Seven years after Skies Unknown, Bandai Namco’s flagship flight series is back on the runway — and the reviews say it was worth the wait. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches today, October 2, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, and critics are already calling it the strongest entry the franchise has ever produced.
Across the board, the verdict is close to unanimous. Metacritic scores sit between 86 and 90 depending on platform, with the Xbox version holding a 90 and OpenCritic showing near-total critic approval. DualShockers went as high as 95, describing the game as “a love letter to combat aviation.” Push Square was more restrained at 8/10 but still dubbed it “the most accomplished game in the series.”
What won reviewers over is familiar territory done better: responsive arcade-style dogfighting, enormous aerial encounters, and a more cinematic presentation than anything the series has attempted before. The campaign follows a pilot callsign Rex commanding Joker Flight across 30 sorties, with a story loosely inspired by the Ghost of Kyiv legend — a geopolitical edge that gives the usual blockbuster bombast some real weight. A new first-person storytelling layer puts the camera in the cockpit between missions, focusing on squadmate bonds and the pressure of command.
Also new is ACE COMBAT ONLINE, billed as the series’ largest online mode yet. It includes a virtual airbase lobby, co-op missions, and — a franchise first — cross-platform play for up to eight players. Aircraft and avatar customization get expanded options as well.
It’s not spotless. Multiple reviews flag mission structures that repeat themselves and a story that sometimes leans too hard into its dramatic beats. The pre-order bonus — a playable F-14A Tomcat plus a full port of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War — also sparked some friction on PC, where early Steam reviews have been mixed over performance, multiplayer connection issues, and flight-stick support.
Pricing is straightforward: $69.99 for the Standard Edition, $89.99 for the Deluxe, and a $149.99 Joker Flight Pack that stacks physical collectibles — including a 2LP vinyl soundtrack — onto the digital Deluxe content. Deluxe owners already got three days of early access starting earlier this week.
If you’ve been waiting for a proper arcade flight sim on current-gen hardware, this appears to be the one. The skies are officially open.