See what MSFS World Update 22 adds and follow the correct installation steps for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, with common fixes.
Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update 22 is a free, optional regional scenery bundle. It adds the enhanced terrain and imagery, handcrafted airports, detailed cities, landmarks and activities identified on its in-sim Marketplace page. Install the mandatory simulator update first, then claim World Update XXII and download—or stream—its associated packages.
What exactly does World Update 22 include?
World Update 22 combines improvements to the online world data with installable or streamed content for its featured region. The practical changes fall into these groups:
- Terrain and aerial imagery: revised elevation data, ground textures and coastlines where supplied for the region.
- Detailed cities: photogrammetry or TIN city models where they are listed for the update. These depend on online data streaming and the relevant data settings being enabled.
- Handcrafted airports: individually modelled airports named in the Marketplace description. The update does not remodel every airport in the region.
- Points of interest: custom landmarks such as bridges, towers, monuments and prominent buildings.
- Activities: any discovery flights, landing challenges or regional flights listed as part of the package.
The Marketplace product page is the definitive itemised manifest for named airports, cities and landmarks. Microsoft can service individual packages without changing the World Update number, so the in-sim listing and the package entries under Content Manager or My Library are more reliable than an old component count.
| Content type | How it is delivered | What can prevent it appearing |
|---|---|---|
| Terrain, imagery and detailed cities | Mainly streamed from the online world | Offline mode, disabled online functionality, data limits or a poor connection |
| Airports and landmarks | Downloaded in MSFS 2020; streamed or locally stored where supported in MSFS 2024 | Missing package, incomplete download or conflicting add-on scenery |
| Activities | Installed or streamed as separate package components | Only the headline package was acquired, leaving a child package absent |
How do I install MSFS World Update 22?
Install World Update 22 through Microsoft Flight Simulator's own Marketplace and content library, not as a manually copied Community-folder mod. A World Update is optional content, while a required simulator build must be installed first; our explanation of the difference between mandatory Sim Updates and optional World Updates covers the correct order.
- Update the simulator: install any pending platform and in-simulator update, then reach the main menu.
- Open Marketplace: search for
World Update 22,World Update XXIIor the region named in the release. - Claim the free package: select the Marketplace acquisition button. Its wording can vary by simulator version and platform.
- Choose the delivery method: in MSFS 2020, download the package and its components through Content Manager. In MSFS 2024, open My Library and leave the content streamed or choose local installation when that option is available.
- Check all components: expand the World Update entry and make sure its airports, landmarks and activities are installed, enabled or available for streaming.
- Load a listed location: test one of the handcrafted airports or points of interest rather than judging the update from an unrelated part of the region.
For the older simulator, follow our complete MSFS 2020 World Update installation procedure. MSFS 2024 uses Marketplace and My Library instead; the MSFS 2024 installation and local-download options explain that version's content controls.
How can I tell whether World Update 22 is working?
World Update 22 is working when its package shows as owned and available, its listed handcrafted locations appear on the World Map, and the simulator loads the enhanced online scenery.
- Search Content Manager or My Library for the update number and its regional name.
- Open the Marketplace page and compare its included-content list with the package entries in your library.
- Visit a specifically listed handcrafted airport or landmark with online world data enabled.
- Temporarily disable third-party scenery covering the same airport if buildings overlap, flicker or appear twice.
A Marketplace entitlement alone does not prove every component has downloaded. This is a common cause of an update appearing to be installed while its handcrafted airports or activities remain absent.
Why is World Update 22 missing or stuck installing?
A missing or incomplete World Update usually points to an outdated simulator build, an account or Marketplace connection problem, insufficient storage, or an unfinished component download.
- No Marketplace result: restart after installing the required simulator update, confirm that online services are enabled and check that the simulator is signed into the account used to claim the content.
- Download loops or stops: leave extra free space for unpacking, pause other content downloads and retry the affected package separately.
- Installed but scenery looks generic: enable online functionality and world-data streaming. Detailed imagery and city data are not necessarily contained in the local package.
- Airport has duplicate buildings: disable or update third-party scenery for that location. Two products modelling the same airport can load together.
- Only some locations appear: inspect the update's child packages rather than repeatedly downloading the headline entry.
Can World Update 22 be used offline?
World Update 22 cannot deliver its full visual upgrade offline because much of Microsoft Flight Simulator's aerial imagery, terrain detail and city data is streamed. Locally stored airports, landmarks and activities may remain available, but surrounding scenery can fall back to lower-detail offline data.
Downloading the package therefore does not create a complete offline copy of the featured region. In MSFS 2024 on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, local-storage choices also depend on the individual package and platform; content without a download control remains streamed.