There was probably never going to be a better date for this. On the 14th of July, France celebrated its National Day, and while the country may have said goodbye to the World Cup after losing to Spain in the semi-final, there was at least one reason to look up: AzurPoly released the official trailer for the Dassault Rafale C, together with the clearest signal yet that the project is nearly done. The aircraft is coming this summer on PC and Xbox.
For those of us who have followed this one from the beginning, it feels like the end of a long approach. We first covered the project back in April 2025, when it was little more than a single render and an official Dassault Aviation license. Since then, we’ve tracked it through the Paris Air Show trailer, the first proper video preview, the weapons module reveal, and, just last month, the full startup sequence video, where AzurPoly first mentioned a summer release as a working target. That target is now official!
The trailer itself is an incredible fast-paced showcase of the aircraft across a wide range of situations, from low-level flight and advanced avionics to mission-oriented systems and combat scenarios. AzurPoly describes the Rafale as its most ambitious project to date, and looking at the accompanying feature list, it’s sounds about right. The combat module alone is very intriguing and promises something we had yet to see in MSFS. This is a team that already shipped the SEPECAT Jaguar and the Transall C-160, so they know what “ambitious” means.
What’s under the skin
The technical core of the project remains the fully custom fly-by-wire system, developed in WASM to reproduce the specific handling of the aircraft without relying on the default MSFS implementation. According to AzurPoly, the system includes multiple simulated FBW modes, control laws, and flight-envelope protections that evolve depending on configuration, payload, and environment. As we’ve covered before, the team considers this one of the most demanding aspects of the entire project, and it’s the foundation that makes features like the functional terrain-following system possible, which works on real topography.
The avionics suite spans seven screens plus a detailed head-up display, and the autopilot and autothrottle are fully working, including specific modes such as angle-of-attack hold.
On the mission side, the developer says payloads are dynamically integrated: weapons, tanks, pods, smoke systems, and emergency jettison are all present, and each configuration affects aircraft performance. There’s also custom AI traffic generation for interactive mission scenarios, along with a custom camera system that includes in-flight payload views. One caveat worth remembering from previous updates: functional weapons are not allowed in the Microsoft Marketplace, so AzurPoly has said combat features will be delivered through an external patch.
Visually, the 3D model was built specifically for MSFS 2024 and takes advantage of the sim’s modular aircraft architecture, with more than 60 attachments. The package includes 36 liveries in total, covering operational and special schemes, though it’s worth noting that 15 come in the base package while the rest will be sold as separate livery packs. The interactive pre-flight walkaround with the animated mechanic, one of the more charming details from the early previews, has made the cut, and the sound package comes from Echo19, based on real recordings.
Where things stand
AzurPoly says the team is now in the final polishing phase, fixing the last remaining issues, refining the overall experience, and preparing documentation “worthy of such a complex aircraft”. Given how dense the systems appear to be, a proper manual will be more than welcome.
One note for PS5 pilots: third-party products are currently being introduced gradually on the platform, by invitation, and while AzurPoly is already part of that process with the Jaguar and Transall, the team cannot yet confirm when the Rafale will arrive on PlayStation. For now, the summer release covers PC and Xbox only.
After more than a year of steady development updates, each one raising the bar a little higher, the Rafale is finally on short final. The full feature list is available on AzurPoly’s website. An incredibly promising project indeed!
