Microsoft Flight Simulator has added Italy to its City Update program, releasing City Update 16 as a free download for both Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Announced during Xbox's Gamescom 2026 presence in Cologne rather than the studio's usual Weekly Briefing, the update marks the first time Italy has received a dedicated entry in the series, having previously appeared only in passing through broader European releases such as City Update 7's coverage of Porto, Madrid, and Barcelona. The City Update series has spent much of 2026 focused on North America, moving from California in January through the Midwest and Chicago by mid-year. City Update 16 shifts attention back to Europe and, notably, arrives right on schedule with the roadmap Microsoft published earlier this year, which had already earmarked August for this release.
Nine Areas, One Country
City Update 16 covers nine areas of interest spanning the length of the Italian peninsula, from the Alpine north down to the Sicilian coast, and out to the island of Sardinia. Each location has been rebuilt using high-fidelity TIN (triangulated irregular network) surface texturing, digital elevation and terrain modeling, and newly captured high-resolution aerial imagery, the same production pipeline the team has used for prior City Updates.
In the north, Bolzano represents the update's furthest reach into the Alps. Sitting roughly 30 miles south of the Austrian border and founded as a Roman military outpost in 15 BCE, the South Tyrolean capital is often described as the gateway to the Dolomites, and the update reflects that alpine backdrop around the city. Further east, Trieste and Udine round out the northeastern corner of the country. Trieste, capital of Friuli Venezia Giulia, sits on the Gulf of Trieste and functions as a key maritime gateway for Central Europe, while Udine, tucked between the Adriatic and the Carnic Alps, is known for its hilltop castle and Venetian-Gothic streets. Rimini, on the Adriatic coast, adds one of Europe's best-known seaside resort towns to the list, alongside its Roman-era landmarks and proximity to San Marino.
Moving down the western coast, Genoa and Pisa have both been rebuilt in greater detail. Genoa, the Ligurian capital and one of the Mediterranean's most significant port cities, brings its Renaissance and Baroque core to the update, while Pisa contributes the Piazza dei Miracoli and its famously tilted tower to the sim's growing catalogue of recognizable landmarks. At the southern end of the mainland, Reggio di Calabria overlooks the Strait of Messina from the "toe" of the Italian boot, and just across the water on Sicily, Messina completes the pairing with its own mountain-and-coastline setting. Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, extends the update out to the islands, adding its Gulf-of-Cagliari waterfront, Roman ruins, and medieval architecture to the mix.
A Steady Cadence for the Series
The nine-area count keeps City Update 16 broadly in line with recent installments; City Update 15 shipped with eight areas of interest, while City Update 14 delivered ten covering the Netherlands and Belgium. That consistency suggests Microsoft is holding to a fairly predictable scope per release rather than scaling up or down dramatically from update to update, even as the destinations themselves vary widely in character.
Availability
City Update 16: Italy is available now, free of charge, to all owners of both Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. It can be downloaded from the in-sim Marketplace on PC via Steam or the Microsoft Store, on Xbox Series X|S, and on PlayStation 5, and is included for Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers. Xbox One and mobile users with a Game Pass Ultimate membership can also access it through Xbox Cloud Gaming. As with previous updates, you'll need to have the simulator updated to its latest version before the download appears in the Marketplace.
Alongside the City Update, Asobo and the team also released the Heinkel He 70 Blitz as the latest entry in the Local Legend aircraft line, a 1930s German mail and passenger aircraft known for its distinctive elliptical wing. It's available now on both simulators' Marketplaces for $14.99, for those looking to pair the new Italian scenery with a period-appropriate aircraft for some low-and-slow touring over the Dolomites or the Ligurian coast.