Flight Simulator Top Gun: Maverick is now available on the Store

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Key notes

  • Were you bored of simply flying commercial or leisure aircraft and wanted a real challenge?
  • Say no more, as Microsoft will send you flying at unbelievable speeds into the stratosphere.
  • The Top Gun: Maverick expansion is here, it's free, and it is stacked with awesome surprises.
top gun

Remember when we told you that Microsoft’s Flight Simulator Top Gun expansion was going to be pushed for a 2022 release?

We weren’t actually joking, and the day has finally come. Flight Simulator’s free Top Gun: Maverick expansion is finally here for Xbox and PC.

However, die-hard fans of both the movie and the game must know that one of the most coveted pieces of aeronautical hardware will be missing.

Xbox and PC users can now download the expansion for free

Flight Simulator Top Gun: Maverick will, unfortunately, be launching without what’s arguably its biggest feature, the F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet.

That being said, this is happening because Asobo made the decision to release the plane early as part of last year’s free Game of the Year Edition update when the expansion was delayed alongside the Top Gun: Maverick movie.

Even without the plane in question, this new content is designed to put you right in the center of some Top Gun-style action.

But don’t worry, you will first receive some proper training before you set foot in the cockpit of these iconic planes.

There are three Super Hornet training missions designed after some complicated fighter-pilot maneuvers, including unrestricted take-offs and split S maneuvers.

We are also receiving five other challenges, all centered around flying very low and very fast, and one challenge that requires players to land on an aircraft carrier.

In a blog post, Asobo also teased the addition of a mysterious never-before-unveiled hypersonic aircraft capable of reaching speeds of Mach 10 and altitudes greater than 150,000 feet above sea level.

Apparently, this will be the Aurora Darkstar SR-91, according to a Reddit post, and it comes with an accompanying mission to roar into the stratosphere.

Still think that’s now enough? Well, to go along with that, there’s also a new mission to take your flights into the stratosphere, if you’re into that kind of stuff.

So, what are you waiting for? Jump into the cockpit, put your helmet on and strap your seatbelt really tight, because we’re about to break the sound barrier.

Have you tried the latest free expansion for Microsoft’s Flight Simulator? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.