The launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was met with high expectations from fans around the globe, but unfortunately, it was anything but smooth. Shortly after release, players began encountering a range of technical issues including login delays, server instability, and missing in-game content. In response, Microsoft Flight Simulator head Jorg Neumann and Asobo Studio CEO Sebastian Wloch released an official video addressing the problems and offering insight into what went wrong.

Unexpected Demand Overloaded Server Infrastructure

One of the primary causes behind the game’s unstable launch was the overwhelming number of players attempting to access the servers simultaneously. While the development team anticipated strong interest, they admitted to underestimating just how large the player base would be on day one. “It really has overwhelmed our infrastructure,” Neumann stated during the Developer Launch Day Update video.

Wloch elaborated further, explaining that the core issue stemmed from data requests made by players upon logging in. These requests are handled by a database-backed server system that includes a caching mechanism. Although this system had been tested with up to 200,000 simulated users, the real-world influx proved too much for the infrastructure to handle, leading to repeated service failures.

Login Queue Delays and Missing Aircraft Content

To help mitigate the situation, the team implemented several changes, including increasing queue capacity and login speeds by five times. At first, these adjustments appeared effective, but soon after, the cache collapsed again under pressure. “It worked well for maybe half an hour and then all of a sudden the cache collapsed again,” Wloch explained.

This instability led to extended loading times, often stalling at around 97%—a frustrating experience for players eager to jump into the game. The problem was traced back to saturated services failing repeatedly, which forced restarts and prolonged load durations.

Additionally, reports surfaced about aircraft and other in-game content not appearing correctly for some players. Wloch clarified that this was due to incomplete or blocked downloads caused by unresponsive servers and an overloaded cache. “That’s totally not normal, and that’s due to the service and server not responding, and this cache being completely overflowed,” he noted.

Negative Steam Reviews Reflect Player Frustration

As a result of these persistent launch-day issues, MSFS 2024 received a wave of negative feedback on Steam. Players cited long login queues, missing planes, and frequent crashes as major pain points. Consequently, the game’s rating on the platform dropped to "Mostly Negative" shortly after launch.

Despite the rocky start, the development team is actively working to resolve the problems. According to a message posted on the game’s Steam page: “We have solved the issues and are now bringing players in at a steady pace.” They continued, “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. We will keep you updated on our social channels, forums, and website. Thank you very much for all your feedback and support.”