Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
Cover art featuring the F/A-18E
DeveloperBandai Namco Aces
PublisherBandai Namco Entertainment
DirectorKazutoki Kono
ProducerManabu Shimomoto
WriterSunao Katabuchi
Composers
SeriesAce Combat
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platforms
ReleaseOctober 2, 2026
GenreAir combat simulation
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is an upcoming combat flight simulation game developed by Bandai Namco Aces and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The eighth mainline installment in the Ace Combat series and a sequel to Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (2019), the game is set to be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in October 2026.

Gameplay

As with its predecessor, Ace Combat 8 is a combat flight simulation game in which the player pilots a fighter jet to complete various objectives, ranging from dogfighting hostile aircraft and eliminating large superweapons to destroying ground and naval targets. At launch, the game will feature more than 30 aircraft for players to use. They are further divided into four categories, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.[2] Players can select an aircraft and its loadout before each sortie. Unlike previous games in the franchise, players can now damage hostile planes by hitting them anywhere, without needing to target specific weak points.[3] Destroyed aircraft may also damage other targets in the area.[4] Similar to Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, players can also order squadron wingmen to attack enemies and use special weapons.

The player's combat performance, along with minor narrative decisions, affects the survival of non-player characters and their roles in specific story beats, though the overarching plot remains largely unchanged.[5] In between missions, the player character is stationed on an aircraft carrier named the Endurance.[6] For the first time in the franchise, the story of the game is told from a first-person perspective.[7]

According to Bandai Namco, Ace Combat 8 will have the franchise's "largest online mode".[8]

Synopsis

Setting

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is set in the series' fictional universe of Strangereal, where Earth has entirely different nations, geography, and history. The game's story details the 2029 Sotoa-Usea War, fought in the continent of Usea between the Republic of Sotoa and the Federation of Central Usea (FCU) ten years after the Lighthouse War. Sotoa launches a blitzkrieg invasion of the FCU, overrunning the country and crippling their military defenses, including their navy, which continues their defensive war in the oceans.

Plot

Players control the game's silent protagonist, the weapon systems officer of Jan "Rex" Cope, an FCU naval aviator whose exploits as the "Wings of Theve" have been embellished on social media as wartime propaganda to raise FCU morale (akin to the Ghost of Kyiv legend from the Russo-Ukrainian War). When Cope is killed in action, the protagonist is ordered to assume his role as the "Wings of Theve" and lead his squadron, Joker Flight, composed of fellow wingmen William "Noise" Coster, Tasha Severskaya and Ellington "Professor" Baxter, based out of the aircraft carrier FCU Endurance.[5]

Development

In 2021, producer Kazutoki Kono announced that Bandai Namco Entertainment and ILCA, one of the co-developers of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, had commenced the development of a new Ace Combat game.[9] In 2022, a new studio named Bandai Namco Aces was formed with the sole objective of working on the next Ace Combat games, with Bandai Namco owning 51% of the new studio and ILCA owning the remaining 49%.[10] After Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown introduced the franchise to a new audience, the team decided for Ace Combat 8 to remain accessible, with a comprehensive tutorial and various training modes for new players to learn its mechanics and systems.[11] With Ace Combat 8 marking the 30th anniversary of the franchise, the game will also incorporate elements from previous Ace Combat games.[12]

The FCU Endurance is based off the USS Hornet.

The game's development focused on three pillars: photorealistic sky rendering, aerial combat gameplay, and a heroic narrative theme.[3] The team also visited air force bases and interviewed pilots to ensure the game's depiction of both fictional and real-life weapons was grounded and convincing.[13] According to director Kazutoki Kono, the team aimed to capture the "exhilaration of flying freely through the sky" by introducing significantly bigger maps. It also no longer scaled down the size of real-world objects, utilizing a true 1:1 scale for all real-world assets.[14] The team also introduces a new technology known as "Cloudly", which renders more reactive weather environments, allowing players to track visual signals such as contrails and enemy engine smoke to make tactical decisions.[15] Story scenes are told through a first-person perspective, as the team learnt from their experience creating the virtual reality mode of Ace Combat 7 and felt that this perspective provided a more immersive and emotional experience.[5]

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve was announced in December 2025 at The Game Awards.[16] The game is set to be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on October 2, 2026. Players who pre-ordered the game will receive an additional aircraft and a copy of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War (2006).[17] Players who purchased the Deluxe Edition of the game will receive the same benefits, as well as early access to the game starting from September 29.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "『エースコンバット8』シリーズを正当"深化"させた最新作。偶像の英雄は片渕須直監督によってどのように描かれるのか。無線会話の仕様は？ 気になることを開発陣に訊いた【The Game Awards 2025】". Famitsu (in Japanese). December 12, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  2. ↑ Komatsu, Marina (June 2, 2026). "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches globally October 2 on PS5". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Borger, Will (June 6, 2026). "Ace Combat 8 Is a Very Grounded Game Set in the Skies". IGN. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  4. ↑ Sinha, Ravi (June 4, 2026). "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Showcases Changes and Superweapons in Extensive New Gameplay". GamingBolt. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Hornshaw, Phil (June 4, 2026). "Hands-on report — Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  6. ↑ Tailby, Stephen (June 4, 2026). "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve - Journal of an FCU Pilot in Training". Push Square. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  7. ↑ Sinha, Ravi (April 9, 2026). "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Introduces First-Person Perspective for Story Scenes". GamingBolt. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  8. ↑ Romano, Sal (June 2, 2026). "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches October 2". Gematsu. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ LeBlanc, Wesley (August 19, 2021). "A New Ace Combat Game Is Currently in Development With Pokémon Studio". IGN. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  10. ↑ Partis, Danielle (July 1, 2022). "Bandai Namco and Ilca partner to form Bandai Namco Aces". Gameindustry.biz. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  11. ↑ Middler, Jordan (June 4, 2026). "Ace Combat 8 developers explain why no other flight shooter can match 30 years of storytelling depth". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  12. ↑ Fenlon, Wes (June 4, 2026). "Ace Combat director says 'I've been doing this for 30 years, so I know exactly how hard we're going'—and after playing it, I can confirm Ace Combat 8 goes extremely hard". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  13. ↑ Dekker, Jake (June 4, 2026). "From Clouds To Ketchup Bottles, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Is Pushing The Series To New Heights". GameSpot. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  14. ↑ West, Josh (January 6, 2026). "Ace Combat 8 wants to take the franchise to even greater heights, and that ambition has cost Wings of Theve its VR support". GamesRadar+. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  15. ↑ Carpenter, Lincoln (December 16, 2025). "Ace Combat 8 will feature custom cloud tech, but not just for prettier skies: 'I personally am not particularly interested in improved visuals without improved functionality'". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  16. ↑ Miller, Matt (December 11, 2025). "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Takes Flight In 2026". Game Informer. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  17. ↑ Makar, Connor (June 2, 2026). "Ace Combat 8 soars onto the Sony State of Play with a new release date trailer". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  18. ↑ Denzer, TJ (June 2, 2026). "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will have an early access period for Deluxe Editions". Shacknews. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
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