2026 and Beyond Speculation (and Wishlist) Thread

[Dangerzone]

Well, it's that time of the year. 5 more weeks to go, and we can start to get excited to see if the things expected to be released in 2025 will be released by the end of the year, and daydream about what new things may be showcased (or hinted at right at the end )  in the upcoming 2026 & Beyond video. 

I'll be honest and say up front, I have no speculations this time round - I couldn't even hazard a guess apart from what's already been announced. Seeing things expand with logistics and the C-130's imminent release, the DCE, plane directors, it seems obvious now that we can expect an expansion into other areas instead of just looking for new fighting modules for speculations as things can abound from multiple directions.

From a wish list perspective, I would love to see:

• ATC / GCI Module. (I'd pay for this as an add on 'module'), especially if it was voice recognition like overlordbot!
• Multiplayer version of the Dynamic Campaign Engine hinted at
• Newer module Huey. (I'd take either a more recent model, or a enhanced UH-1H like they did with the Black Shark and A-10) 
• Added features to weather (Thunderstorms and towering cumulous clouds). 

So... thoughts, speculations, wishlists for 2026?

[Silver_Dragon]

Yes, we got a glimpse of the DCE in "2025 and Beyond," but I think we'll probably get another preview by 2026, possibly showing the ATO...

Things we might see... by ED:

• Final expansions of Afghanistan and second expansion of Iraq
• F-15C and maybe a teaser of the F-35, an AH-1 Cobra as the next module?
• Maybe helicopter operations on the Supercarrier?
• More infantry and realistic ground operations?
• More PTO with the F6F and the A6M5 Zero, and more units from the Pacific assets pack.
• A map of Vietnam and Battle of Britain on WW2 teaser?
• Weather improvements? Maybe.
• Maybe a teaser of the spherical world?.
• Better ATC?
• Ground Crew on bases?
• Some WW2 units from the East... (the T-34 returns)
• Any new suprise features?

3rd parties:

• More F-104 Starfighters by Aernes (Germany?)
• Maybe a teaser for the next ASC module
• AviaStorm showing the Tornado on Germany/Balkans
• More EFs (Germany) and A-6Es (Carrier operations) by Heatblur
• Aviron's Kfir reappears over Syria / Sinai
• Deka's J-8II with new Chinese assets?
• Flying Iron's A-7E returns in the Balkans/Irak
• GD and his F-100D and CS A-1H on "road to Vietnam"
• IndiaFoxEco's G.91R with the Balkan map...
• M3 with a teaser of the F-8J Crusader (Balkans) and/or MiG-21Bis 2.0 (Afghanistan).
• Miltech 5's Bo-105 in Germany?
• Octopus-G's La-7 with ED T-34s and others in a "pseudo-Eastern Front map" (Germany).
• OnReTech with the Balkans map teaser.
• A new map from ORBX? (very plausible), maybe the Baltic, Southern Scandinavia.
• Polychop.... I'm not sure. A new helo?
• Red Star and the MiG-17.... Germany or the Balkans?
• Specter Studios and a teaser for a new map.
• Ugra Media and Germany expansion.
• Some new 3rd party?

Edited 22 hours ago by Silver_Dragon

[Jetguy06]

Don't forget about the yet-to-be-offically-announced Rafale coming. I'm sure that will make an appearance in this year's video.

[Silver_Dragon]

7 minutes ago, Jetguy06 said:

Don't forget about the yet-to-be-offically-announced Rafale coming. I'm sure that will make an appearance in this year's video.

Let's hope so...

[Phantom88]

**F/A-18F**

**MH-60 BlackHawk**

**A6M Zero**

**Okinawa Map WWII**

[Czar]

Weather system overhaul with better clouds. (I know it won't happen, I'm just a bit tired by the current one).

[Fear-Factor]

Would like to see one day the CH53 Super/ King Stallion, AH-1 Cobra (old/new one), Blackhawk and Mi28.
But yeah... 

[Silver_Dragon]

19 minutes ago, Phantom88 said:

**F/A-18F**

**MH-60 BlackHawk**

**A6M Zero**

**Okinawa Map WWII**

A6M5 Zero has confirmed by ED....

[Kang]

Sometimes I get the feeling that a few of you are speculating for the first time, or are we all so jaded nowadays?

Here's my speculations:

• Aerges Simulations fans rumours that the Mirage F1M variant will be released on or around Valentine's Day
• Ugra Media finally owns up to the typos on some of their promotional material, admits that Urga Media is a completely different company and the similarity of company names is sheer coincidence, but it went alright so far
• Deka announces their next project. It's called '???', a Chinese concept plane that got cancelled so early in its development phase (September 1980 to December 1980) that nobody ever even gave the project a name
• In a surprise move Eagle Dynamics releases the Dynamic Campaign next summer. It is a separate module for each map you want to use it on and basically runs a bash script that pseudo-dynamically generates missions with the Quick Mission Generator while also drawing a lot of random arrows on a map. It's much applauded main feature ends up being that it automatically tallies up the budgetary loss caused by each sortie
• Probably a lot of expected things, really. Maybe one or two of the developers who were set up with subforums and never bothered to post any updates on there make announcements that nobody outside of their small circle of discord friends sees. Maybe Miltech shows us the Bo-105 in motion. Maybe Heatblur releases the A-6 AI asset.
• And of course: RAZBAM returns to DCS triumphantly, announcing that they were all silent for so long, pretending to be locked in legal battle, because they wanted to keep it secret that they were developing a B-47 Stratojet as a joint venture with ED as their new 'Golden Days of SAC' series, due for early access release on September 18th 2027

[draconus]

F-15E updates ready for DCS 3.x 

[Stratos]

I really hope they hint a flyable Cobra module!

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

25 minutes ago, draconus said:

F-15E updates ready for DCS 3.x 

[Beirut]

1 hour ago, draconus said:

F-15E updates ready for DCS 3.x 

 

I like the way you think. 

 

But the big reveal.................................. F-111

[kotor633]

Hi,
ATC, GCI, and a dynamic campaign. And please, please, not in Early Access mode, but completely finished. This endless saga (with the exception of GCI) in DCS finally needs a satisfying conclusion.

Personally, I don't need any new modules, maps, graphical effects, or any other nonsense. DCS already has plenty of those, and they look good.

[Gigafiga]

Efa F1m cockpit

f35 f15C c130 flying in the balkans…

tornado and f104 a plus

dynamic campaing and atc with some carrier ops

new:

rafale , su27 and cobra + vietnam

[DD_Friar]

My only worry is that with wishes for all these new shiny toys (and who does not like that), the problem is long, long standing issues (new soldiers, sea state not linked to wind, Combined Arms, WW2 functionality etc) get pushed even further back with limited resources to fix.

[Gunfreak]

How about news about the general flight model, that was gonna fix, the wingman, the ww2 warbirds and more, we saw a video 3 or 4 years ago ,then nothing since, given the importance of this, I would think this would have to be in place before the dynamic campaign could be released. 

As it is now AI can't do SEAD unless it's HARMs Vs SA2s.

[PLUTON]

The idea of Razbam returning to DCS is fine, but honestly, what interests me most is that the modules (F15E, M2000c, etc.) remain available to us, not because we paid for them, but simply because we bought them because we absolutely wanted them.

For me, losing the M2000 would be a huge loss, as I fly with that module 90% of the time.
So please, let it remain available to us; that's my only wish.

Thank you in advance.

[Mateo]

I am as disappointed as I can legally express by the previous “2025 and beyond” trailer, which featured so much Eurofighter footage. After that trailer was released, we had ZERO news throughout the entire year of 2025.
ED, please do NOT show any Eurofighter content from Heatblur unless it is truly right around the corner.
The dynamic campaign was also used as a highlight in the 2025 trailer, just like the Eurofighter, and we haven't received either of them in DCS.
There is no need to comment on this; the facts speak for themselves.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

1 hour ago, Mateo said:

the previous “2025 and beyond” trailer

[Vakarian]

1 hour ago, Mateo said:

I am as disappointed as I can legally express by the previous “2025 and beyond” trailer, which featured so much Eurofighter footage. After that trailer was released, we had ZERO news throughout the entire year of 2025.
ED, please do NOT show any Eurofighter content from Heatblur unless it is truly right around the corner.
The dynamic campaign was also used as a highlight in the 2025 trailer, just like the Eurofighter, and we haven't received either of them in DCS.
There is no need to comment on this; the facts speak for themselves.

How much entitled can you be....

[Lace]

I think the big reveal would have been (might still be) the Rafale, but ED let the cat out of the bag accidentally with that one, so whether they pivot to another big reveal will need to be seen.

I'm hoping to see more Typhoon content, ED's new helicopter, something on the new ATC and of course the DCE.