Today Microsoft and Asobo Studio hosted a livestream showcasing upcoming plans for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
As usual, we hear from head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann, Asobo CEO Sebastian Wlock, and executive producer Martial Bossard.
Neumann started by mentioning that the simulator is continuing to break engagement records and there are now almost twice as many people swimming as there were in the middle of 2021.
We get a detailed roadmap for 2022 including world updates up to 17, Local Legend aircraft up to 7, Famous Flyer aircraft up to 5, and major releases including Top Gun: Maverick, helicopters, gliders, and two “surprises.”
We then see the first teaser trailer of World Update 8, focusing on Australia, which will include four airports including Longreach (YLRE), Mount Beauty (YMBT), Shellharbour (YSHL), and Paraburdoo (YPBO).
Plenty of photogrammetry cities will also be added including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Cairns, Darwin, Townsville, Bunbury, and Mackay. Interestingly, a new team has been launched at Microsoft to create more cities that will come in the future.
A new trailer and images also showcase the second Local Legend aircraft, the “Southern Cross” Fokker F.VIIb flown by Charles Kingsford Smith in the first trans-Pacific flight to Australia from the mainland United States.
Six variants will be included for the aircraft, with 11-12 liveries (still depending on licensing). These will include the Southern Cross itself (one version with the original cockpit and one with modern avionics), the Josephine Ford ski version, Friendship with floats, the single-engine transport variant, and the tri-engine transport variant with a variety of liveries.
Both the Australian World Update and the Fokker will come on January 31.
The first Famous Flier aircraft may not be the Antonov An-2 anymore because the team is still working with Antonov to acquire the license, even if the aircraft is already complete.
The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing will instead likely ship first, and it’ll be developed by Carenado. You can see a few screenshots below.