The development and production of Microsoft Flight Simulator is set to continue for the foreseeable future, as the game has successfully dominated its particular niche ever since it first came out back in 2020. Since then, the flight sim received a number of so-called World Updates, comprehensive regional enhancements to the game's already impressive rendition of the globe.

Featured as part of Microsoft Flight Simulator patch 1.24.5.0, World Update 8: Iberia is now available for all players to enjoy, and it focuses on the territories of Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar. Alongside entirely new content, players can also look forward to significant improvements to the game's core features and a variety of hand-crafted areas that are now available for exploration.

RELATED: Microsoft Flight Simulator Unveils Upcoming Helicopters and Planes

Whereas World Update 6 for Microsoft Flight Simulator improved Germany, Switzerland, and other central European territories, and World Update 7 included a comprehensive rework of the Australian continent, the Iberia update delivers much-needed visual fidelity improvements to the Mediterranean and Atlantic regions. Players can expect four major hand-crafted airports added to the game, 99 new Points of Interest, four new Discovery Flights, four bush trips, and several all-new Landing Challenges.

The incredible Basilica of the Sagrada Familia is bound to be added to every top list of Microsoft Flight Simulator landmarks due to its unconventional architecture, but players should expect to see vast improvements to the affected regions in general. The patch notes reference updated elevation data for the entirety of Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Andorra, as well as improved airport data and aerial imagery for these territories.

World Update 8 also introduces another 1,000 previously unavailable airports to the game, allowing players to plan out an even greater array of real-world travel routes than ever before. On the other hand, players that are eager to get more planes in Microsoft Flight Simulator won't be thrilled to hear that there aren't any new machines added to the game with patch 1.24.5.0. The patch notes do mention a variety of fixes for the Junkers JU 52, however, which should make the plane behave more like its real-world equivalent.

It's no big surprise to see the latest iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator listed among the most influential simulation games of all time. Featuring an impressive dedication to realism and still managing to offer a more casual way of playing the game at the same time, the flight sim is bound to remain popular for quite some time. While there's no telling what World Update 9 might bring, players can at least be sure that it is coming, no matter what.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available now for PC and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Why You Should Play Microsoft Flight Simulator With a Yoke System