The C.202 "Folgore" (Lightning) was the successor to the Macchi C.200. Developed by Italian engineer Mario Castoldi, the aircraft proved very effective against its contemporaries after its introduction in 1941. It was mainly used in the North Africa campaign and remained there until 1943, when Italian forces were diverted to Sicily to hold against the Allied invasion. The aircraft was also deployed in limited numbers against the Soviet Union. It was succeeded by the Macchi C.205, with a total of 1,150 manufactured.

The C.202 was introduced in Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica", though an identical version existed in the German tech tree prior to the update. It is a fighter dedicated to air superiority and air-to-air combat due to its lack of ground ordnance. The aircraft features a solid combination of good speed, very good rate of climb, and good roll speed. One downside, however, is the low damage output. Since it lacks cannons, it relies on 12.7 mm and 7.7 mm guns that, while sufficient for dogfighting even though they require long bursts to take down targets, are not effective against bombers. Overall, this aircraft is a dogfighter that relies on its performance rather than its armament to defeat enemies.