Hypothetically at the moment, what would happen if they stopped supporting or funding either Sim?
Would we still get access to 2020, because it is downloaded?
Because 2024 is streamed, is that a death knell for us or do they leave the servers running for us?
What happens to all the content we have bought?
While 2020 is more downloaded than 2024, the satellite imagery and photogrammetry are all streamed, so we would lose that if they shut the servers down (minus whatever is in your rolling cache, I assume). I’m honestly not sure how 2024 would fare as more of it is streamed.
Well… hypothetically or not, there’s no way to answer your question.
It is totally up to Microsoft. Since they are (despite our gripes at times) a huge and established corporation, I highly doubt they would just pull the plug on 2024 for many years. With the console crowd now added to the PC users, they certainly are making money on this product, as are all the 3rd party developers.
As for 2020, it is already happening slowly, not Cold Turkey. The most recent World Update, Nat’l Parks, was released only for 2024 (and it looks amazing and makes this die-hard 2020 user think twice…). Developers of airports, scenery and aircraft are now, more and more, offering only 2024 variants, or 2020 with less “features”. Even freebies- look at flightsim.to - are being developed only for 2024.
I imagine 2020 will remain for a few years(??) but will be out of updates or added content, much like FSX was (is) except for 3rd party, if any are left. Those who stay with 2020 of course have all their content on drives but internet still is needed for real weather and addon utilities so I’m not sure what happens there if they take it offline.
In any event, your hyppothetical is EXTREMELY HYPOTHETICAL, as far as 2024, barring a very unexpected series of events…
It’s not so hard to believe. For 2020, just add 3 inches of snow to the ground, and you can fly on a perpetual winter planet. For 2024, just fall back to 2020. With all of us hanging in the breeze, maybe the other sims will hire enough humans to bring their work up to MSFS standards. Troubled times.
Actually you are right. This stuff is scary. They could just as soon pull the plug on Asobo as quickly as they have canned over 3000 jobs.
I wonder how we keep this sim healthy and viably so they don’t close it down.
It obviously, according to the article, is MS’s fault for buying up those gaming studios and then doing not a lot with them. Now the gaming section is trying to stopgap a hole.
Before anyone says this sim is not at risk, I haven’t suggested that.
I truly just want to know, if for all my heavy investment in gear and aircraft, I will still have access if it is shut down.
I have not purchased 2024 and never will. I do have 2020 but have only flown it 3 times since the debacle of SU 15 dropped. Instead I went the other way and have moved to X-Plane 12. I come here hoping to read that 2020 has been restored to its glory pre SU 15.
Rest assured, the MSFS franchise is doing very well. I would also remind you that MSFS has been around for 40 years.
We’ll get an idea of ​​the situation when services for FS2020 are shut down in 2028.
I believe that will be our only remaining way to fly using a simulator made by Asobo. I think it will be like X-Plane: standard global terrain scenery within FS2020.
Things will be different with the 2024 version; it will live on only in our memories. That is the price of an everything-streamed model. 
It’s a long-running franchise, but it has certainly had its ups and downs. We shouldn’t forget that FSX went through something similar when Microsoft shut down ACES Studios for the same reason.
In a worst-case scenario, I would much rather see Asobo break free from Microsoft than close its doors.
Yes but this lot at MS are being rather ruthless. Other games have been around too.
What about the servers though. I’m not sure Asobo could finance running those.
But, perhaps it is a solution or, could the entire community run this franchise?
I don’t think Asobo could afford it. We’d go back to how things were before the 2020 version: default scenery, and if you wanted satellite imagery, you’d use a separate program for it (like in X-Plane).
Or perhaps a subscription model to download the satellite imagery.
But I believe that without Microsoft’s deep pockets, investment would drop drastically, and new content would be severely reduced and take much longer to produce. Plus, the financial contribution from the console market would be sorely missed.
We do not buy MSFS anymore. We pay for access. If I was nervous that it could end anytime without notice, I would have to evaluate. For now, it seems low risk.
Buy stuff from the Marketplace over other sources I’d say.
I know it’s also important to support the 3rd party devs, but the add-ons are worthless (and also wouldn’t bring in any more money at all) if the platform is no longer functional.
The Fs2024 can be downloaded completely in local storage with computer, same as Fs2020. Just download all contents and aircraft around 550GB. You can download everything or disable things you don’t want on your local storage, not forced like Fs2020.
Well, they already did stop supporting fs20 
I stopped investing in MSFS franchise after realisation the direction it took - I abandoned XBOX to PC handover plans, no new expensive planes, no new peripherals… just using what is allready in hangar, visiting last unticked remaining parts of the world and keeping low expectations. They created a new picture of msfs in my mind, it is not a purchased and owned game anymore it is a service like Google, Netflix, Amazon and other stuff… I am too old this is not my world anymore…
40 years with a huge gap.
There was a large gap where development was halted and the entire ACES Studio shut down.
We had to exist a long time on the bones of FSX.
That’s true, but the situation is very different today. Technology has moved on enormously, the flight-sim community is much larger, and far more people around the world are willing and able to spend money on this hobby. For that reason, I’m not especially worried about Microsoft suddenly walking away from it.
Even in the unlikely event that support did end one day, I don’t think flight simulation itself would disappear. AI and development tools are advancing so quickly that creating complex software is becoming more accessible all the time. I’m not suggesting a five-year-old could build a new simulator today, but in another five or ten years, a much smaller team may be able to create something that currently requires a huge studio.
So yes, the past shows that support can stop—but the technology, audience and opportunities surrounding flight simulation are much stronger now than they were during the FSX years.