ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE is the latest entry in Bandai Namco's flight shooter series. It launched on October 2 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. Players who digitally preordered the Deluxe Edition could start playing on September 29[1]. On Steam in Korea, the standard edition costs KRW 89,800 and the Deluxe Edition costs KRW 109,800[2]. It ranked 2nd on Steam's Top Sellers list for Korea on October 5, and its daily peak concurrent player count on October 4 was 48,863[3][4]. This review draws on the official website, Steam store and developer announcements available as of October 5, 2026.

A story that begins on an aging carrier crowded with refugees

The setting is July 2029. The fictional FCU (Federation of Central Usea) has lost most of its territory to a surprise invasion by the Republic of Sotoa. You play a fighter pilot rescued from a drifting lifeboat by the aging carrier Endurance. Its deck is crowded with refugees, and the ship has already retreated far from the front line[1].

Aboard the ship, the protagonist receives the call sign 'Wings of Theve'. Named after Theve, the FCU's capital, it belonged to a legendary ace regarded as a symbol of hope. But that legend was invented to keep morale alive. The protagonist takes on the name and returns to combat with three new companions[1]. Between missions, first-person cutscenes tell the pilot's story, alongside scenes in which relationships develop with other squadron members[1].

There are two control schemes. With Standard controls, the aircraft turns in the direction you tilt the left stick. With Expert controls, you roll the aircraft to the side, then pull its nose up to turn. This is closer to actual flying. There are four difficulty levels, Rookie, Pilot, Veteran and Elite, which you can change at any time. Rookie also lets you enable a setting that reduces damage from collisions with the ground or buildings[5]. Even newcomers to flight shooters can follow the campaign by starting with Standard controls and Rookie difficulty.

One purchase for the campaign, a separate system for online play

If you only want the campaign, one purchase of the base game covers it. The official FAQ says there are no paid random draws or products offering randomized rewards, and that all content and rewards can be checked before purchase. It also says there are no plans to sell consumable items[1]. Steam lists two separately sold add-ons: the playable F-14A aircraft for KRW 6,800 and a cosmetic set containing aircraft skins and online lobby avatar outfits for KRW 12,800[2].

The season pass belongs to ACE COMBAT ONLINE. This mode tracks progression separately from the campaign, and aircraft must be earned again as online rewards. Its lobby is an air base that accommodates up to 100 players. This is the series' first lobby that players can explore as avatars[1][2]. The core modes are co-op assault, in which two teams of four compete for points, and co-op warfare, in which two teams face off alongside land, sea and air NPC forces. During play, random events include scramble missions, where four players face powerful NPC forces, and emergency sorties, where up to eight players fight the series' superweapons. Limited-time PvP modes include 4v4 team deathmatch and eight-player free-for-all matches[1].

ACE PASS has three tiers: free, PREMIUM ACE PASS and PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS. PREMIUM ACE PASS adds rewards at each level and includes the Season 1-exclusive aircraft ADFX-02 Morgan (PIXY). PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS adds a 30-level skip. Passes are scheduled to change every two months, and aircraft from the premium passes are planned to be sold separately after their seasons end[1]. To use this aircraft in the campaign, you must first complete every campaign mission[1].

Four notices during launch week

From the early access start on September 29 through the official launch, a series of notices about problems appeared on Steam. A September 29 notice reported unexpected crashes in the Steam version. The development team asked players to check that they were using the recommended graphics drivers, had at least 16GB free on the SSD where the game was installed, and had Windows virtual memory enabled[6]. On October 2, the team opened a separate thread to collect PC crash reports, asking players to provide their specifications and error codes[7].

The September 30 notice was an apology to flight stick users. The team acknowledged that some settings available for certain devices in the seventh game were missing from the eighth. It said it was looking for ways to bring support closer to the seventh game's, but that this could take time[8]. On the same day, it also responded to reports of error code ST-3100001 blocking progress in online mode. The code appears when the connection to the game server is lost, and the notice asked players to check Windows time synchronization first[9].

The remaining notice concerned distribution of the preorder bonus ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR. On October 1, the development team explained that licensing and platform circumstances had prevented it from releasing the game as a standalone Steam app, so it was made to run inside the eighth game. The team apologized for not clearly explaining this arrangement beforehand[10]. The next day, it said that, following discussions with its platform partner, it would consider releasing a standalone Steam app. Whether this will happen, and when, remains undecided[11].

Steam reviews are 'Mostly Positive'. Of 9,699 reviews from Steam purchasers across all languages, 7,667, or about 79%, are positive. Among the 339 Korean-language reviews, 77% are positive[2][12].

Check the PC requirements first

PC players should start with the system requirements. The game requires a graphics card with hardware ray tracing support, DirectX 12 with Shader Model 6.6 or higher, and an SSD. The recommended specifications are Windows 11, a Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 5 5600X, 32GB of RAM, a GeForce RTX 3070 or Radeon RX 6800, and 125GB of storage. According to the official website, this configuration delivers 1080p at 60fps on medium settings with upscaling enabled[1].

Korean support covers interface text and subtitles. The Steam store lists only English and Japanese as supported audio languages[2]. The console versions are available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and online play supports cross-platform multiplayer[1][2].

A different decision for controller and flight stick users

For players planning to finish the campaign with a controller, there is less to weigh up. One purchase of the base game gives access to the full story. Online progression is separate, so skipping that mode does not affect the campaign[1]. HOTAS owners, however, will have fewer settings than in the seventh game if they buy now[8]. There is also an unresolved issue for anyone considering the Deluxe Edition because of the preorder bonus. The development team has yet to guarantee that ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR will eventually become a separate app[11].

Sources

[1] Bandai Namco Entertainment. ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE official website, including FAQ and system requirements. Accessed October 5, 2026.

[2] Valve. ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Steam store page, Korea. Includes the F-14A and Customizable Cosmetic Set add-on pages. Accessed October 5, 2026.

[3] Valve. Steam Top Sellers, Korea. Accessed October 5, 2026.

[4] Valve. Steam Most Played Games API. Figures for October 4 (UTC). Accessed October 5, 2026.

[5] Bandai Namco Entertainment. How to choose your difficulty in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE. Steam announcement, September 18, 2026.

[6] Bandai Namco Entertainment. Product Notice. Steam announcement, September 29, 2026.

[7] Bandai Namco Entertainment. PC Crash Report Thread. Steam announcement, October 2, 2026.

[8] Bandai Namco Entertainment. Flight Stick Support Update. Steam announcement, September 30, 2026.

[9] Bandai Namco Entertainment. About Error Code: ST-3100001. Steam announcement, September 30, 2026.

[10] Bandai Namco Entertainment. About ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR. Steam announcement, October 1, 2026.

[11] Bandai Namco Entertainment. About ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR ②. Steam announcement, October 2, 2026.

[12] Valve. ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Steam user review totals, Steam purchasers across all languages. Accessed October 5, 2026.