Squadron 42 delayed to 2027 as Chris Roberts blames GTA 6's 'attention buzz saw'

Cloud Imperium Games has delayed the single-player campaign Squadron 42 once again, this time pushing its release to the second quarter of 2027. The studio's director, Chris Roberts, has explained the decision by saying the game would be drowned out by the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 later this year.

Squadron 42, the episodic single-player component of the sprawling space sim Star Citizen, was originally promised for a 2015 release. It has now been in development for over a decade, with Roberts stating in a post on the official RSI website that work began in 2014. The project has never released any playable build in any state, and the latest delay means it will be at least 12 years since development started before it reaches players.

The reason given for the postponement is that Roberts wants to avoid what he calls the "attention buzz saw" of GTA 6. At CitizenCon 2024, the studio announced it would ship Squadron 42 in 2026, with a plan to release in the fourth quarter around the in-game event IAE. But Roberts now says that launching alongside Rockstar's blockbuster would be a mistake.

"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," Roberts wrote. "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."

Roberts added that the team had looked at release windows at the start of 2027 and decided that the second quarter provides a better opportunity for Squadron 42 to launch. "I know a lot of you will be disappointed to not be playing Squadron 42 at the end of this year," he said, "but it is the best thing for the project as it is truly something special and so needs to the opportunity to have the focus of the wider gaming world."

The timing of the announcement is notable. A number of other games were moved from late 2026 to early 2027 to avoid clashing with GTA 6, but most publishers made those decisions months ago, when Rockstar's release date was confirmed. Squadron 42's delay comes much later, and the game is in an entirely different genre and will not be playable on the same platforms as GTA 6, which is not launching on PC this November.

The delay follows a particularly difficult period for the project. Star Citizen recently broadcast a stream that went so badly that the presenters were publicly criticised by their boss while it was still airing. The larger Star Citizen project, which has raised over a billion dollars from its backers since it was first promised for a 2014 release after raising $2 million on Kickstarter in 2012, still exists only in disconnected parts. The current playable build is said to be a hundredth of the promised size.

Roberts' explanation has been met with scepticism. While it is true that GTA 6 coverage will be vast and voluminous, it is unlikely to completely dominate gaming news for months or to the exclusion of all other titles. The argument that a single-player space sim would be invisible if released near a crime sandbox on different platforms has been described as unconvincing.

The latest delay means Squadron 42 will now be at least 11 years late from its original 2016 release window. The game, which features a star-studded cast, has missed every deadline set for it since it was first announced. Roberts' 1,600-word update on the official site included other excuses for other undelivered promises before arriving at the GTA 6 reasoning.

Roberts has stated that the decision is "the best thing for the project" and that it needs "the opportunity to have the focus of the wider gaming world." Whether the game will finally appear in 2027, or ever, remains to be seen.