If you’re just now beginning to discover Ace Combat or, for the first time, actually considering giving it a shot, you’re likely not alone. Despite the fact that the series began over three decades ago, many players jumped on board for the first time only seven years ago, when Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown‘s multi-platform launch allowed it to reach a broader audience—and it certainly helped that it arrived with a lower barrier to entry than previous installments. According to an official statement from Bandai Namco, Ace Combat 7 managed to reach 7.5 million players worldwide, making it the biggest launch in the series’ history. Now, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve looks to capitalize on that larger fan base with an even bigger, more accessible, and more immersive arcade flight combat experience than its predecessor.
But even though Ace Combat is now more popular than it has ever been, the fact that it took the series almost 30 years to get there begs the question of why. Before Ace Combat 7, the series wasn’t unsuccessful by any means, and the number 7 in the title is enough evidence of that. However, it was nonetheless fairly niche compared to other action franchises, despite having a loyal following of devoted players. Well, during a recent Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve first-look event at Orbital Studios in Los Angeles, brand director Kazutoki Kono had some insight as to why it took the series so long to enter the mainstream, and it comes down to what he claimed were “three misconceptions” the unacquainted often have about it.
Misunderstanding #1: Ace Combat Is a Flight Simulator
When I asked Kono about what he believes are the most common misunderstandings people have about Ace Combat, it was coming from the standpoint of someone whose first experience with one of the games was, in fact, Ace Combat 7 in 2019. I’m fully aware of the misconceptions that I had about it before I actually put my hands on the sticks, and based on the reviews I read and watched that ultimately convinced me to get it, my misconceptions clearly aligned with those of many others. But I wanted to hear directly from Kono what player feedback has been like on Bandai Namco’s side, as I felt that would give me a better understanding of why Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve was seemingly going to even greater lengths to broaden its reach beyond what its predecessor was able to accomplish. Kono stated:
The first one is, at a glance, it looks like a flight simulator, and players often think, “Oh, the controls must be so nuanced and detailed that it’s going to be really hard, so I’m just not going to pick it up.” But when they actually pick it up, it feels more like an arcade shooter that’s very easy to immerse yourself in.
The first misconception he mentioned was right on the money for me. Prior to Ace Combat 7, I assumed the series was just a collection of flight simulation games, and I have never been interested in that concept. I can understand why some people are, but it doesn’t offer me the kind of rewarding gameplay experience I crave. However, when I played Ace Combat 7 for the first time, it took no time at all for me to become enthralled by its arcadey approach to aerial combat. It gave me the fantasy of being an ace pilot without asking me to understand the real-world complexity of actually flying a fighter jet, and that distinction is probably the biggest reason the series was able to grab me in the first place. Ace Combat looks far more intimidating from the outside than it actually feels once a player is in control, and, based on my hands-on time with it, that’s exactly the kind of misunderstanding Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve seems built to address even more directly.
Misunderstanding #2: Ace Combat’s Eight Entries Creates a Huge Hurdle
The second misconception he mentioned is actually one that I had never thought of before, at least not in the way that he framed it. When I played Ace Combat 7 for the first time and fell in love with it, my first thought was, “How am I just now discovering this series? How did six installments go by without me realizing what Ace Combat actually is?” Obviously, that was all tied to the fact that I thought Ace Combat was just a flight simulation game, but Kono still had another perspective on why it has taken players like me so long to get into the cockpit:
The second is the fact that it has a number on it—8. And you look at 8, and I’m sure it feels very intimidating and a huge hurdle. But I would actually flip the script and say this franchise has withstood eight iterations, and it’s still going strong. In fact, it’s going stronger.
Of course, that makes complete sense. At first glance, seeing that Ace Combat has received eight mainline installments over the course of three decades is a lot to take in for a newcomer, especially considering that effectively makes it one of the longest running video game franchises ever made. It’s one thing to jump into a series with the second or even the third entry, but to think of walking through the door to its eighth installment is something else entirely. New players are bound to see that number 8 and assume they have too much catching up to do, so they avoid it at all costs. But, to Kono’s point, a better way of looking at it might be to admit that a series that has lasted so long is clearly successful for a reason, and it might be time to discovery why firsthand.
Misunderstanding #3: Ace Combat Is All About Dogfights
The third misconception is one that I completely understand, and it’s one that I had prior to playing Ace Combat 7. Not only did I think Ace Combat was all about dogfights and unlocking increasingly powerful planes that can be used in combat, I wasn’t aware that it has a story and an entire world for players to discover. Sure, Ace Combat stories are notorious for being strange, frequently to a fault. Even Ace Combat 7, the game that brought the series into the mainstream, has narrative beats that are just absurd enough to chuckle at. Nevertheless, it’s part of Ace Combat‘s identity, and it’s sufficient to ensure this isn’t just a game about getting into a jet and shooting down enemy aircraft until the credits roll. As Kono explained:
And the third is, I think, people’s idea that the gameplay is almost all about dogfights and piloting and fighting, whereas when you actually play it, there’s a lot of human drama and character and world building and setting. So, we’ve made an effort in our first and second trailers to focus a bit more on the drama component, because I think when players actually play it, they think, “Oh my God, I didn’t know this world had so much depth and there’s so much character and interaction, etc.”
And as someone who has already played Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve for nearly six hours, I can confidently say that it is already the most story-driven game in the series yet, and a lot of that comes down to its first-person perspective. The upcoming entry is already proving itself to be a game that players can really immerse themselves in, rather than one that keeps its characters and world at a distance between missions. There are more cutscenes than I expected, but they never felt excessive during my preview. Instead, they made it easier to understand who I was fighting alongside, what was happening around me, and why the conflict mattered beyond the next objective marker.
That might be Ace Combat 8‘s biggest advantage when it comes to winning over newcomers. It still looks like a flight combat game from the outside, and the number 8 in the title may still make some players feel like they are showing up far too late. But if Kono’s three misconceptions say anything, it’s that Ace Combat has always been easier to misunderstand than it should be. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve seems built to correct that from the very start, giving players a clearer way into its combat, its world, and its story. If Ace Combat 7 opened the door to a much larger audience, Wings of Theve looks like the game that could convince even more players to finally walk through it.
- Released
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October 2, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
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Bandai Namco Aces
