Stranger Things is Officially Crossing Over with a Totally Unexpected Game
A Stranger Things crossover update has unexpectedly hit Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, letting players fly helicopter missions over the now famous town of Hawkins, Indiana, in a tricked-out chopper. Stranger Things is one of Netflix’s most-watched original shows, and with the fifth season currently being released in installments, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 fans can bide their time in between episode drops with flyovers of the land above Upside Down.
The final season of Stranger Things premiered exclusively on Netflix on November 26, but fans have only been able to see four of its eight total episodes, with Stranger Things season 5 volume 2’s release date set to drop on Christmas Day and the grand finale following almost a week later on New Year’s Eve. In the meantime, Xbox Game Studios is giving hardcore fans of the retro horror show a treat by letting them visit many popular locations from the show in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
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Stranger Things Crosses Over with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
A surprising new free update has been released for the game, bringing five different Stranger Things-inspired rescue missions and plenty of familiar points of interest from the hit show. The small town of Hawkins has been faithfully restored for this crossover, with more than 40 familiar Stranger Things locations that fans of the show should find instantly recognizable. These locations include the infamous Hawkins Lab, Hawkins Middle School, the Starcourt Mall, Family Video, Palace Arcade, and Lovers Lake, bringing nostalgic throwbacks to past seasons of the show.
Since Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 lets players exit planes, this crossover update should give fans a chance to get a close-up look at Hawkins, but they shouldn’t get too cozy. While taking up most of its runtime to show off the town’s popular locations and the special Bell UH-1H Huey helicopter it includes, the update’s official trailer also shows elements of danger, with breaches to the Upside Down crackling across streets and neighborhoods, and the helicopter even doing a 180 and winding up in the alternate dimension. There, multiple Demogorgons are shown running across the landscape, while flocks of flying creatures approach from the skies, and fans may even catch a glimpse of a familiar-looking character seeking rescue while standing on top of an old bus. Meanwhile, those looking to stay on this side of the Upside Down can still undertake missions by flying in precious resource drops, though the real world isn’t a completely safe area either.
The big update’s reveal was released via Xbox Wire, which portrayed the crossover in the style of a lighthearted Hawkins Post news article released in 1987 and framed it around a new series of recreational helicopter tours taking place over the fictional Indiana town. The fate of several Stranger Things characters is in limbo while the release schedule sits in a mid-season break, but to tie the helicopter tour aspect into the current goings-on in the show, the article states that the show’s resident conspiracy theorist, Murray Bauman. Adding to that immersion, the helicopter featured in the update’s trailer sports a special “Hawkins Heli-Tour” logo on its side.
Those looking to download the crossover update should be able to do so now for free as long as their game is already updated to the latest version. Subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate already have access to the game, and since Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024‘s full release on PlayStation 5 having just taken place on December 8, there should be plenty of ways to dive into the game’s Stranger Things content.
- Released
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November 19, 2024
- ESRB
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Everyone / Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Publisher(s)
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Xbox Game Studios