its crowdfunding drive began, it has been called many things, including a scam by those who wonder whether it will ever properly launch. Its virtual ships, some costing thousands of dollars, are often the focus of criticism. Loyal fans insist it’s one of the most compelling space sims around and continue to invest millions via ship sales.
The game itself remains without a release window.
1 comment