Squadron 42 pushed back to Q2 2027 because of GTA 6
Fabian Lainé
In brief
Chris Roberts pushes Squadron 42 back to the second quarter of 2027, abandoning the 2026 target. The studio deliberately avoids launching against GTA 6 and its massive media fallout, preferring to focus its teams on quality.
In a "Letter From The Chairman" published on Thursday, August 27 on Roberts Space Industries, Chris Roberts confirms the delay: Squadron 42 will not release in 2026. Cloud Imperium Games' player-funded solo campaign is now targeting the second quarter of 2027. At CitizenCon 2024, the studio was aiming for 2026, with a plan pegged to the fourth quarter.
GTA 6's schedule shifted everything
Roberts refuses to launch his spiritual successor to Wing Commander "into the attention buzz saw of GTA6". Rockstar's game isn't coming to PC in November, he writes, but media and creators will all be focused on it. Devolver Digital, for its part, is embracing the November 19 collision.
What remains until then
The team split, long close to 50/50 between Star Citizen and Squadron 42, is shifting to 55% for the campaign in these final months, in order to deliver it "bug free, polished and optimized". Next milestone: on October 9 and 10, some early backers and long-time creators will get to play it. Cloud Imperium will detail its release plans there, then give a precise date shortly after. No edition or pricing accompanies this delay.
Share this article
Do you think this delay really benefits Squadron 42?
Key takeaways
- Squadron 42 moves from 2026 to Q2 2027, a strategic rather than technical delay.
- Cloud Imperium refuses to dive into the media storm surrounding GTA 6, a calculated but bold move.
- Resources are shifting 55% toward the single-player campaign to polish it rather than debug it later.
- A playable demo in October for long-time backers: a promise of imminent details.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to react!
Leave a comment
Latest articles
