In the video, Danny Raymond shares his predictions for Star Citizen and Squadron 42 in 2025, noting that while limited features will be introduced, significant updates are expected, particularly related to the Pyro system and new gameplay mechanics. He also discusses potential technical improvements, the introduction of a third star system, and encourages community engagement through giveaways.
In the video, Danny Raymond discusses his predictions for Star Citizen and Squadron 42 as the year 2024 comes to a close. He notes that predicting developments for 2025 is more challenging than it was for 2024, especially since many features shown at CitizenCon Los Angeles were expected to be implemented within a year, and most were. However, significant announcements at CitizenCon Manchester indicated that Squadron 42 would not be released until 2026. Raymond anticipates that 2025 will see limited precursors to the features that will eventually be included in Squadron 42, with the possibility of pre-sales being announced at CitizenCon 2025, which he predicts will take place in Montreal.
Raymond expects that the full CIG staff will return from holidays to address issues with the 4.0 build of Star Citizen, leading to a series of patches. He believes that the initial patches will focus on bug fixes and may reintroduce missing mission types. He suggests that the first quarter of 2025 will be quiet in terms of news, with significant updates likely coming in February. By the second quarter, he anticipates that more substantial updates will be introduced, including features related to the Pyro system and server meshing, as well as improvements to reputation and mission content.
In terms of new gameplay mechanics, Raymond predicts that 2025 may introduce elements of a social system, such as chat improvements and group-finding features. He also speculates about the potential introduction of drug crafting mechanics, which could create a unique in-game economy. Additionally, he mentions the Apex Valar sandworm and the possibility of specialized harvestables tied to drug crafting gameplay. The introduction of a scanning system may also be on the horizon, supporting activities like Valar hunting.
Raymond delves into technical improvements, suggesting that the Vulcan engine may see optimizations and that CIG might phase out DirectX support by the end of 2025. He discusses the potential for manual dynamic server meshing, which could be a significant step forward for the game’s infrastructure. Furthermore, he raises concerns about managing shard populations, particularly during low-traffic periods, and suggests that maintaining player persistence across shards will be a challenge that CIG needs to address.
Finally, Raymond touches on the possibility of introducing a third star system, Nix, by the end of 2025, although he believes that the focus will primarily remain on enhancing the Pyro experience. He concludes by mentioning giveaways for the community, including a special ship and joystick giveaways, encouraging viewers to engage with the channel for a chance to win. Overall, his insights reflect a mixture of optimism and caution regarding the future developments of Star Citizen and Squadron 42.