Korea. IL-2 Series takes you to a pivotal moment in aviation history—a time when jet engines changed the skies forever. During the Korean War, the piston-engine aircraft of a bygone era clashed with the first jet fighters.
For the first time in the series, gamepads are supported in addition to joysticks and HOTAS control systems.
With a massive combat map, authentically recreated aircraft, and a well-crafted balance between simulation and accessibility, every dogfight is brought to life.
Become an ace, fight in legendary machines, or aim even higher and become a regiment’s commander. Lead squadrons, plot routes across the combat map, and issue orders to turn the tide of history. In the skies of Korea, you can be anyone: from a rank-and-file pilot to a strategist shaping the outcome of the campaign.
For the first time in the IL-2 series, full controller support has been implemented.
The aircraft of the Korean War have been recreated based on actual blueprints, historical photographs, flight manuals, and other archival materials. There are eight* aircraft at your disposal.
Every instrument in the cockpit is fully functional and reflects the state of the aircraft’s systems in real time. You will be aiming and firing just as pilots did 75 years ago.
The game takes place on the largest map in the series’ history, covering an area of over 200,000 square kilometers. The Korean Peninsula has been recreated based on historical maps and documents from the 1950s. All significant historical landscape changes have been accounted for, including reclaimed coastal areas and shoreline changes.
The map features dozens of airbases with historically accurate layouts, hundreds of settlements, and strategic objectives such as ports, dams, and transport hubs.
The Home by Christmas campaign tells the story of Captain Jack Russell, who in 1950 secures a transfer to a combat unit fighting in the Korean War to fulfill his dream of becoming a jet ace.
You will fly 15 historically accurate combat missions, recreated from the combat logs of the 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing and the memoirs of its pilots.
The campaign reflects unique challenges of the war’s early months: jet aircraft could not operate from small forward airstrips, so some pilots had to temporarily return to piston-engined machines. Over the course of the campaign, you will fly both the F-51 Mustang and the F-80 Shooting Star jet.
In Career mode, you will act as an air regiment commander, managing personnel and overseeing aviation logistics.
It is up to you to decide whether to take to the skies or focus on strategic tasks. As a regiment commander, you will maintain combat readiness, plan operations, and reinforce your units.
Korea features a highly detailed damage model for both aviation and ground objects. Aircraft, including strategic bombers, as well as ground vehicles, trains, and ships, receive damage corresponding to the nature of the hits sustained.
Every object reacts realistically to collisions, crashes, and combat damage, taking into account mass, speed, and the point of impact, directly affecting the behavior of the vehicle and the outcome of the battle.
In this new mode, you can examine each aircraft, ground vehicle, and naval vessel in detail. Explore the models, learn about their development and combat history, inspect aircraft cockpits, and compare technical specs, including detailed performance charts.
Your own personal museum, open anytime—a true treasure for anyone passionate about aviation and military history.
For the first time in the series, you can leave the cockpit and walk around the airfield where your regiment is based.
Animations of the people—pilots, soldiers, and civilians—were created using motion capture (MOCAP) technology, ensuring natural and lifelike movement.
Designed for full immersion:
- Full VR support via OpenXR and OpenVR.
- Accessibility: The game features detailed systems management, but there’s no need to memorize engine start-up sequences—you can take off and engage immediately.
- Hardware support: From controllers to desktop joysticks and professional HOTAS systems.
Included DLCs:
- F-84E Thunderjet Collector Plane
- Lavochkin La-11 Collector Plane
- Unique Aerobatic Team Liveries
