Some of you may be surprised to know that I’m a big fan of the Ace Combat series. I didn’t jump into it until much later in the series’ history, but I’ve played the last few titles and I revisit it from time to time when I’m feeling like playing something a little more casual than my usual combat flight simulation title. Because there are big gaps between releases, each Ace Combat title feels like its own age in gaming with the latest, Ace Combat 8, looking set to reinvigorate the community. And that has broader implications for more serious combat flight sims too! Let’s catch-up on all of the main points of what is on offer with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, ahead of the release.

The series continues

Ace Combat has a history that dates back to 1995 when the first title in the series was released as a PlayStation launch title. The title was a success and it ultimately shipped 2.2 million copies which, until recently, made it the most successful title in Ace Combat. Set in the fictional “Strangereal” universe featuring fictional nations, continents, cities and locations. The world of this universe merges our real world, primarily aircraft, ships and vehicles, with its own lore and stories.

While Ace Combat does have plenty of real world aircraft, the aircraft have been represented more as a platform for fast action featuring dozens of missile launches, bleeping missile warnings, and large scale destruction. Its fast, fun, intense at times, and needing little in the way of real world knowledge but absolutely requiring plenty of arcade game skill. I say that all in the most loving way possible.

The developers have always made use of the best technology of the time to make for realistic looking aircraft, lovingly recreated in their fictional world, high stakes narrative based scenarios, and… of course… the music! Ace Combat music has been done by a few composers and they have consistently helped give the series its own style. The previous release, Ace Combat 7, was even delayed in part to make sure that the music for the game was ready. And the wait … was absolutely worth it! But that was January 2019, more than 7 years ago, and now its time for the next instalment.

Introducing the “Wings of Theve”

Coming on October 2nd, 2026, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, once again returns to the Unreal engine to underpin its fast paced, highly cinematic, gameplay experience. The series continues its long standing practice of weaving a narrative with a mix of fictional nations doing battle in the “Strangereal” universe.

This time around, its the The Federation of Central Usea (FCU), with its capital, Theve, that has come under assault from the Republic of Sotoa. With losses mounting and a small fleet of ships including an aircraft carrier, the Endurance, among the few remaining units able to fight back, the player is put into the role of Ace pilot tasked with taking the FCU back.

The story draws on the real world with the Ghost of Kyiv. This being a supposed MiG-29 pilot that was thought to have shot down over 5 Russian aircraft in the opening days of the Ukraine invasion. The Ghost of Kyiv was later revealed to be a PR stunt and the Ace Combat writers have borrowed that idea for this outing. Though I’m certain that the protagonist of this story will ultimately prove the legend real – there’s no shortage of targets in an Ace Combat game.

A lot of this is told as part of the opening cinematic which is told almost entirely through a first person perspective. That looks to be the one big break, narratively, from past titles and Ace Combat 8’s walk around the carrier deck, up to a fully loaded Super Hornet, followed by a takeoff rivalling the work that DICE did with Battlefield 3 back in the day.

Another narrative innovation this time around are four live-action short stories told from different perspectives. Some cash has been splashed out on these with good production values and some reasonably well known actors including Josh Holloway, Brandon Routh and Tamlyn Tomita. Three of the stories are already out and a fourth is due before launch.

Ace Combat has taken advantage of some new technology, evidenced by the gameplay and screenshots, to bring in larger and more impressive cloud formations. For gameplay reasons, these clouds can help break missile locks and they lower visibility with a water spray effect showing on the canopy… or chasing camera depending on how you play Ace Combat. Remember, Ace Combat has always been self aware as an action game first and an air combat simulator (or maybe “experience”) second. And it does a great job of it typically.

Of course, the title packs in a ton of aircraft to experience this narrative and they include much of what you might expect from an Ace Combat title. The F/A-18 seems to be the title aircraft of the series this time with both F/A-18C and F/A-18F in the playable list. The F-14D, MiG-29A, MiG-31, Su-33, Su-57, Su-25SM, F-15C, F-4E, F-35C, F-22, EA-6B, A-10, Gripen E, Rafale M, Mirage 2000-5, Typhoon and F-2A are among the included types. More are expected to be revealed (here on the Bandai Namco website) before launch and after launch as well. Expect a few Ace Combat fictional classics in the mix!

Pre-orders available now, release soon

There are three editions on sale. Standard edition is just Ace Combat 8 itself (with pre-order bonus of a remastered Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War and an F-14A) while Deluxe Edition adds 3 days early access, an Ace Pass Plus voucher, cosmetic set, and the pre-order bonuses. Then there’s the “Joker Flight Pack” which is the ultimate edition. It comes with everything plus a 200+ Aces at War: A History 2029 book, and 2 LP Vinyls. Those are priced at $69.99 USD, $89.99 USD, and $149.99 USD respectively – pricey, like everything these days.

The age of Ace Combat 8 is nearly here and it looks like it’s going to be a welcome rejuvenation of the series after several years spent waiting for the follow-up to the excellent Ace Combat 7. Bring it on!

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches October 2nd, 2026, on PC, Xbox and PlayStation. Check out the Bandai Namco Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve website for more!