After a Billion Dollars and 10 Years, This Game Finally Reaches a Significant Development Milestone

Key Takeaways

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Both Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Star Citizen/Squadron 42 have experienced extended development periods, with Squadron 42 now planned for a 2026 release.
Chris Roberts, studio head of Cloud Imperium Games, expressed satisfaction with the progress and direction of Squadron 42. He highlighted the games immersive experience due to seamless transitions between on-foot, vehicle, planetary, and interstellar travel.
The team has completed every chapter of Squadron 42 and it now features over forty hours of gameplay. They are currently focusing on final touches and bug fixes for a special experience.
Roberts emphasized the attention to detail in Squadron 42, including writing, motion capture, characters, environments, spaceships, lighting, sound effects, in-game movies, and overall design, which creates a deeply immersive interactive world. Players can expect further updates as its 2026 launch approaches.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Star Citizen’s Long-Running Development Journeys

While Beyond Good & Evil 2’s extended development has become well-known, it is not unique. Star Citizen, the space MMO launched in 2012 with a budget approaching $1 billion, and its spin-off, Squadron 42, are also taking considerable time to develop, with the latter now slated for a 2026 release.

Cloud Imperium Games is developing Squadron 42, which was initially announced in 2014. Despite the long wait for updates, studio head Chris Roberts has indicated progress is being made. In a letter posted on the studio’s website, Roberts stated that he is pleased with the direction of Squadron 42 and the team is focused on completing it. Roberts added that a large marketing push will not be necessary, given the previously released trailers and gameplay clips. He stated that the gaming world will be made aware of the game at the appropriate time, and that release is still planned for 2026. No further details are expected before then.

(Note: The following translation is based solely on the provided French text and does not incorporate any additional context or information.) He also highlighted that the team has played through every chapter of Squadron 42, and the game now features over forty hours of gameplay. The focus is now on final touches and bug fixes to deliver a special experience. Roberts credits Cloud Imperium’s technology for the game’s progress. The seamless transitions between on-foot gameplay, vehicle piloting, planetary travel, and interstellar travel—all without loading screens—create an immersive experience. This combination of intimate interaction and epic scale defines Squadron 42. The Star Citizen team is committed to making Squadron 42 exceptional, focusing on the writing, motion capture, characters, environments, spaceships, lighting, sound effects, in-game movies, and overall design. Roberts suggests that this attention to detail creates a deeply immersive interactive world. With its release window now set, players can expect further updates on Squadron 42 as its 2026 launch approaches.

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Specification
Official Name	Groove Coaster: Initial Initial Echo Ego
Brief Summary	Touhou Project music DLC for Groove CoasterTitle: Initial Initial Echo EgoArtist: RD-Sounds*Arrange from Touhou ShinreibyouDifficulty: Simple 2 / Normal 5 / Hard 8BPM: 156
Genre	Music
Play Modes	Single player