Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Nears With Huge Campaign & Co-Op

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is almost ready to take off, with advanced access arriving on September 28, ahead of the worldwide launch on October 2. Details about Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve give you a clearer picture of what to expect, from its expanded campaign and aircraft roster to the separate online mode and the PC hardware you will need.

The story takes place in Strangereal in 2029, roughly a decade after the events of Ace Combat 7. The Federation of Central Usea has absorbed much of the continent, but the Republic of Sotoa suddenly challenges its control by launching an invasion supported by orbital kinetic bombardment weapons.

The FCU occupies much of the continent, while its remaining forces are pushed onto the aging aircraft carrier Endurance.

You step into the role of a silent pilot rescued at sea who eventually becomes part of the legendary Wings of Theve. The original pilot, Jan "Rex" Cope, is an FCU naval ace whose reputation grows through propaganda and social media until he becomes a symbol of hope. After Cope is killed early in the story, you take on his identity to preserve that symbol and lead Joker Flight.

Joker Flight is central to the campaign, with Ellington "Professor" Baxter serving as a composed, teacher-like wingman, alongside the younger prodigy Tasha and the hard-rocking William Coster. The story focuses heavily on identity, duty, propaganda, squadron relationships, and the effort to reclaim the homeland while information warfare continues around you.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of the Zephyr also introduces first-person cinematic sequences with head-look features and environmental interactions. Limited choices can influence certain roles and related details, although the main narrative remains largely linear.

The campaign is expected to last around 20 to 25 hours, giving it a noticeably larger runtime than Ace Combat 7. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve keeps the core flying experience faithful to the arcade-style formula the series is known for. You get full 360-degree movement, close dogfights, attacks against ground and naval targets, and encounters with huge superweapons.

Unlike its predecessor, the new game is built natively for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, letting its presentation move beyond the previous console generation.

In Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, the maps are also much larger, with real-world assets represented at a 1:1 scale. New engine technology supports layered clouds and reactive weather that can affect how you approach a battle. For example, cloud cover can help you break an incoming missile lock, making weather something you can use tactically instead of simply treating it as background scenery.

At launch, you will have more than 30 aircraft to choose from across fighters, attackers, multirole aircraft, and electronic warfare machines. The selection combines real-world jets with fictional aircraft and returning designs from older games, building on the aircraft variety seen in Ace Combat 7.

You can tune aircraft with parts and customize mission-specific loadouts, and you can now carry up to two special weapons at once. The damage system has also been changed. Standard enemy aircraft no longer require you to hit particular weak points, meaning you can damage them across their airframes. Destroyed aircraft can also leave falling debris behind, potentially damaging other nearby targets.

Wingman commands return as well, giving you orders such as Forward Attack, Dispersed Attack, and Cover. You can also select aircraft for your wingmen before sorties. When you are not flying, Endurance becomes an interactive space where you can walk around, meet characters, and strengthen relationships with squadron members.

Mission variety covers traditional air-to-air fights, ground attacks, anti-ship operations, and battles against enormous superweapons.

Annihilation battles return, letting you freely destroy targets including ammunition depots, power plants, and naval bases. These missions also include dedicated supply routes that allow you to return for ammunition and other resources during longer engagements.

Beyond the campaign, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has a separate multiplayer experience called Ace Combat Online. It uses its own progression and save data, beginning with you as a mercenary pilot stationed at an airbase. You first create a custom avatar, then earn rewards as you complete operations and personalize your pilot.

In Ace Combat Online, the airbase can host up to 100 players at once and works as a social hub where you can organize sorties with pilots from around the world. The two main activities are Co-op Assault and Co-op Warfare. Co-op Assault is a PvE mode built around two teams of four competing for the highest score against waves of enemies.

Your rewards depend on the final mission rank, with the winning team receiving additional payouts. Objectives vary between missions, so bringing different aircraft types can matter. Instead of AI wingmen, you coordinate with other players through directional-pad radio commands.

Co-op Warfare combines PvP and PvE by placing two four-player teams against one another while AI forces operate across land, sea, and air.

The team with the highest combined score wins. As you secure kills, your Threat Level increases through a star-based system. A higher level makes each takedown worth more points, but surviving becomes more important because an enemy pilot who defeats you can claim a large bounty for their team.

Each aircraft class has a specific purpose online. Fighters suit priority targets, attackers specialize in surface strikes and can pursue Ace designations, and multirole aircraft offer more flexibility across objectives. Ace Combat Online also features timed activities between regular sorties.

Scramble events send four players against an elite NPC rival squadron, while Emergency Sorties bring eight players together against enormous superweapons from across the franchise. Rotating PvP events include 4v4 battles and eight-player free-for-all matches, with some events adding aircraft restrictions or unit-cost limits. In Ace Combat Online, progression goes beyond normal aircraft tuning.

Flying your jets levels them up—better base stats, plus special perks tied to specific planes. On top of that, you can trick them out with paint jobs, nose art, emblems, and weathering effects to make them your own. The online airbase includes an arcade area with classic Namco games, an equipment shop, a jukebox featuring music from earlier entries, tutorials, and gates to other regional airbases.

Progression is connected to the bi-monthly Ace Pass, which includes free and premium reward tracks.

Aircraft introduced through a Premium Ace Pass can later be bought separately after their season ends, so they are not permanently locked behind the pass. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is also demanding on current hardware. On PS5 and XBOX Series X, Quality Mode targets 4K output at 30 fps, while Performance Mode targets 60 fps at native 1080p.

PS5 Pro improves Performance Mode to 1440p at 60 fps, while Quality Mode remains focused on 4K at 30 fps with higher internal rendering resolutions before upscaling. PC requirements are considerably heavier. The minimum specification targets 1080p upscaled at 30 fps on Low and calls for an Intel Core i7-10700K or Ryzen 5 3600X, 16 GB of RAM, and an RTX 2060 6 GB or Radeon RX 6600 XT 8 GB.

You also need 150 GB of SSD space, DirectX 12, and hardware ray tracing support. The recommended setup targets 1080p at 60 fps on Medium settings. That means an i7-12700K or Ryzen 5 5600X, 32 GB of RAM, and an RTX 3070 8 GB or Radeon RX 6800 16 GB. The game also uses Denuvo and kernel-level anti-cheat on PC, making its technical requirements an important part of the launch discussion.

Finally, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve costs $70 for the standard edition and $90 for the Deluxe Edition. Pre-ordering either version includes the F-14A Tomcat and a digital copy of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. The $90 Deluxe Edition adds an exclusive customization set, a Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher, and three days of early access.

Advanced access begins September 28 at 3 P.M. Pacific or 6 PM Eastern, with the Deluxe Edition available alongside the full release on October 2. With a longer campaign, expanded aircraft customization, larger battlefields, multiplayer progression, and heavier PC requirements, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is shaping up as a substantial expansion of the series.