Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has a day. October 2, 2026. Bandai Namco Entertainment America put that on the June 2 “Takes Flight This October” post, and the official US game page repeats it. Pre-orders are open now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, in Standard and Deluxe. I opened the US page looking for a dollar sticker. It does not print one. I am not inventing one.

This is the first mainline Ace Combat in seven years, built by Bandai Namco Aces. The date matters because the series has been a 2019 sky for a long time, and a calendar day is how you tell a wishlist it is time to become a pre-order. Deluxe owners get in three days early, which Bandai America dates September 29.

Standard, Deluxe, and the Pre-Order Kit

Standard is the game. Deluxe adds three days of early access, a PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS voucher, and a customizable cosmetic set. The US page lists those cosmetics as the F-4E Mobius Squadron 25th Anniversary skin, the F/A-18C Team Zvezda skin, the Tasha costume set, and Scarlet Missile Smoke. Digital pre-orders, Standard or Deluxe, unlock ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR plus a playable F-14A. That bonus is not Deluxe-only. If you only wanted Zero on a modern box, you do not have to pay for a pass voucher to get it.

The Bandai Namco Store also has a Joker Flight Pack: Deluxe plus two LP vinyls, a 200-plus page ACES at WAR: A HISTORY 2029 book, a slipcover, and a slipmat. Still no USD on the official US page, so the pack stays unpriced here. The release date trailer above is from Bandai Namco Entertainment America.

Theve, Endurance, October 2

July 2029. The Federation of Central Usea is under a Sotoan invasion. You wash up on the aging carrier Endurance and get handed a name, Wings of Theve, a legend tied to the FCU capital that the official page admits was a story to keep morale alive. Then you fly it anyway, with three wingmen. Bandai America’s date post names them Baxter, Tasha, and Coster, the Joker Flight. Campaign is the pitch. Online modes are promised later.

Official social is @BandaiNamcoUS and @acecombatgames. October 2 is the date on the official US game page. Pre-orders are the new verb. I will print a dollar the first time Bandai America does.