Microsoft Flight Simulator to Receive Large Air Racing Expansion

Gamescon 2021 is upon us, with Xbox Game Studios sharing news on many of their projects. Of course, of interest to us is the news from Asobo Studios on Microsoft Flight Simulator. The news did not disappoint, with new previews being shared and a new expansion announced, enabling users to fly in a competitive air race with their friends. 

Also accompanying today’s Gamescon announcement, was a new development update sharing news on the highly anticipated World Update’s release date.

Reno Air Race Expansion

Announced during the lengthy Xbox stream from Gamescon 2021, it was shared that the world-famous STIHL National Championship Air Races will be brought to Microsoft Flight Simulator. Being released as a paid expansion, the new gameplay style will enable you to prove your piloting skills at speeds up to 500mph only a few inches above the ground.

The Reno Air Race Expansion will be released for Microsoft Flight Simulator Fall of this year. A price has yet to be shared.

In an exclusive interview with FSElite, Jorg Neumann, Head of MSFS, confirmed that users will be able to compete in the air races with “wing-to-wing precision”. It was also mentioned that this update will “open up the possibilities for competitive multiplayer in the future”.

Full details can be found on FSElite’s article shared on the air races today

World Update VI

The latest World Update to hit the simulator will be focussing on Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Following on from the other latest world updates bringing the Nordics and France up to date with high-quality 3D cities among many other enhancements.

A highlight of the newest world update is the improvements brought to the stunning Swiss Alps mountain ranges. Alongside these updates, you can expect to find about 100 new famous handcrafted points of interest available to explore once the update drops.

World Update VI will be available for download in the in-sim marketplace free-of-charge on September 7th

Local Legend I: Junkers JU-52

Accompanying the latest World Update will be a new series appropriately titled “Local Legends”. The series will highlight many aircraft famous in the region of the world update. The first in the series is set to be the Junkers JU-52, a German Aircraft from the 1930s.

The team shared that they scanned the entire aircraft with a “high-resolution digital scanner to achieve an extremely high level of detail and accuracy”.

Also supporting the team was Bernd Junkers, the grandson of the original designer of the aircraft itself, Hugo Junkers, to help ensure many details were correct. Also consulted in the process of creation was an organisation that preserves one of the historic aircraft alongside a current pilot on the aircraft.

The Junkers JU-52 will be available in the in-sim marketplace on September 7th for $14.99

Volocopter

The final new piece of the news shared in today’s development update was a more obscure one. As an opposite to the Local Legends Series, highlighting historic aircraft, this aircraft is attempting to shape the future of aviation. German company Volocopter is creating a new eVTOL air taxi striving to shape the upcoming generation of urban flight. The “VoloCity” is an electrically powered air taxi that Asobo also states will be the first step towards the introduction of one of the most highly recommended aircraft types - helicopters.

The VoloCity air taxi will release in November this year, there has been no indication whether the aircraft will be a paid expansion.

And that wraps up today’s large spree of announcements!

If you fancy reading further into the details of each piece from today, the summary can be found on the MSFS website.

Thanks to those in the Threshold Discord for tipping us off to the news!

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