Critics proved correct, Flight Sim World gives up

While I absolutely enjoyed my time with Flight Sim World, I have to confess to having lost a lot of interest in it when other flight sims introduced VR capabilities. It just isn't the same without the 100% seamless head tracking and the other improvements brought out with Virtual Reality.

Sadly, there was only so much they could do to modernize the ancient Microsoft Flight Simulator code, at least with the staff and budget they had. It's an ultra-competitive market segment to start with, and a $25 sim just doesn't have the draw of FSX, Prepar3D, X-Plane 11, and DCS. The first two of those do not have VR functionality, but they do have a loyal and dedicated user base that is reluctant to move onto something new and not nearly complete as the legacy products, especially considering how much money has often been poured into DLC enhancements over the years. 

Being the new kid on the block, and a DLC model that for some reason was wildly repellent to new buyers, gave Dovetail an uphill battle from the get-go. I'm sorry to see them admit defeat and shut the doors.

From Dovetail:

It is with great sadness that we announce the future closure of Flight Sim World.

As you know, we always had a strong ambition to bring a new experience into the established world of flight simulation, one that deliberately overhauled both the flying experience and the graphical fidelity, offering new ways to fly.

Unfortunately, after many detailed discussions, we regrettably don’t see a clear direction that will allow us to keep to the development time we’d want, alongside the player numbers we need.

So, slightly before a year since we first launched into Early Access, we have made the intensely difficult decision to fully scale back all future development on Flight Sim World and remove it from sale on 24th May.