Not every add-on announcement is about flight dynamics or avionics depth. Sometimes it’s about a dog in the copilot seat. Got Friends’ Man’s Best Friend started life as a freeware curiosity, was later folded into the Avitar series back in October 2023, and has remained an MSFS 2020 product ever since. That meant anyone who moved on to the new simulator had to leave their virtual companion behind.
That’s about to change. Got Friends has officially announced Man’s Best Friend: Deluxe Edition, in development for both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. It’s a full rebuild of the concept with a much larger animal roster, reworked animations, a new positioning system, and, according to the developer, more than a year of development work behind it. A planned Xbox Series X|S release is also part of the package, which Got Friends says will make it the first time console pilots can bring pets into the simulator.
The Deluxe Edition will be a payware release at $9.99 USD, a shift from the freeware roots of the original. Got Friends says the new edition is the result of extensive development, testing, and problem-solving to build a system that works across both simulators and supports a far larger collection of companions. The original MSFS 2020 version of Man’s Best Friend will remain available as a free download on the developer’s website, though it will be treated as a legacy product and won’t receive MSFS 2024 compatibility or any of the new features.
The Deluxe Edition includes over 40 animal types and breeds, expanded to more than 100 unique companions through what the developer calls Animal Liveries. The confirmed roster covers 28 dog breeds, from Corgis and Golden Retrievers to Huskies and Shiba Inus, alongside three cat variants and a small miscellaneous section that includes a duck, a rabbit, and, yes, a tortoise. Dogs remain the core of the collection, but Got Friends says the goal was to make the Deluxe Edition feel like a celebration of the animals people love, whatever their shape.
Animations across the collection have also been reworked, with smoother transitions, new idle behaviors, and more natural movement overall, according to the announcement.
Custom positions with Avitar Nest
The biggest addition is a new system called Avitar Nest, a 6-axis pet alignment and positioning tool. It lets you move your companion forward, backward, left, right, up, or down, and then fine-tune tilt, lean, and facing direction to fit the interior of nearly any aircraft. Position settings are saved automatically per aircraft variant, so your dog returns to its preferred spot the next time you load that plane.
Interestingly, placement isn’t restricted to the copilot seat. Got Friends says companions can be positioned in the cabin, beside the aircraft, or out on the ground, which opens the door for screenshot setups and scenic staging beyond the cockpit.
No date yet, but close
Got Friends has not shared a release date. The developer says there’s very little work left, and that the team is currently waiting on the resolution of a minor issue within MSFS 2024 that will let them take full advantage of the new Copilot system, rather than shipping with an unreliable workaround. We’ll keep an eye on the release date and update you as soon as your new copilot is cleared for takeoff!
