What you need to know
- During the Xbox Games Showcase back in June 2023, we learned that a Dune crossover expansion was coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- This expansion pack was quietly delayed when Dune: Part Two was pushed back due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- That expansion is available now for free to all Microsoft Flight Simulator players.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S, as well as being included in Xbox Game Pass.
It's time to head back to Arrakis.
A free Dune crossover expansion arrives in Microsoft Flight Simulator today, bringing a new way to soar in the skies for players on Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S. As shared via Xbox Wire, this expansion includes tutorials for flying an iconic Ornithopter, as well as different time-trial missions and a rescue operation where you have to beat a deadly sandstorm.
First revealed during the Xbox Game Showcase in June 2023 alongside Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the release date was pushed back after Dune: Part Two's theatrical release was also pushed back. The film — which was delayed due to the then-ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike — is now scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 1, 2024.
There's also a fun giveaway happening, with Xbox partnering with Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. to give away a special Dune-themed Xbox Series X|S controller and a custom Xbox Series S console. You can enter the giveaway by following the official Xbox account on Twitter and retweeting the sweepstakes tweet, which is not up just yet.
Arriving ahead of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
This expansion is arriving ahead of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, a game that's building on the core foundation of Microsoft Flight Simulator, while adding numerous types of missions and new aircraft. Some of the details revealed so far include missions like aerial firefighting and search-and-rescue operations, alongside graphical improvements and better weather effects.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is slated to launch later this year. When it arrives, it'll be available on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, as well as being available day one in Xbox Game Pass.
Analysis: Dune well
While I'm not a huge Microsoft Flight Simulator fan, I am really into Dune, so I may have to boot this up through Xbox Cloud Gaming just to give it a quick whirl. If anyone reading is massively into Flight Simulator though, let me know how you're finding it and what you're looking forward to with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Outside of this free expansion, there's quite a bevy of Dune crossovers and games right now, with Paul Atreides showing up as an operator in Call of Duty, as well as the solid strategy game Dune: Spice Wars making its way to Xbox Series X|S consoles late last year. I loved Part One, so I've been looking forward to Part Two ever since it was announced. I've already got my tickets!
