Squadron 42 might not hit its recently-announced release window after all

Though previous reports and announcements from Cloud Imperium Games seemed to confidently place Squadron 42‘s release window within 2026, it’s now uncertain if that target will be met.

According to a recent statement from its director, Jared Huckaby (thanks Massively OP), it is unclear if Squadron 42 “will make it” by the end of next year, throwing shade on the previously announced 2026 launch.

However, Huckaby did try to inspire confidence by saying the team is “going to do every single thing possible to make it,” and thus avoid CitizenCon this year, which he said would be a “distraction.” He also explained Squadron 42 won’t be doing larger events this year to help alleviate the developers and allow them to focus on meeting the 2026 release window.

The announcement of Squadron 42, which has been in development for over a decade, being possibly delayed yet again, caused a lot of stir among fans of the game. Huckaby personally replied to one Roberts Space Industries forum post, where he reassured players CIG is doing everything in its power to meet the release, as well as that it’s “on track.”

Not everyone on the forums was convinced, however, as many pointed out the numerous delays both Squadron 42 and Star Citizen have had in over a decade since being first announced, with one user pointing out CIG shouldn’t have given a release date if it wasn’t sure it could make it.

I recently covered how Star Citizen and Squadron 42 have been in development for more than a decade, with CIG reportedly racking up over $1 billion thus far, with official contributions from fans numbering over $859 million. Squadron 42 itself, which was announced to be launching in 2026, started development in 2014, and has been delayed on several occasions, with many believing neither it nor Star Citizen would ever see a traditional “full” release.

CIG founder Chris Roberts also stated he thinks Squadron 42 will be as big a release as GTA 6, the latter arguably being the most anticipated title of all time and set to earn billions in its opening weekend. That game is also slated for a 2026 release, if Rockstar Games, also known for its delays, doesn’t push it back even further.

Squadron 42 is a single-player spacefaring title set in the Star Citizen universe and developed side-by-side with it. It’s set to star various Hollywood superstars, including Gary Oldman, Henry Cavill, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis, and others.

Like our content? Set Destructoid as a Preferred Source on Google in just one step to ensure you see us more frequently in your Google searches!