Crossovers between media properties are always fun, especially when film or TV projects make their way into video games. This is what’s soon happening with Stranger Things, one of Netflix’s biggest TV shows that just premiered the first episode of Season 5 — and it’s coming to the last Xbox game you’d expect it to.
The collaboration with Stranger Things is scheduled to release one day later on December 9, with Microsoft and Xbox announcing it on Thursday morning with a short new teaser video you can watch at Xbox’s X channel or via the embed below.
Notably, it’s unclear if this crossover will be a free add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator or a paid expansion; previous collaborations with other franchises have been both, so there’s ultimately no way to be sure until Microsoft shares more details.
Turn the skies upside down 🚁Stranger Things x Microsoft Flight Simulator 24 is coming December 9! pic.twitter.com/yXyKTr6z1BDecember 4, 2025
The type and amount of content added by the crossover also isn’t known at present, though the teaser trailer video shows a UH-1H Huey helicopter with a “Hawkins Heli-Tours” logo on it (Hawkins is the name of the fictional town from the show), all-but-confirming that aircraft will be added.
There is already a Huey in Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it’s a third-party one made for the 2020 edition of the game by Taog’s Hangar. Assuming this collaboration is adding one, it will obviously be for the newer edition of the flight sim, and potentially by Microsoft’s own developers.
Stranger Things’ iconic Hawkins National Laboratory is also visible in the trailer, so you can expect to be able to fly around it — and perhaps even the town of Hawkins as a whole — with the crossover.
As for other pieces of content that might be coming, we can only speculate, but I can see Yuri Ismaylov’s Antonov An-2 plane and Kamov Ka-26 helicopter “Katinka” from Season 4 getting added. I’d also love to see Stranger Things’ dark parallel dimension, The Upside Down, included as an environment, too, as flying in it would be quite a unique Microsoft Flight Simulator experience.
A bold, bizarre idea — I’m in
Of course, it’s impossible to say for sure what we’re getting our hands on come December 9 until Microsoft shows more of the crossover off, but broadly speaking, I like the idea of a collaboration with Stranger Things. The wild sci-fi/fantasy/horror hybrid show makes for a bold and bizarre pairing with a flight simulator, which is precisely what makes it a fascinating concept.
From Microsoft’s perspective, it’s also an incredibly strong series to do a crossover with, as Stranger Things has always been one of Netflix’s most popular shows. It’s particularly red-hot right now with Season 5 — its final season — beginning to roll out episodically, breaking viewership records as it does.
A franchise as big as Stranger Things has the potential to bring an influx of sales and attention to Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is (as a flight simulator) quite a niche title. Thus, Microsoft is no doubt hoping that this crossover takes off.
The only problem? As we covered in our review, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 isn’t exactly the most stable game, even after extensive patching managed to fix the worst of its launch issues.
That’s a big factor limiting its success, but hey, at least the Xbox/PC version (supported by Xbox Play Anywhere) of the $69.99 game is just $55.39 at Loaded right now.
FAQ
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 multiplayer?
Yes, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 supports multiplayer, allowing you to fly with friends and other players as long as you’re in the same server. Note that you’ll need to enable the various multiplayer-related options found in the in-game settings.
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 free?
No, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 isn’t free. You’ll need to purchase a copy of the game to play it for $69.99 (or less, with deals such as the ones linked above). Alternatively, you can also play it through…
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on Xbox Game Pass?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available to play through Xbox Game Pass. Specifically, it’s included in the $14.99/mo Xbox Game Pass Premium tier, as well as the $16.49/mo PC Game Pass tier (PC only) and the $29.99/mo Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 coming to PS5?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is getting a PS5 version, with the PlayStation port of the game scheduled to release on December 8, 2025 — one day before the Stranger Things crossover.
Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!
