Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update 23 Adds 4 Countries, 77 Landmarks, and 5 Handcrafted Airports for Free

Microsoft Flight Simulator has just received a major free expansion, with four European countries getting a serious visual upgrade. World Update 23 brings detailed cities, historic landmarks, handcrafted airports, and new flying challenges across Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update 23 transforms four countries

The latest update is now available for owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. According to the official World Update 23 announcement, Microsoft worked with Bing Places, Asobo, and Gaya to improve the region.

The update introduces 12 areas of interest featuring updated photogrammetry, terrain texturing, and elevation data. These include Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas, Vilnius, Gdansk, Krakow, Warsaw, and Wroclaw.

That’s not all; Microsoft has added 77 points of interest, covering castles, lighthouses, cathedrals, bridges, and towers. Highlights include Estonia’s Kõpu Lighthouse, Latvia’s Rundāle Palace, Lithuania’s Trakai Island Castle, and Poland’s Malbork Castle.

The update also brings five handcrafted airports. These include Kärdla Airport in Estonia, Jūrmala Airport in Latvia, Palanga International Airport in Lithuania, and two airports in Poland.

New missions bring more reasons to take off

Microsoft has packed several activities into World Update 23 for both simulator versions. Players can explore three Discovery Flights across Warsaw, Sigulda, and Tallinn.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 also receives four Precision Landing missions, a guided tour of Tatra National Park, and a rally race. The standout addition is the Sopot Landing Challenge, inspired by Polish pilot Łukasz Czepiela’s landing on a wooden pier using a modified STOL aircraft.

Players using the 2020 edition get the three Discovery Flights and four Landing Challenges. The mission lineup therefore differs depending on which version they play.

The entire update is free

World Update 23 is available as a free download through the in-game Marketplace. Players simply need to update their simulator and download the new content. For longtime fans, this is a welcome addition to a region that has been highly requested. The new landmarks, airports, and missions give virtual pilots plenty of reasons to revisit Europe’s Baltic coast.