Big Changes Ahead
Growth Through Simplicity
Hey everyone,
We have a major update to share about the future of Got Friends. We want to be completely upfront right away because we know many of you have been with us since the beginning and prefer buying our aircraft directly.
Starting with the Taylorcraft BC-12D, all of our future payware aircraft will be released exclusively on the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace.
Since our start as a small group of enthusiasts building freeware, we have experienced an incredible journey together. We eventually stepped up as 1st Party Partners creating content directly alongside Microsoft. Working closely with Microsoft and Asobo has shown us firsthand their dedication to the future of this platform. We believe in their vision for a highly connected ecosystem, and moving exclusively to the native Marketplace is the next logical step in our evolution.
As our team has grown, the simulator has evolved rapidly. Massive features like career mode integration, rentals, trials, and cross-platform purchases have rolled out, with other features like gifting coming soon. We want to ensure our fleet can take full advantage of these incredible additions right out of the gate. However, delivering deeply integrated experiences across multiple independent storefronts creates complex compatibility challenges, and maintaining those fragmented versions is becoming overwhelming for us.
Managing different file versions and running a storefront takes massive daily energy away from actual aircraft development. Shifting entirely to the Marketplace lets our team step away from administration. This decision allows us to put our focus entirely back into doing exactly what we love, which is building incredible aircraft. For you, it ensures our aircraft are fully integrated into the simulator’s newest features on day one, all in one secure place.
We will officially phase out new payware sales on our website on August 7th. However, nothing changes for the aircraft you already own. Our website is staying online, and you will always be able to log in to download and update your previous direct purchases, freeware, and find manuals or paint kits.
For our external partner, Contrail, your existing purchases are completely safe. You will continue to be able to install and update your currently owned aircraft. We are working closely with the Contrail team to facilitate a reasonable transition and will update the community soon on the timeline for phasing out new sales on their store.
Because we are pivoting our release strategy right now, the Taylorcraft is delayed. We know you were expecting it much sooner, and we are genuinely sorry for the extra wait. However, going exclusive allows us to step away from managing multiple deliverable packages and focus solely on a unified Marketplace version. This gives us extremely valuable time for final polish without storefront fragmentation. We are aiming to submit it in mid-August.
This unified direction is already opening new doors. We are very excited to announce that the AS 33 Me, the Aeroprakt A-32 Vixxen, and Project Crosskart have all received conditional approval for PlayStation 5. We are just conducting final tests before giving Microsoft a green light for release.
Moving away from direct sales is a massive shift, but we want you to know we are genuinely looking forward to this next chapter. This choice is about supporting the future of Microsoft Flight Simulator and making sure our team is perfectly positioned to keep delivering our best work.
The reality is, this shift will allow us to give you more content at a unified pace for the low prices you deserve. Growth to us is taking a step back and simplifying the entire process.
We thank you, as always, for allowing our passion to be a part of your journey.
Here’s to the future! 
Got Friends