Ace Combat 8 Is Out at $69.99, With Launch Bugs Bandai Namco Is Fixing
Seven years after Skies Unknown, everyone can finally fly. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve reaches its worldwide release today, October 2, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam, after a three day head start for Deluxe Edition owners that began on September 29. Bandai Namco Aces is the developer this time, the Standard Edition is $69.99 on Steam and the Deluxe Edition is $89.99, and the official launch trailer went up on Bandai Namco Entertainment America's channel a few days ahead of the date.
We covered the story and the squadron in detail last week, when Bandai Namco published the full opening cinematic and a 101 overview, so the recap is short. You are Rex, the rookie who inherits the Wings of Theve call sign after the Federation of Central Usea is invaded by the Republic of Sotoa, flying with Baxter, Tasha and Coster of Joker Flight. The campaign adds first-person scenes between missions, brings back the quick wingman commands from Ace Combat 5, and revives the Annihilation Battle mode, with timed target lists, supply lines for mid-mission rearming and chain explosions that let one oil tank take a whole base with it.
Video: Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube
Season One of Ace Combat Online starts with the launch
The big structural change in this entry is Ace Combat Online, a separate mode with its own save, a 100 player air base lobby and cross-platform play across all three platforms. Its first season is live now, and Bandai Namco has laid out what the two month pass contains. The free Ace Pass track includes 12 aircraft skins, 9 emblems, 4 avatar costumes, blueprints, boost tickets and banners. The Premium track on top of it adds the ADFX-02 Morgan in its Pixy colors as a playable aircraft, 13 more skins, 9 more emblems, 11 more costumes and an emote, and finishing all 100 levels across both tracks pays out 500 Ace Coins. Bandai Namco says the Premium pass has to be redeemed by the end of November to unlock the Morgan.
The Deluxe Edition bundles a Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher that unlocks 30 levels instantly, which is the main reason to pick it now that early access is over. The pre-order window closed at launch, so the F-14A and the Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War bonus are gone for new buyers, and that second bonus is where the first launch week problem sits.
Four Steam notices in three days
The Ace Combat Team has been unusually candid on its Steam news hub since early access opened. On September 29 it posted a Product Notice acknowledging reports of unexpected crashes in the Steam version, apologizing, and listing checks that "may help improve stability in certain environments": use the recommended graphics driver shown at launch, keep at least 16 GB free on the SSD the game is installed on, and make sure virtual memory is enabled in Windows. On September 30 a Flight Stick Support Update admitted that some configuration options available for certain devices in Ace Combat 7 are not available in Ace Combat 8, and said the team is working to bring the experience closer to the previous game, while warning that the changes may take time. The same day, a short note tied error code ST-3100001 in Ace Combat Online to a lost server connection and suggested synchronizing the Windows clock.
The fourth notice, posted October 1, concerns Ace Combat Zero. Steam buyers had expected the 2006 game to arrive as its own application, as it does on consoles. Instead it runs through Ace Combat 8 itself. Bandai Namco says licensing restrictions and platform-related considerations prevent a standalone Steam release for now, apologizes for failing to communicate that in advance, and is evaluating options with platform partners. It also says plainly that it cannot guarantee any change. That honesty is welcome, but it means anyone who wanted a small, light Belkan War port on a handheld PC is stuck with the full game installed to get it.
Our take
Console players get the game that last week's trailers promised. On PC we would wait for at least one patch before buying if you fly with a stick, and we would follow the driver and free space advice before your first sortie regardless. None of this changes our view of the campaign, which still looks like the Ace Combat 7 follow-up fans asked for. It does make the online mode harder to judge on day one, because a pass season that started during a shaky PC launch will be measured against the patch notes as much as the rewards.
Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment
FAQ
Is Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve out now, and how much does it cost?
Yes. The worldwide release is October 2, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam, where the Standard Edition is $69.99 and the Deluxe Edition is $89.99. Steam shows October 1 because the global unlock happened in the afternoon Pacific time. Deluxe owners have been playing since September 29.
Is the PC version of Ace Combat 8 stable at launch?
Not for everyone. On September 29 the Ace Combat Team posted a Product Notice on Steam saying it had received reports of unexpected crashes in the Steam version and was investigating. The suggested checks are the recommended graphics driver, at least 16 GB of free space on the install SSD, and virtual memory enabled in Windows. A separate notice says some flight stick configuration options from Ace Combat 7 are missing and that improvements may take time.
Where is Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War on PC?
On Steam it is only playable through Ace Combat 8 itself, not as a separate application. Bandai Namco says licensing restrictions and platform considerations prevent a standalone release right now, apologized for not explaining that in advance, and is discussing options with platform partners without promising any change. It was a pre-order bonus, and the pre-order window closed at launch.
