Squadron 42's planned release window is Q2 2027 — April through June 2027. The official Steam page lists exactly that, and no specific day has been announced. This page tracks where the window came from and every time the target has moved. Last verified: 2026-10-12.

Where Q2 2027 comes from

On August 31, 2026, Chris Roberts published a Letter from the Chairman announcing that Squadron 42 would move out of its late-2026 slot. The stated reasoning:

"We have taken a look at the release windows at the start of 2027, and decided that Q2 provides a better time for Squadron 42 to release."

The letter explained that the team did not want to launch their "spiritual successor to Wing Commander" into what Roberts called the "attention buzz saw" of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI, which dominates coverage in late 2026. The original plan, set at CitizenCon 2024, had been to ship in Q4 2026 around the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE).

What "planned window" means

Q2 2027 is a window, not a date. CIG has not named a day, a week, or even a month within the quarter. Treat any specific launch day you see elsewhere — including countdown timers — as speculation. If the window moves again, the change will come through official channels: the RSI website, Star Citizen/Squadron 42 newsletters, and the Steam page.

The full release timeline

  1. Announced alongside Star Citizen

    Early materials pointed at a 2014 release.

  2. Pledge packages split

    Squadron 42 and Star Citizen pledge packages split into separate products.

  3. Scope expansion delays release

    Chris Roberts confirms a delay at CitizenCon; the project has grown to 28 chapters and 60+ missions.

  4. Dates paused until confidence improves

    CIG says it is “too early to discuss release” and stops publishing dates until confident.

  5. Feature complete

    CitizenCon’s “I Held The Line” marks the project as feature complete.

  6. 2026 target announced

    CitizenCon 2954 sets the target at 2026 alongside the first public gameplay reveal.

  7. CitizenCon 2025 is skipped

    CIG skips the event to protect the 2026 schedule.

  8. Late-2026 plan remains tentative

    Roberts says the plan is the end of 2026, but “can’t 100% guarantee it.”

  9. Moved to Q2 2027

    Current plan

    The release window moves to Q2 2027 to avoid GTA VI’s Q4 launch window.

  10. Steam wishlist opens

    Steam wishlist opens on the game’s 14th announcement anniversary.

Can I play it before launch?

No — there is no public demo, beta, or open playtest. The October 2026 test sessions in Manchester were invite-only creator events. See our playtest and demo guides for the details, and our delay history for the full context on each shift.

Verified against the Steam store page and official communications on 2026-10-12. This page will be updated if the window changes.