The Squadron 42 Steam wishlist page is officially live on Valve's storefront, giving players a direct way to track Cloud Imperium Games' cinematic single-player space adventure. The listing sets a planned release window of Q2 2027 and confirms the title will operate as a standalone game separate from the Star Citizen persistent universe. At this stage, the page is wishlist-only, meaning pre-orders and pricing details have not yet gone live.
How to Add Squadron 42 to Your Steam Wishlist
Adding the game to your Steam wishlist ensures you receive automated platform notifications when launch dates, pricing, or pre-order options become available.
- Open the Steam desktop client or navigate to the Steam store in your web browser.
- Enter "Squadron 42" into the search bar and select the official listing (App ID: 4045720).
- Click the green "Add to your wishlist" button located beneath the trailer player and screenshots.
- Verify the item appears in your wishlist by navigating to your account's Wishlist tab from the top navigation bar.
The official Steam store page confirms that running the game will require a third-party Roberts Space Industries (RSI) account, which supports direct linking to your Steam account. Listed Steam features include single-player mode, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud saves, Family Sharing, and HDR support.
Squadron 42 Steam Details and Release Target
Cloud Imperium Games scheduled the planned release window for Q2 2027. Studio head Chris Roberts stated that the shift past late 2026 was intended to give the project room away from the release window and broad media coverage surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6.
According to Roberts, completing the core campaign missions directly is designed to take roughly 40 hours, expanding to 50 hours for players who explore side content and investigate secondary objectives. The game is built entirely in StarEngine and serves as a spiritual successor to classic space combat games like Wing Commander.
| Store Listing Field | Official Detail |
|---|---|
| Planned Release Window | Q2 2027 |
| Developers | Cloud Imperium Games Ltd, Cloud Imperium Games Texas LLC |
| Publishers | Roberts Space Industries International Ltd, Roberts Space Industries LLC |
| Campaign Structure | Standalone narrative single-player |
| Estimated Playtime | 40 hours (critical path) to 50 hours (with exploration) |
| Account Requirement | Roberts Space Industries account (links to Steam) |
| Supported Languages | 10 total (English full audio; interface/subtitles in 9 additional languages) |
PC System Requirements for Squadron 42
The official Steam page outlines the baseline hardware needed to run the single-player campaign. While recommended hardware specifications remain unlisted on the store page, the minimum requirements establish the baseline technical floor.
| Component | Minimum Official Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 11 (64-bit processor and OS required) |
| Processor (Intel) | Quad Core CPU - Intel i7 (Sandy Bridge or later) |
| Processor (AMD) | Quad Core CPU - AMD Bulldozer or later |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics Card | DirectX 11.1 compatible GPU with 8 GB VRAM |
| DirectX API | Version 12 |
| Storage Space | 150 GB available space |
| Network | Broadband Internet connection |
Confirmed Gameplay Systems and Story Details
Squadron 42 places players into the boots of a rookie enlistee in the United Empire of Earth (UEE) Navy during the year 2945. Set during a brutal interstellar war against the Vanduul, the campaign takes place aboard the Stanton, an Aegis Idris-class frigate serving on the front lines. The male player character is voiced by Ian Duncan, while the female player character is portrayed by Alix Wilton Regan.
Gameplay footage and early playtest reports confirm several distinct core systems:
- Combined-Arms Combat: Missions blend dogfighting in naval fighters such as the Aegis Gladius with boots-on-the-ground first-person combat in hostile settlements, space stations, and derelict capital ships.
- Maelstrom Destruction Tech: Physicalized destruction calculations allow ship components, hulls, and interior structural environments to splinter and break apart realistically under fire.
- FPS Armor 2.0: On-foot armor does not function as a simple hit point pool; rounds punch holes directly into protective plating, and helmet visors can crack, causing atmosphere loss in non-breathable zones.
- Physicalized Hub Activities: While stationed aboard capital ships between missions, players can run drills in the gym to increase physical stamina attributes, train with weapons at the firing range, or use sim pods to practice combat maneuvers.
- Hacking and Environmental Puzzles: Infiltration and maintenance mechanics include interactive circuit-routing puzzles, requiring players to rotate nodes and decrypt terminals using dedicated handheld tools.
- Quantum Boost Navigation: Ships feature a high-speed travel mode allowing sub-quantum velocities around 5,400 meters per second with manual steering control to cross planetary distances quickly.
The narrative features full performance-capture acting from an ensemble Hollywood cast. Confirmed actors include Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill, Andy Serkis, Mark Strong, Ben Mendelsohn, Liam Cunningham, John Rhys-Davies, Jack Huston, Rhona Mitra, Eleanor Tomlinson, Sandi Roberts, Harry Treadaway, Danny Huston, Jonathan Bailey, Damson Idris, and Jane Perry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you pre-order Squadron 42 on Steam?
Pre-orders are currently unavailable on Steam. The store page allows users to wishlist and follow the title, but purchase options and pricing tiers have not yet been listed.
Do I need a Star Citizen account to play on Steam?
Yes. The Steam listing notes that the game requires a third-party Roberts Space Industries (RSI) account, which can be linked directly to your Steam profile to manage game access and data.
Will existing backers who bought Squadron 42 on the RSI website get Steam keys?
Cloud Imperium Games has not officially confirmed whether legacy game packages purchased on the RSI website will include redeemable Steam keys or if external storefront access will require a separate purchase.
Does Squadron 42 require an active internet connection?
The minimum system requirements list a broadband internet connection alongside third-party RSI account linking. Detailed rules regarding offline single-player access have not been confirmed on the Steam storefront.
