Microsoft Flight Simulator Game of the Year Edition announced: Here's what's new

By Eric Abent/Oct. 19, 2021 12:30 pm EST

After letting the franchise sit dormant for several years, Microsoft teamed with Asobo Studio to launch Microsoft Flight Simulator in 2020. In the time since then, we've seen Microsoft Flight Simulator get six world updates in addition to many smaller updates. Now the companies have announced Microsoft Flight Simulator: Game of the Year Edition, which is launching next month with a collection of upgrades.

Asobo Studio started off today's announcement post by revealing a completely separate event: a Windows 11 collaboration. From today until November 18th, there are 11 landmarks around the world that will be lit up in "Windows Blue." Asobo Studio doesn't reveal what those landmarks are, so it sounds like it's up to the community to find them. In addition, the EXTRA 330LT is getting a Windows 11 livery as part of this event.

The Windows 11 collaboration takes us right to the release date of the Game of the Year Edition, which is launching on November 18th. The Game of the Year Edition will add five aircraft to the game: the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet (which is the first military jet being added to the game ahead of next year's Top Gun: Maverick expansion), VoloCity, Pilatus PC-6 Porter, CubCrafters NX Cub, and the Aviat Pitts Special S1S.

In addition, eight handcrafted airports from Germany, Switzerland, and the United States will be added to the game. Players will be able to visit Leipzig/Halle (EDDP), Allgäu Airport Memmingen (EDJA), and Kassel (EDVK) from Germany; Lugano (LSZA), Zurich (LSZH), and Luzern-Beromunster (LSZO) from Switzerland; and Patrick Space Force Base (KCOF) and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (KNKX) from the United States.

Add to that new missions, tutorials, updated weather systems, early DX12 support, and new photogrammetry cities, and it sounds like this is quite the upgrade. The Game of the Year content will be free for those who already own Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC and Xbox Series X/S, and it will be launching on November 18th.