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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has taken 15 million players to the skies

Clear skies, full sim, can't lose.

Justin Carter, Contributing Editor

June 24, 2024

1 Min Read
Key art for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020).
Image via Asobo Studio/Xbox.

At a Glance

  • Asobo's 2020 flight sim hits a new milestone ahead of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024's release in November.

Asobo Studio's Microsoft Flight Simulator has now reached 15 million players pilots.

The last we heard of the 2020 game, it had amassed 10 million players as 2022 was winding down. As it did back then, this new milestone covers the community across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Cloud.

Sadly, Asobo was lacking in fun player metrics this time, such as the number of trips around Earth (or the sun) that equals 15 million players.

"Thanks to each and every one of you for filling the skies with your adventures!" wrote Asobo. "Blue skies and tailwinds."

Microsoft Flight Simulator has been quietly running as a powerful niche game for Xbox and Game Pass in particular. This past weekend, Asobo brought the game to the annual FlightSim Expo for fans of all kinds of flight simulators.

While not as splashy as the esports scene for Halo or Call of Duty, the Expo helps widen Flight Simulator's reach as much as its cloud release back in 2022.

This news also comes ahead of its sequel's launch in November. While the 2024 Flight Simulator is standalone, Microsoft has previously stated "virtually all" of the 2020 game's add-ons will work here, making it easier for players to transfer to the newest iteration.

About the Author(s)

Justin Carter

Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com

A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.

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