Game launches on October 2 with Deluxe Edition debuting early on September 29
Bandai Namco Entertainment America began streaming a 16-minute opening cinematic trailer for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, the newest game in its Ace Combat modern air combat franchise, on Thursday.
The game will launch on October 2 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Players will also receive Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War as a pre-order bonus for the game. The game’s Deluxe Edition will launch on September 29.
The main online multiplayer modes include Co-Op Assault, in which two teams of four players compete for high scores in missions, and Co-Op Warfare, in which two teams of four play against each other and NPCs.
IGN streamed the first three episodes of Ace Combat Hour Zero, a live-action prequel series for the game, on its website and YouTube channel on September 15, 17, and 23. It will stream the fourth episode on September 29. Each episode is 6-11 minutes long.
The prequel stars Josh Holloway (Lost) as a pilot, Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) as a doctor, and Tamlyn Tomita (Cobra Kai) as a news anchor.
IGN describes the prequel’s story:
In the series, three strangers survive the opening days of the Republic of Sotoa’s invasion of the Federation of Central Usea. Josh Holloway stars as a pilot with nowhere to land, Brandon Routh as a doctor who saved his enemy, and Tamlyn Tomita as a news anchor silenced for telling the truth.
Bandai Namco Entertainment released the Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown game in January 2019 for PlayStation 4 (with PlayStation VR support) and Xbox One, and in February 2019 for PC via Steam. The game was originally slated for 2017, but was delayed to 2018 before the latest delay to 2019. The game is also available to play on Xbox Series X|S. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition launched digitally exclusively for Switch in July 2024.
Namco released the first Ace Combat game in 1992.
Source: Email correspondence
Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.
