During today's Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, Asobo Studio revealed the next chapter for Microsoft Flight Simulator including a crossover with another popular Xbox franchise. With more content on the way to Microsoft Flight Simulator in the form of helicopters, gliders, and more, Halo Infinite's UNSC Pelican will be part of the aircraft game very soon.
Microsoft Flight Simulator was released in 2020 and since then, the game has been updated to include the F/A-18E Super Hornet from Top Gun: Maverick. Just like with the addition of the Super Hornet, Microsoft Flight Simulator fans will be able to explore the Earth as Halo Infinite's UNSC Pelican for the first time as of today with a free add-on pack. Similar to the Top Gun: Maverick fighter jet, the UNSC Pelican will likely come with a new set of challenges for Microsoft Flight Simulator players to complete as they master the skies and the stratosphere.
The developer showed a glimpse of Halo Infinite's UNSC Pelican before the view shifts to inside the cockpit to reveal the many complex sci-fi gadgets that one would expect from a Halo vehicle. The UNSC Pelican lifts off to the familiar Halo Infinite score as the aircraft soars past mountains and skims the water's surface before climbing straight up into the higher layers of Earth's atmosphere.
The Top Gun: Maverick Super Hornet content was Microsoft Flight Simulator fans' first glimpse into the stratosphere of the game as no previous aircraft had been able to reach the speeds necessary to achieve such altitude. From the stratosphere, Microsoft Flight Simulator players get a view of the Earth that few people get to see in real life and the addition of Halo Infinite's UNSC Pelican is shown in the recent trailer to achieve such heights as it navigates the globe. Outside of these two vehicles, Microsoft Flight Simulator enthusiasts have to utilize Slew Mode in order to take other planes to the upper limits of the atmosphere.
With its 40th anniversary, Microsoft Flight Simulator continues to receive new aircraft with the addition of helicopters, gliders, and Halo Infinite's UNSC Pelican, all of which may bring some lapsed players back. Each new vehicle likely provides a different experience for Microsoft Flight Simulator fans as the helicopters and gliders are limited from reaching the same heights as the Pelican, but can perform unique maneuvers of their own. Though the UNSC Pelican is available now for Microsoft Flight Simulator fans to explore the world at their leisure, the additional content promised for the 40th anniversary will arrive in November.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.