Microsoft Flight Simulator’s Top Gun: Maverick DLC Will Leave the Marketplace on August 2
Players can still claim the free expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 before the Sunday deadline, including the F/A-18E Super Hornet and Darkstar.
Microsoft is preparing to remove the Top Gun: Maverick expansion from the Microsoft Flight Simulator marketplace. Players have until Sunday, August 2 to claim the free add-on before it is no longer available to new owners.
The expansion includes the F/A-18E Super Hornet and the experimental Darkstar aircraft, along with missions built around aerobatics, low-altitude flying, and carrier landings. Anyone who wants to add those aircraft to their collection should claim the DLC before the deadline.
What the Top Gun: Maverick Expansion Added
Microsoft and Paramount launched the crossover on May 22, 2022, five days before the film reached theaters. The release had originally been planned for the previous year, but the movie’s delay pushed the game content back as well.
The F/A-18E Super Hornet formed the core of the expansion. The fighter is a larger and more powerful successor within the F/A-18 family, while the Darkstar offered a fictional take on a high-speed reconnaissance aircraft. In the simulator, the Darkstar can reach a top speed of Mach 10.
The included missions focus on flight training and precision. Players can practice aerobatic maneuvers, fly at low altitude, and attempt a carrier landing. The carrier missions are especially demanding because a clean landing requires careful control and timing.
What Happens After August 2?
Players who claim the expansion for the 2020 version of Microsoft Flight Simulator will keep it in their library and can download it later. Microsoft has not announced plans to bring the Top Gun: Maverick DLC to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s standard edition already includes the F/A-18E, so players using the newer game still have access to the Super Hornet. Those looking for the classic F-14 Tomcat can use the add-on developed by Heatblur Simulations and IndiaEchoFoxtrot, which was made for the 2020 edition and remains compatible with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Other options are available outside Microsoft’s simulator. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown has a Top Gun: Maverick Aircraft Set with several playable aircraft, including an armed version of the Darkstar. DCS World also features paid F/A-18C and F-14 aircraft, including the F-14A variant associated with the movie.
For more Microsoft Flight Simulator context, a recent Marketplace content batch added new aircraft, airports, missions, and other products to the 2024 edition.
Players planning to claim the crossover should do so before August 2. Share your thoughts on the Top Gun: Maverick expansion in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
