Bandai Namco’s long-running flight-combat franchise reaches its ninth main series game with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, which continues the story of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Bandai Namco Aces developed it as part of Project Aces, and Bandai Namco Entertainment is publishing it. Built with Unreal Engine 5, the game returns to Strangereal, where a fresh conflict unfolds across open water, crowded urban areas, and snow-covered mountains.
Quick answer: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches October 2, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, with 3-day early access from September 29 for digital Deluxe and both Joker Flight Pack editions.
Release time: October 2, 2026 at 12:00 AM CEST (October 1, 6:00 PM EDT)
The story and setting of Wings of Theve
The Sotoa-Usea War unfolds on Usea in 2029, a decade after the Lighthouse War. In a sudden assault, the Republic of Sotoa invades the Federation of Central Usea with orbital kinetic-bombardment weapons known as “Tonitrus Spears.” Most of the country falls, and its military is scattered. The surviving FCU navy continues the fight at sea from the aging carrier Endurance.
You play a fighter pilot pulled from the water and brought aboard the Endurance, a worn-out ship crowded with refugees and far behind the front lines. There you inherit a single name: “Wings of Theve,” a legendary ace built up as a symbol of hope and tied to Theve, the FCU capital. That legend was a fabrication meant to keep morale alive. After the original ace is lost, you carry the name into the sky alongside your squadron, Joker Flight, whose members include William “Noise” Coster, Tasha Severskaya, and Ellington “Professor” Baxter.
For the first time, the series presents its story in first person. You’re based aboard the Endurance between sorties, while cinematic sequences follow the pilot on the carrier’s deck instead of confining the story to the cockpit.
What the launch trailer shows
The launch trailer opens on the deck of the carrier, follows a pilot with the callsign “Rex” through catapult takeoff, and then cuts into combat across snowy peaks, city canyons, and naval battle lines before revealing the release date, platforms, and pre-order bonuses. It closes on the edition breakdowns.
The dogfighting sequences move through wildly different backdrops. Squadrons weave through high-G turns and missile exchanges above snow-covered ranges, then drop into tight runs between skyscrapers.
Strike missions round out the footage, with flare deployment, low-level flying through an underground facility, and anti-ship attacks against naval targets.
Gameplay changes and the aircraft roster
The familiar arcade-style air combat remains central: pilot a jet through missions that can involve dogfighting enemy aircraft or destroying ground, naval, and superweapon targets. At launch, the roster contains more than 30 aircraft across four categories, each with different strengths. Choose your aircraft and loadout before each sortie.
- Hits anywhere on an enemy aircraft now inflict damage, removing the need to aim for particular weak spots.
- A destroyed aircraft may also harm targets in its vicinity.
- Squadron wingmen can be told to attack enemies and use their special weapons.
- How well you fight and the small choices you make in the story can determine which non-player characters live, while the main plot remains mostly unchanged.
The maps cover far more ground, and real-world objects appear at their actual 1:1 scale instead of being reduced. A weather system named “Cloudly” makes the skies more responsive; use contrails and smoke from enemy engines to judge the fight and make tactical decisions.
Ace Combat Online, the series’ largest multiplayer mode
Ace Combat Online comes with Wings of Theve as a multiplayer-only mode, with campaign progress and save data kept separate from its own. Before entering matches, explore its Air Base social hub as a custom avatar; the hub supports up to 100 players at once. Cross-platform play is available.
Two main modes make up the lineup. In Co-Op Assault, two four-player teams fight enemy forces, and the team with the higher score wins. Co-Op Warfare is also 4v4, but NPC forces on land, at sea, and in the air join the battle. Its star-rated Threat Level rises as you destroy targets without being shot down. More stars increase the points you receive for each kill, but award opponents more points if you’re downed. Reach three stars to earn the “Ace” title.
Timed events may spring up during a match. Scramble puts four players up against powerful NPC forces; Emergency Sortie gathers as many as eight players to battle superweapons from the series. PvP events rotate between 4v4 Team Deathmatch and an eight-player free-for-all.
Earn aircraft for online play through rewards in Ace Combat Online. Its aircraft lineup matches the campaign roster, but the two modes have separate progress.
Editions and pre-order bonuses
Every edition pre-ordered before October 2 includes the playable F-14A and a modern port of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, first released in 2006. Four packages are available, from the base game to two physical collector’s sets.
| Edition | Key contents | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Base game plus pre-order bonuses | Physical / Digital |
| Deluxe | Base game, 3-day early access, Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher, Customizable Cosmetic Set | Physical / Digital |
| Joker Flight Pack | Deluxe contents, 2 LP vinyl set, slipmat, “Aces at War: A History 2029” artbook | PC (Steam) |
| Premium Joker Flight Pack | Joker Flight Pack contents, XXL LED mousepad, woven Wings of Theve patch | PC (Steam) |
The Customizable Cosmetic Set, included with Deluxe and Joker packs, contains the Tasha Costume Set for the multiplayer lobby, Scarlet missile smoke, and skins for the F-4E “Mobius Squadron” and F/A-18C “Team Zvezda.” These skins are usable online and become available in the campaign after you complete every mission. Sales of both Joker packs are limited to the Bandai Namco official store; currently, they’re PC-only, delivered as a printed Steam code with the physical items.
Early access and the Ace Pass tiers
Digital pre-orders for the Deluxe Edition, Joker Flight Pack, and Premium Joker Flight Pack provide three days of early play beginning September 29, 2026. Physical discs don’t include this benefit; it’s limited to digital purchases. A digital Deluxe Edition bought from September 29 through October 2 also comes with early access already unlocked.
There are three Ace Pass options. Everyone gets the free base pass, a seasonal track that awards cosmetics and aircraft upgrade items. The Premium Ace Pass provides additional rewards at every level and premium seasonal content, including the Season 1 exclusive ADFX-02 Morgan–PIXY. Premium Ace Pass Plus grants all Premium pass content and skips 30 levels immediately.
A Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher is included with Deluxe and Joker packs. It unlocks the premium track for the season in progress when you redeem it, so you can hold onto it for a future season instead. Activate the voucher for Season 1 and unlock its Premium pass to receive the ADFX-02 Morgan–PIXY immediately. It’s ready for online use at once, but campaign access comes only after every mission is complete. You can also buy either premium tier separately. The Deluxe Edition stays on sale after launch, but its early access period does not.
Bandai Namco says purchases will not include paid loot boxes, randomized paid rewards, or consumables for sale or as pass rewards; buyers can see all content and rewards beforehand. Details on DLC after launch are still unavailable, although the series has often received new content after release. Check your edition and platform at the Steam store listing, PlayStation Store, or Xbox store.
