When one thinks of the longest-running video game franchises,Microsoft Flight Simulatormight not be the first to come to mind. Regardless, theseries has been going strong since 1982, long before Microsoft became a powerhouse in gaming with the Xbox brand. Next to most franchises,Microsoft Flight Simulatorhas quite a long history, so it’s fitting that the latest entry’s upcoming 40th Anniversary Edition update will be packed with several notable aircrafts from across the entire history of manned flight.
Fans who have been looking forward to the new update now have a release date, as Microsoft has announced that the free Anniversary Edition patch will be out on November 11. The update will introduce several of the new features Microsoft and developer Asobo Studio have been teasing throughout the year. Among these are theaddition of helicopters and gliders toMicrosoft Flight Simulator, which will give players completely new ways to experience the game.
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For the aviation history buffs out there, however, the most exciting addition may very well be the inclusion of multiple historical planes. The 40th Anniversary Edition update will let players take control of milestone aircrafts like the Wright Flyer, the first aircraft to achieve sustained flight; the Spirit of St. Louis, the plane used in the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean; and the H-4 Hercules, AKA the Spruce Goose, the massive wooden seaplane known for only flying once. Of course, players will be able to fly it more than that inMicrosoft Flight Simulator.
In total,Microsoftsays that the Anniversary update will introduce 12 new aircrafts, among which will be fan-requested planes like the Airbus A-310, along with 10 glider airports and 14 heliports to accommodate the new aircraft types. And as a further nod to the franchise’s history, the update will also boast 20 missions from previous installments ofMicrosoft Flight Simulator. In short, players will have plenty of new content to look forward to this fall.
In the meantime, though, Microsoft and Asobo have new content for players to download today. This includes the 1919 Junkers F 13, the first all-metal transport plane, as well as the first-ever City Update. A smaller-scale version ofMicrosoft Flight Simulator’s World Updates, this first one will enhance the German cities of Hanover, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Bonn, and Cologne with photogrammetry-modeled detail. With Gamescom happening in Cologne right now, it’s fitting that German planes and cities are getting special treatment.
Microsoft Flight Simulatoris available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
