Cloud Imperium Games / Rockstar GamesThe director of Star Citizen has set some lofty expectations on the Squadron 42 spin-off, as he hopes it’ll be as big an event as Grand Theft Auto 6.
Despite being in development for over 13 years and raising over $800 million in crowdfunding, Star Citizen still isn’t officially out. The long-awaited space sim has been stuck in the early access alpha stage for years at this point, with no release date for the multiplayer portion in sight.
However, Squadron 42, the single-player spin-off with stars like Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, and Gillian Anderson attached, does have a 2026 release window. If it hits the target, it will be the first time that any Star Citizen is released to the public, and the game’s director hopes it can go toe-to-toe with one of the most anticipated games of all time.
Star Citizen director hopes Squadron 42 is as important as GTA 6
In an interview with French outlet La Presse, translated by Dexerto, CEO and co-founder of CIG Montreal, Chris Roberts, was asked about releasing in the same year as Grand Theft Auto 6. But the prospect didn’t seem to faze him.
“We’re hoping it’ll be an event almost as important [as GTA 6],” he said. “Apart from GTA 6, [Squadron 42] is probably the most important AAA-budget game.”
Cloud Imperium GamesThis is a pretty bold claim, but it’s perhaps understandable when you consider how much money has already been invested in the project. At the time of writing, Star Citizen has raised nearly $860 million in crowdfunding, which doesn’t take into account any additional investment.
Despite still being in development, this already makes it one of the most expensive video games ever made. However, it’s still some way off the $2 billion that analysts predict GTA 6 will cost when all is said and done.
Related
Squadron 42 will have an enormous task on its hands trying to compete with GTA 6 in terms of revenue, as early projections predict that it could be the biggest entertainment product ever, even dwarfing the record-breaking sales of GTA 5.