Chris Roberts Compares Squadron 42 Launch to GTA VI

LOS ANGELES, California — Chris Roberts, CEO of Cloud Imperium Games, has high hopes for the upcoming launch of Squadron 42, a single-player spin-off of the crowd-funded space simulation, Star Citizen. In an interview with French Canadian outlet La Presse, Roberts stated that the 2026 release could be as significant as the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, which is set to drop on May 26, 2026.

Roberts expressed his optimism by saying, “We’re hoping it’ll be almost as big an event. Other than GTA VI, it’s probably the biggest-budget AAA game of the year.” This statement comes after years of development for Star Citizen, which started its crowdfunding campaign in 2012 and has collected approximately $859 million since then.

While some critics view Star Citizen as overly ambitious and controversial, Roberts insists that the ongoing development, which has engaged over a million monthly players, shows a level of commitment. Squadron 42 is expected to offer about 30-40 hours of gameplay and features high-profile actors like Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill, and Gary Oldman.

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding it, the timing of Squadron 42’s release is strategic. Roberts claims it will be scheduled to avoid overlap with the launch of GTA VI. “We focus on meeting our fans’ expectations, and we want it to stand out as a major event in the gaming world,” he said.

As for Star Citizen’s overall launch, Roberts revealed that the full 1.0 version is tentatively planned for 2027 or 2028. However, given the game’s extensive development history, some remain skeptical about these dates. Still, the upcoming release of Squadron 42 is expected to generate considerable buzz as it approaches.