Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Adds Four Free Xbox 25th Anniversary Liveries

What's included​

The four aircraft are:

• Boeing 737 MAX: an airline livery in Xbox's colors.
• XCub (Wheels Variant): a rugged anniversary makeover pitched at bush flying.
• Hot Air Balloon: a vibrant anniversary balloon design.
• Skyship 600: the classic airship in a commemorative livery.

The announcement names the XCub only as the Wheels Variant. It doesn't say whether other XCub variants get the paint scheme, so don't assume they do.

How to get them​

The liveries are free to owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on all platforms. The announcement says to select each one from the Aircraft Livery menu. In practice:

1. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
2. Pick one of the four aircraft above.
3. Open the Aircraft Livery menu and choose the Xbox 25th Anniversary option.

The announcement doesn't mention a separate download, a patch number, an expiry date or extra eligibility requirements. It also doesn't say whether the liveries show up in every Xbox Cloud Gaming setup. If a livery doesn't appear, restart the sim and check for pending updates. That is general troubleshooting advice, not something Microsoft's announcement specifies.

One more gap: the announcement says "owners" of the 2024 edition. It doesn't say whether Game Pass access alone counts, so I won't guess. It also doesn't say whether the liveries will later move to the in-game Marketplace.

Timing and context​

The Xbox Wire FanFest announcement puts Xbox's 25th anniversary on November 15, 2026. Flight Simulator's post landed on November 12, three days earlier.

The liveries aren't the only anniversary tie-in this week. The D77-TC Halo Pelican is free on all platforms from November 10 until November 17. PureXbox reports the Pelican costs $9.99 after the free window. The Pelican is a time-limited promotion for a full aircraft. The livery pack, as announced, has no stated deadline.

Why it matters​

For most Windows and Xbox players this is a harmless freebie. It is also a good sample of how Microsoft is using Flight Simulator 2024 as a showcase for the wider Xbox brand. The game launched on November 19, 2024 for Windows and Xbox Series X/S, and reached PlayStation 5 on December 8, 2025. So an Xbox-branded celebration now reaches players on PlayStation too.

The announcement's lines about Xbox's legacy of exploration and freedom are marketing language. They tell you nothing about the product. What you actually get is four free paint jobs with no stated strings attached.