Three years is a long time to keep a secret in the flight sim community. But that’s exactly what Rhodiumcode has been doing. The small studio, which describes itself as a team of enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds, has now stepped out of the shadows to announce it has been working on an Airbus A350 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and the first public look is coming on May 3.
The first teaser screenshots are already doing the rounds, including the two we’ve lightened up here, show what looks like an Airbus flight deck built to a high visual standard. The characteristic sidesticks, A350-labelled armrests and pedestal panels, the wide instrument panel layout with screens dark on the apron, it’s unmistakably the right aircraft.
The level of cockpit detail visible in what are still pre-reveal teasers will naturally set expectations, and the community will be watching closely once the full cinematic is published.
The studio is led by Michael, who describes himself as a flight simmer since the FS2004 days. In his announcement to the community on Discord, he was careful to keep the messaging realistic: “We’re still early in our journey and have a long road ahead. We won’t be making any promises about features or timelines just yet.” The team seems to be aware of the pitfalls that have tripped up more than a few flight sim developers who over-promised early in development.
What Rhodiumcode does promise is “a sophisticated and immersive A350 experience,” though without specific feature details to go on, that’s more a statement of ambition than a confirmed specification. They’ve also opened a help-wanted channel and are actively recruiting, both type-rated A350 pilots and passionate flight sim enthusiasts, to contribute to the project.
The cinematic trailer premieres on May 3 at 05:00 Zulu on the Rhodiumcode YouTube channel, with a live premiere chat promised. The projects’ website is at rhodiumcode.com, although with sparse info for now.
We’ll be watching the premiere. It’s too early to read much into what this project will eventually become, but a three-year development runway before the first public screenshot is, if nothing else, a sign that the studio isn’t rushing to market. Let’s see what they’re up to, stay tuned!