During June 2’s PlayStation State of Play, Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment and Project Aces revealed the new Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve trailer, revealing that the game launches globally on Oct. 2 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam. This will be the long-running flight action series’ first new mainline game since Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown in 2019.
Bandai Namco confirmed the release date with a new trailer and opened pre-orders for the game. Pre-orders include access to the F-14A aircraft and exclusive access to Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, three days of early access, a customizable cosmetic set, and a Premium Ace Pass plus voucher.
The new trailer also puts more focus on the game’s larger battlefield threats, including the land battleship, a massive vehicular weapon that appears to play a major role in the story. Ace Combat has always loved absurd military hardware, from flying fortresses to impossible superweapons, so a land battleship fits the series about as naturally as a missile alert every three seconds.
The game is set in Strangereal, Ace Combat’s fictional world of border wars, unstable alliances, political intrigue, and most importantly, Ace pilots who get to decide the fate of the world by themselves.
Project Aces states it’s also changing how the campaign is presented, as we’re brought closer to the pilot’s life aboard the aircraft carrier Endurance through the first-person cutscenes.
The game also looks better than ever, with the land geography and ground-based assets no longer looking low-poly. Aircraft and skies are even more photorealistic now, and the character visuals are also improved.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches Oct. 2 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Modern players will also get a chance to experience the phenomenal story and ambiance of the legendary Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, which will see its first foray past the original PlayStation 2.
