Star Citizen is kind-of-but-not-really finished

Remember Star Citizen? You’d be forgiven if you don’t. The game will make the occasional splash in the headlines, but after more than 12 years of hype even the most diehard fans are getting impatient. Yes, it’s playable, and honestly a great experience — but it still lacks some of the most anticipated features. That’s why it’s such a big deal that Cloud Imperium said that Squadron 42 is nearly finished after years of development.

Squadron 42 is the single-player spinoff of Star Citizen. Cloud Imperium’s annual Citizencon event — a Star Citizen-focused gathering — is running this weekend and ends later today. Squadron 42 received an extended gameplay trailer more than an hour in length (although fair warning, a solid chunk of that is cutscene) and an updated release date: 2026.

After watching the trailer, I have to say: it looks pretty freaking cool. The graphics are smooth and the lighting is exactly what I would expect from a stage set on a burning starship.

According to Chris Roberts, Cloud Imperium’s CEO, Squadron 42 has been feature complete since last year, but the team is focusing on polishing it as much as they can before release (via PCGamesN). A 2026 release date would give them time to make Squadron 42 something truly special, but take the news with a grain of salt. Cloud Imperium has been known to miss deadlines before.

Squadron 42 will have roughly 40 hours of gameplay, as well as a ridiculously star-studded cast that includes Henry Cavill, Mark Hamill, Sophie Wu, Andy Serkis, Gillian Anderson, and more. Basically, if they’re a big star in something remotely sci-fi related, they’re here.

The gameplay will be split between space and ground combat and feature other elements like relationship management. The combat is smooth and makes me think of the lovechild between Star Wars: Squadrons and Elite: Dangerous. The on-foot segments of the game suggest there will be a survival element to it, as well, with HUD elements for tracking the player’s hydration and oxygen levels, as well as heart rate.

I’ve never paid much attention to Star Citizen, but seeing this gameplay trailer might have made me a fan.