In what may go down as one of the most talked-about moments of The Game Awards 2025, fans of the long-running aerial combat franchise Ace Combat witnessed the reveal of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. The game is set to be the eighth installment to the series after a seven year hiatus since Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown launched in 2019. Namco Bandai has once again went all out and showcased a new trailer for the upcoming game to the franchise. 

The announcement was made at The Game Awards 2025, where the first trailer debuted and confirmed that the franchise is making a major return in 2026. The Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve trailer revealed it’s dedication to the single player experience by primarily showcasing it’s story that player will embark on.

The high-flying action will be joined with interactions and a characteristic crew on what seems to be a built to scale air craft carrier. Players will take on the role of an ace pilot in Strangeral, a world at war, trying to climbing up the ranks to become the “Ace of Ace” pilot.

If the story is not what your interested in the beautiful sky and flying mechanics will send you flying through the clouds. The graphics of the sky look absolutely breath taking from the announcement trailer because this game is the first of the series to be built on Unreal Engine 5 and Bandai Namco is clearly using it  their advantage to go all out.

In a press release statement Bandai Namco plans to release many more details between now and launch. They plan to include multiplayer modes and other features that “promise to make this an unforgettable sequel in the legendary franchise.”

With the success of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown selling over 3 million units in 2021 it comes as no surprise to fans that we would be seeing a sequel. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve was already back in the early stages of 2021 with studio I Love Computer Art otherwise known as ILCA who helped develop the previous most popular title in the franchise. The company was most known for it’s work in the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl which released back in back in November of 2021. The two developers merged back in 2022, now known as Bandai Namco Ace.

Without an exact confirmation we might be waiting awhile until we hear more about the exact release date, but we know that Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is set to lift off in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.