MSFS Unveils Turbulent Launch, Acknowledges Feedback

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Addressing a Turbulent Launch

The highly anticipated release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 experienced a rocky start, plagued by server instability, bugs, and widespread login issues. In response, Microsoft Flight Simulator head Jorg Neumann and Asobo Studio CEO Sebastian Wloch released a video addressing player concerns and outlining the causes of the problems.

The Unexpected Surge in Players

The developers acknowledged significantly underestimating the initial player count. The sheer volume of users overwhelmed the game's servers and underlying infrastructure, leading to extended login queues and incomplete data loading. Neumann explained that the initial server data requests, handled through a database with a finite cache, were tested with 200,000 simulated users – a number far surpassed by actual player numbers.

Technical Challenges and Solutions

Wloch detailed the technical challenges, explaining that repeated server restarts and cache failures resulted in prolonged loading times, often halting progress at 97%. The missing aircraft and content issues stemmed from this incomplete data retrieval, impacting the in-game experience for many players. While temporary solutions, such as increasing queue capacity fivefold, provided brief relief, the underlying server strain ultimately proved too great.

Negative Steam Reviews and Ongoing Efforts

The launch issues have resulted in overwhelmingly negative player reviews on Steam, reflecting the widespread frustration with long queues, missing content, and general instability. Despite the negative feedback, the development team assures players they are actively working to resolve these issues, implementing solutions to stabilize server performance and improve data delivery. A statement on the Steam page apologizes for the inconvenience and promises continued updates through official channels. The team emphasizes their commitment to resolving these issues and restoring a smooth player experience.