Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 News

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[/p][p]Public beta testing for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 3 and Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) Sim Update 16 continues. Earlier this week, we submitted a new pre-release build for SU3 to volunteer community testers. You can read the release notes below:[/p]

• [p]Sim Update 3 Beta (1.5.21.0) Release Notes – July 30th, 2025[/p]

[p]As part of SU3, the team has been working on improvements to ATC localization for non-English languages. For any non-English speakers participating in the SU3 beta, please complete the short survey at this link to share your feedback about the ATC updates with the development team. Your responses make a huge difference in our improvement efforts![/p][p]Next month some members of the team will be in Cologne, Germany to attend Gamescom, the largest video game industry show in Europe. Microsoft Flight Simulator players can look forward to an exciting city update, a brand-new aircraft that many fans will recognize for use in the sim, and exciting and unique challenges for players to test their piloting skills.[/p][p]Just as we did last year, we are once again hosting a small in-person Microsoft Flight Simulator Community event in Cologne, Germany on the evening of August 23rd. This free event is a causal mixer between fans of MSFS and includes a buffet-style meal, drinks, and is meant for those who are 18+ in age. There is no presentation or exclusive information being presented at this event. You do not need a ticket to Gamescom to attend this event. Anyone wishing to attend can express interest by completing this web form.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Attendees at last year’s Gamescom MSFS Community event.[/p][p][/p][p]– MSFS Team[/p][p]
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[/p][hr][/hr][p]Click here to continue reading the Development Update![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]Yesterday, we hosted our latest Developer Livestream on our official Twitch channel. Our usual panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial answered many questions from the community about both Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and then welcomed Marwan Gharib from FlightFX to demo their newly-released aircraft, the Cessna Citation X, the first in our Marketplace Exclusive Series. If you missed it live, you can watch the replay on YouTube below:[/p][p][/p][p]Also this week, we released three new test builds to those participating in the public beta for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 3 and Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) Sim Update 16. You can read the release notes  for both below:[/p]

• [p]Sim Update 3 Beta (1.5.18.0) Release Notes – July 18th, 2025[/p]
• [p]Sim Update 3 Beta (1.5.19.0) Release Notes – July 23rd, 2025[/p]
• [p]Sim Update 16 Beta \[1.39.9.0] Release Notes – July 22nd, 2025[/p]

[p]The development team has been very closely monitoring the feedback submitted by players in the beta forums and reviewing the telemetry data we receive from testers. Thank you to everyone who has opted in to the beta, shared feedback and bug reports on our forums and voted in the SU3 and SU16 beta player surveys.[/p][p]Finally, you may have noticed that we recently started posting on Bluesky! You can now keep up with the latest MSFS news on your social platform of choice:[/p]

• [p]Bluesky[/p]
• [p]Facebook[/p]
• [p]Threads[/p]
• [p]X (formerly Twitter)[/p]

[p]Additionally, we also post short video content to Instagram and TikTok. Be sure to follow @msfsofficial on all your preferred social networks![/p][p]– MSFS Team[/p][p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]Click here to continue reading the Development Update![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]Since our last update, the public betas for both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 3 and Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) Sim Update 16 have both received new pre-release test builds. Each of these builds was relatively small and contained few changes, but you can find the release notes below:[/p]

• [p]Sim Update 3 Beta (1.5.17.0) Release Notes – July 16th, 2025[/p]
• [p]Sim Update 16 Beta \[1.39.8.0] Release Notes – July 15th, 2025[/p]

[p]As announced last week, several aircraft from the Deluxe and Premium Deluxe Editions of MSFS 2024 are now available to rent from the in-sim Marketplace. If you decide you like the aircraft after renting it and wish to buy it, you will receive a discount on the full purchase price! This week, three new planes are now available to rent:[/p]

• [p]Dornier Seawing Seastar[/p]
• [p]Pilatus PC-24[/p]
• [p]Zlin Aviation Savage Norden[/p]

[p]As a reminder, our next Developer Livestream is next Wednesday, July 23, 2025 starting at 10:30am PDT (1730 UTC). You can watch our panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial respond to questions from the community, discuss the upcoming development roadmap, and reveal other changes coming to the sim live on our official Twitch channel. If you’re not able to watch the broadcast in real-time, we’ll also upload the VOD to our YouTube channel afterward.[/p][p]– MSFS Team[/p][hr][/hr][p]Click here to continue reading the Development Update![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]Public pre-release testing of both Sim Update 3 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Sim Update 16 for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) continues, with both sims receiving a new beta build this week. In case you missed it, you can read the release notes for these new beta builds here:[/p]

• [p]Sim Update 3 Beta (1.5.15.0) Release Notes – July 9th, 2025[/p]
• [p]Sim Update 16 Beta \[1.39.6.0] Release Notes – July 8, 2025[/p]

[p]Also new this week, we’re pleased to announce that several aircraft from the Deluxe and Premium Deluxe Editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are now available to rent from the in-sim Marketplace. Renting gives simmers the opportunity to try these planes for a small fee. When you rent an item, you’ll also receive an offer to purchase it at a discounted price.[/p][p]This offer is valid during your rental period and for seven (7) days after your rental expires. The purchase price is calculated by subtracting the highest single rental price you paid from the current full purchase price of the item in the Marketplace. For example: If the item costs $10 and you rented it twice, once for three days at $3 and once for one day at $1, the discounted purchase price would be $10 (item price) – $3 (highest rental paid) = $7.[/p][p]You can find more information about which Deluxe and Premium Deluxe Edition aircraft are available for rent in the image below:[/p][p][/p][p]Finally, we are now accepting questions for our next Developer Livestream scheduled for July 23, 2025. If you’d like to pre-submit a question to the panel, you can do so at this link.[/p][p]– MSFS Team[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p]Click here to continue reading the Development Update![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]Last Friday, we released City Update 11: Northeastern United States 2 and Famous Flyer 12: Piper PA-28-236 Dakota. The City Update may be claimed for FREE from the in-sim Marketplace for both MSFS (2020) and MSFS 2024 users. The Dakota is available FREE to all MSFS (2024) players and will automatically appear in My Library — no download needed! For MSFS (2020) players, you can purchase the PA-28 from the Marketplace for USD $14.99.[/p][p]In beta news, we released two new pre-release test builds for MSFS 2024 Sim Update 3 this week. You can read the release notes for each of these builds at the links below:[/p]

• [p]Sim Update 3 Beta – 1.5.12.0[/p]
• [p]Sim Update 3 Beta – 1.5.13.0[/p]

[p]As a reminder for everyone participating in the pre-release test, we really appreciate it if you submit bug reports for any issues you encounter and vote in the surveys for each build. Your timely and detailed feedback helps the development team immensely as we work to deliver the best possible Sim Update to our player community.[/p][p]As announced in our Development Update Blog last week, the FlightFX C750 is coming to the Marketplace soon! As a special preview of this exciting upcoming aircraft, check out twotonemurphy’s Twitch stream on July 9! The livestream begins at 1900 UTC, and the FlightFX C750 preview is expected to begin about an hour into the broadcast. Murph will be chatting with the FlightFX devs and exploring all the great new features of the plane which releases for MSFS (2020) and MSFS 2024 on July 10![/p][p]– MSFS Team[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p]Click here to continue reading the Development Update![/p][p][/p][p][/p]