Seven years have passed since Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown came out in 2019, and Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is finally bringing the mainline series back. Project Aces is returning to Strangereal with a new war, more than 30 playable aircraft, wingmen you can actually give orders to, story choices that stick, and a much bigger multiplayer side built around co-op and cross-play.
Quick Summary
- Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve comes out Oct. 2, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
- The campaign is set in July 2029, during the Republic of Sotoa’s invasion of the Federation of Central Usea.
- More than 30 aircraft are playable, and Joker Flight’s three wingmen can be equipped and given orders mid-mission.
- Multiplayer adds cross-play, co-op missions, competitive battles for up to eight players, and an explorable online air base.
Ace Combat 8 release date and platforms
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve comes out Oct. 2, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. There’s no Switch 2 version announced yet.
The Standard Edition costs $69.99, while $89.99 gets you the Digital Deluxe Edition and up to three days of early access with it. Deluxe pre-orders can start playing on Sept. 28 in North America, and Sept. 29 in several other regions.
Story in Ace Combat 8
The campaign opens in July 2029, ten years after Ace Combat 7, with the Republic of Sotoa invading the Federation of Central Usea and taking its capital, Theve. Most of the FCU military has already been wiped out or scattered by the time the aircraft carrier Endurance picks the player up, and that carrier becomes your home base for the rest of the story.
The Wings of Theve name doesn’t belong to you at first. It belongs to Commander Jan “Rex” Cope, an FCU pilot the military turned into a propaganda hero to keep morale from collapsing during the invasion. You fly as his navigator until their aircraft gets shot down and Rex dies, and from there you take his identity and keep the legend going.
Joker Flight forms around the new Wings of Theve, with former lecturer Ellington “Professor” Baxter, Yuktobanian aerobatic pilot Tasha Severskya, and William “Noise” Coster filling out the squadron. Sunao Katabuchi, who worked on Ace Combat 04 and Ace Combat 5, wrote the campaign, and between missions you can walk around the Endurance in first person and talk to your squadron and the rest of the crew.
Gameplay adds squad commands and story choices
The arcade flight combat from Ace Combat 7 is still here, dogfights, special weapons, high-G turns, ground attacks, and huge battles with several objectives running at once. You can upgrade aircraft with parts and different weapons before a mission, and your wingmen now take orders: focus a target, spread out, cover you, or fire their own special weapons.
You also pick which aircraft your wingmen fly before heading out, so squad composition becomes part of mission prep instead of leaving the AI pilots stuck with whatever they came with. Some targets set off chain reactions when they blow up, and missions can change objectives while a battle is still going.
Some choices decide whether characters live or die. One previewed mission asks whether to spare pilots who used to know Baxter, and how well you defend friendly forces can change who turns up later in the campaign. Brand director Kazutoki Kono said these decisions don’t rewrite the overall story, though.
Project Aces is bringing back the ridiculous superweapons the series is known for, too. One mission revolves around a 450-meter Land Battleship carrying railguns, drones, anti-air guns, and a massive main cannon, while Joker Flight protects trucks trying to disable its treads and FCU forces knock down buildings to block its path.
Hangar of more than 30 aircraft
Over 30 playable aircraft are planned across fighter, attacker, multirole, and electronic warfare classes, mixing real jets with the series’ fictional designs. Confirmed so far are the F-22A Raptor, JAS 39 Gripen E, MiG-21bis, Rafale M, Eurofighter Typhoon, Su-35, F-35C, and Su-47, as well as F/A-18E Super Hornet, judging by official screenshots.
Pre-ordering gets you the F-14A Tomcat, and the fictional ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- comes with the first Premium Ace Pass. You can take the Morgan into multiplayer immediately, but flying it in the campaign means beating every campaign mission first.
Multiplayer has co-op and cross-play
Ace Combat Online drops you into an air base you can walk around as a customizable avatar before joining anything. From there you get cross-play, co-op missions, and competitive battles for up to eight players, though Bandai Namco still hasn’t shown the full list of modes or maps.
Multiplayer runs on a seasonal Ace Pass with free and paid tracks. The free one gives out cosmetics and aircraft upgrade items, Premium adds more cosmetics and playable aircraft, and Premium Ace Pass Plus has the same rewards but skips the first 30 levels. Bandai Namco says there are no paid consumables or loot boxes.
Ace Combat 8 editions and pre-order bonuses
The $69.99 Standard Edition is just the game. The $89.99 Deluxe adds early access, a Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher good for one season, and a handful of cosmetics.
| Edition | Price | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $69.99 | Base game |
| Deluxe | $89.99 | Base game, early access, Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher, cosmetics |
| Joker Flight Pack | $149.99 | Deluxe Edition, 2LP soundtrack, slipmat, artbook |
If you want something on a shelf, the Joker Flight Pack is $149.99 from Bandai Namco’s U.S. store and comes with two soundtrack LPs, a turntable slipmat, collectible packaging, and the 200-page-plus ACES at WAR: A HISTORY 2029 artbook. Europe gets an even bigger Premium Joker Flight Pack with more physical extras.
Every pre-order includes the F-14A Tomcat and a port of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. The 2006 PS2 game unlocks alongside Ace Combat 8, and you’ll need to be online the first time you activate it.
Ace Combat 8 PC requirements
You’ll need Windows 11, DirectX 12, an SSD, and a GPU that supports hardware ray tracing. Both spec tiers ask for 125GB, and neither aims especially high: minimum targets upscaled 1080p at 30fps, recommended targets upscaled 1080p at 60fps.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Core i7-10700K / Ryzen 5 3600X | Core i7-12700K / Ryzen 5 5600X |
| RAM | 16GB | 32GB |
| GPU | RTX 2060 / RX 6600 XT | RTX 3070 / RX 6800 |
| Storage | 125GB SSD | 125GB SSD |
| Target | 1080p upscaled, 30fps, Low | 1080p upscaled, 60fps, Medium |
Ray tracing hardware is required even on the lowest settings, so older cards are out entirely. Bandai Namco hasn’t said anything about native 1440p or 4K targets, and there’s no VR mode this time, despite Ace Combat 7 shipping with three missions for the original PlayStation VR.
FAQs
When does Ace Combat 8 come out?
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve releases Oct. 2, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Digital Deluxe pre-orders get up to three days of early access.
Does Ace Combat 8 have multiplayer and cross-play?
Yes. Ace Combat Online supports cross-play, co-op missions, and competitive matches for up to eight players.
How many aircraft are in Ace Combat 8?
More than 30, spread across fighter, attacker, multirole, and electronic warfare classes, covering both real jets and fictional Ace Combat designs.
Do you need to play Ace Combat 7 before Ace Combat 8?
No. Ace Combat 8 shares the Strangereal setting and picks up ten years after Ace Combat 7, but the war, protagonist, squadron, and main cast are all new. Playing the older games gives you more context for Strangereal, though this campaign is built to be standalone.
