Squadron 42 opens its Steam wishlist and targets Q2 2027

At last there's something concrete to hold on to. As reported by Gamereactor Spain, Cloud Imperium Games has opened the wishlist for Squadron 42 on Steam. It's the single-player campaign set in the Star Citizen universe, and it arrives with a new cinematic trailer, the full cast and a launch window set for the second quarter of 2027. PC players now have an official way to follow the project from the most widely used storefront on the platform.

Why does it matter? Few games carry as much hype, and as much skepticism, as this one. Showing up on Steam guarantees nothing, but it does change the tone of the conversation. A studio that has relied for years on its own platform and its community of backers is now stepping into the biggest and most demanding showcase on PC. That has consequences for visibility, for marketing and for accountability too.

What you need to know

• Steam wishlist now live: you can already add Squadron 42 and follow its progress on Valve's platform.
• Launch window: second quarter of 2027, with no exact date for now.
• New cinematic trailer: it shows first-person action, platforming, puzzles, ship customization, hacking, downtime activities and narrative choices.
• Confirmed cast: Ian Duncan voices the male protagonist and Alix Wilton Regan the female protagonist.
• Setting: the year 2945. You play a recruit in the United Empire of Earth Navy stationed aboard a capital ship as war threatens the galaxy.

What was shown and what it means

The new footage clearly bets on variety. This isn't a pure space sim. It blends on-foot gunfights, platforming sections and puzzles with the series' most recognizable element: ship management and customization. On top of that come hacking and downtime activities that hint at life on board with some narrative weight. Story choices round out a package that, on paper, aims to feel more like a big cinematic adventure than a sandbox.

Having two fully voiced protagonists, one male and one female, suggests you'll be able to choose who to experience the campaign with. It's a minor detail for competitive players, but a very relevant one for content creators. Two versions of the protagonist multiply the possibilities for series, comparisons and side-by-side playthroughs.

The news was also covered by international outlets such as IGN, which published details of the trailer, the wishlist and the cast on October 10, 2026, and PC Gamer, according to the source.

Our take

Here at Underworld Lordz we're clear on this: a Steam page is not a game. Opening the wishlist is a smart marketing move, because wishlists affect visibility within the store and Cloud Imperium knows that very well. But a launch window expressed in quarters still leaves a lot of wiggle room, and with this project caution isn't cynicism, it's memory. We'll celebrate when we can play it, not before.

That said, we see the move to Steam as a positive one. Stepping into Valve's showcase means facing public reviews and an unforgiving audience. That pressure could do some good for a studio used to talking mostly to its own community. For content creators, a single-player release with this level of production and narrative choice is pure gold: playthroughs, theories, protagonist comparisons and technical breakdowns. If it delivers on its promises, it'll fill streams for weeks.

For competitive players the interest is more indirect. Squadron 42 isn't an esports game and doesn't pretend to be. Even so, if its ship combat and gunplay turn out polished, they could set the bar for what the community expects from the Star Citizen universe as a whole. And that's where something really is at stake.

What do you think?

It's on Steam and there's a window for 2027. Now it's your turn to take a stand: are you adding it to your wishlist, or are you waiting to see the finished game before believing anything? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and tell us whether you trust Squadron 42 to arrive on time this time.