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Squadron 42 is a cinematic single-player space adventure set in the Star Citizen universe. Its published premise places you in the United Empire of Earth Navy (UEE Navy), living and working with a crew during a galactic war. It is a separate campaign from Star Citizen’s persistent online universe, though RSI describes the games as connected. RSI says the game remains in development and is not available to download; Steam currently lists Q2 2027 as its planned release window.

What is Squadron 42?

Squadron 42 is a story-led, single-player game from the makers of Star Citizen. The publisher-listed synopsis describes a player who enlists in the UEE Navy and lives and works alongside a crew while a galactic war unfolds. That makes it a military science-fiction adventure within the wider Star Citizen setting, rather than the persistent online universe itself.

RSI chairman Chris Roberts has described the intended experience as an adventure shaped by character relationships, battles, and cinematic set pieces. That is the developer’s creative ambition, not a description of a finished game: Roberts’s Letter from the Chairman frames the campaign in those terms.

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What is the story and where is it set?

The public premise is broad. You play a Navy recruit serving with a crew during a galactic war, but the available synopsis does not establish a chapter-by-chapter plot, specific events, or an ending. The confirmed setting details point to a campaign that moves across military and frontier locations:

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These locations are named in the publisher-listed Steam synopsis. No campaign length, mission count, or other such figure is established by the cited information.

How does Squadron 42 fit into Star Citizen?

Think of the games as two ways to enter the same fictional universe: Squadron 42 is the single-player campaign; Star Citizen is the persistent online universe. RSI’s 2016 package-split explanation described them as distinct modules with functional connections, so players could choose the campaign or the persistent universe separately.

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The 2016 explanation also said performance in Squadron 42 was intended to affect a player’s Star Citizen career. Treat that as a description of the planned connection, not a guarantee of current entitlements or how progression will work at release. RSI’s current Get Started checklist still distinguishes a standalone Squadron 42 pledge from packages that include Star Citizen. Check RSI’s current package terms before buying; the older package article is not a current price or ownership guide.

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Can you play Squadron 42 now?

No. RSI’s support pages say the game is still in development and is not available to download. See its current download-status article and Get Started checklist for publisher guidance.

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The publisher-listed Steam page displays Q2 2027 as the planned release window. That is a storefront listing, not a guaranteed launch date, and release timing can change. Check the RSI support information and the Steam page for the latest status.

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