Bandai Namco unveiled Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. It marks the series’ first mainline entry in seven years. This time, Bandai Namco Aces leads development. The team is building the game with Unreal Engine 5. It is also using new proprietary technology to improve visuals and aerial combat.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Trailer
The announcement trailer focused on the Campaign Mode. The story returns to the world of Strangereal. Here, players take on the role of “Wings of Theve.” The character serves as a symbol of hope for the occupied Federation of Central Usea.
The studio also confirmed several technical updates. The game uses a new in-house cloud engine instead of trueSKY. This change allows weather to vary by altitude. It also affects visibility and combat awareness during missions.
Next, the team revealed a new combat map. It spans roughly 10,000 square kilometers. This marks one of the largest environments in the series so far.
Story presentation has also changed. Cinematic scenes now play in real time from a first-person view. Players can move their line of sight during dialogue. Some scenes also use cockpit cameras to keep the pilot in frame
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches 2026. The game is planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
