When Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launched back in November 2024, the excitement quickly turned to disappointment for many players. Server issues left online features unreliable, while a flood of bugs and technical problems made flying more frustrating than fun. The game’s debut was rough, and as a result, a significant portion of the player base drifted away in frustration.
Last week brought some much-needed relief with Aerosoft’s Sim Update 2, the biggest patch yet for the game, officially version 1.4.20.0. This massive update tackles over 5,000 bugs and brings sweeping improvements — from fixing visual glitches and refining aircraft models to enhancing overall stability and performance. For those who stuck it out, the update made MSFS 2024 much more playable and enjoyable again.
But has it been enough to win back the players who left? SteamDB data shows a current peak of about 4,000 concurrent players over 30 days, far below the 24,000 peak at launch. Meanwhile, the older MSFS 2020 Anniversary Edition still draws more players on Steam, highlighting ongoing loyalty to the previous release. The availability of MSFS 2024 on Game Pass might boost total numbers somewhat, but the overall player base remains noticeably smaller.
It’s been roughly a week since the patch dropped, and while the improvements — including new weather effects and an added career mode — are welcome, they don’t seem to have triggered a major comeback in player numbers just yet. However, the developers are not resting. They’re actively rolling out new updates behind the scenes, with the next big patch already in beta testing. If the team can keep up the momentum and continue addressing player concerns, there’s hope that MSFS 2024 can still recover and thrive in the long run.