Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia today released more information about the highly anticipated online multiplayer mode in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, the newest title to be released on PlayStation®5, XBOX Series X|S, and PC via Steam® on 2 October 2026.
ACE pilots from around the world are invited to prepare for the most exhilarating multiplayer aerial combat experience ever when the game launches. Pilots are invited to learn more about this upcoming mode with the new ‘Online 101’ trailer, which showcases game modes, progression and rewards, and a range of new content that’s accessible via a new Air Base virtual lobby that can host up to 100 players from around the world. Watch the trailer now:
Online Multiplayer Mode
For online multiplayer mode, there are two core missions – Co-op Assault and Co-op Warfare
Multiplayer Mode
Co-op Assault
Two teams of four players work together to complete missions and compete to see which team can earn the highest score.
Rewards vary depending on the mission completion rank, with the winning team earning more rewards.
Co-op Warfare
Two teams of four players face off against each other, alongside various land, sea, and air NPC units.
Enjoy strategic gameplay centered around Threat Level and ACEs. The team with the highest total score at the end wins and earns more rewards.
Co-op Warfare Ace Aircraft
In Co-op Warfare, your Threat Level increases as you continue to rack up points without being shot down. Threat Level is displayed as stars, and the number of stars you earned determines the amount of bonus points scored when you shoot enemy aircraft or destroy enemy units.
To win, it’s important to raise your Threat Level as quickly as possible and earn points efficiently.
On the other hand, the higher a player’s threat level, the more points they award to the opposing team when shot down.
Players who reach a threat level of 3 stars are designated as Ace
When an Ace Aircraft destroys an opposing team’s Ace Aircraft, it results in the largest score earned for the team, and that single strike can sometimes determine the outcome of the match.
Time-Limited Missions
Special missions such as “Scramble” or “Emergency Sortie” will appear for a limited time. Victory in either of these special missions will earn you greater rewards.
Emergency Missions
Scramble
As a team of four, you'll take on a formidable NPC rival squad in a nail-biting dogfight.
Emergency Sortie
Take on the massive weapon that symbolises the series as an 8-player team, where a fierce, high-difficulty battle awaits.
As part of our regular event missions, we’ll be introducing 4-on-4 team deathmatches, as well as deathmatches where all 8 players are enemies. Additionally, these
Team Deathmatch (4v4)
Solo Deathmatch (1v8)
In-game Communication
In-game communication will vary compared to campaign mode. Your team and wingmen aren’t Baxter, Tasha, or Coster. ACE pilots from all over the world will take to the skies with you, so use simple communication features like chat, stickers and attack commands to coordinate with your teammates.
Aircraft & their Roles
ACE pilots will understand the importance of flying the right aircraft for the role. Combining the right aircraft with the right special weaponry and customisation options
Aircraft
Type
Fighter
A role that primarily utilises
Attacker
Primarily a ground-attack special weaponry, its role is to wipe out ground-based enemies.
Its attack power is boosted against enemy ground-based units.
Multi-Role
An aircraft that excels by switching between anti-air and anti-ground weapons.
It delivers equally strong firepower against both aerial and ground enemies.
Electronic Warfare Aircraft
A role that provides electronic support to the team.
By boosting the team's combat effectiveness and disrupting the enemy, the player earns points.
Acquiring Aircraft, Special Weaponry, and Upgrade Parts
Use the rewards you earn from completing missions to acquire new aircraft and upgrade parts. As you rise through the ranks, the variety of aircraft available to you will continue to expand.
Upgrade parts can be earned through in-game currency or by completing challenges. These parts can be equipped on all units. Abilities can be acquired through leveling up your aircraft and is exclusively equipped by each aircraft. Abilities in-game reflect each aircraft unit’s unique character.
Aircraft Customisation
Players can freely customise the appearance of their aircraft through skins, emblems, and weathering effects. As you progress through the game, you can unlock new skins and emblems. Take to the skies on missions in your very own aircraft, customised to your liking.
Online Lobby
The series’ first-ever online lobby allows up to 100 players to connect simultaneously. Players can create their own avatars and use this lobby as a base from which to embark on various missions as mercenary pilots. The lobby features a wide variety of functions and facilities, including acquiring and upgrading fighter jets, customising avatars, and purchasing items via in-game currency. Missions will match players from around the world, including players from other lobbies.
The online lobby will feature an arcade with Namco classics, a Supply to obtain items, a jukebox with iconic music from past series, and Military Training where up to 4 players can sortie together, among various other contents.
Avatar Customisations, Party & Squad System
As you progress through the game, you can unlock a variety of avatar outfits. Create your very own avatar and connect with ace pilots from around the world.
You can communicate with players you meet through missions at the air force base. Form a party to embark on missions together or create your own squadron to strengthen your teamwork and aim for even greater achievements.
PREMIUM ACE PASS & Paid Cosmetics
The “PREMIUM ACE PASS” (Battle Pass) is updated every two months and allows players to instantly obtain playable aircraft and a variety of cosmetic items. In Season 1, you can obtain the ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- as a Level 1 reward.
A wide array of customisable options will also be available for purchase when the game launches.
Playable Aircraft
Rafale M (Multi-role Aircraft)
A versatile omnirole carrier
Its nickname is “Rafale”, meaning “gust of wind”.
F-15J Eagle (Fighter Aircraft)
A variant of the F-15C, created outside the original developer's country. Featuring updated avionics and the ability to carry new types of high-performance guided missiles, it perfects an impenetrable defense of the skies.
Like the F-15C, its nickname is “Eagle”.
F-22A Raptor (Fighter Aircraft)
A stealth fighter developed as part of the Advanced Tactical Fighter program. Its weapons systems are housed in internal bays to maintain low detectability.
Through its high maneuverability and integrated information systems, it boasts overwhelming superiority in air combat.
MiG-21bis Fishbed (Fighter Aircraft)
A classically designed small, low-weight fighter combining delta wings and horizontal tail wings. While its tricky controls ask a lot of the pilot, its incredible maneuverability has proven itself on the battlefield time and time again.
Its nickname is “Fishbed”.
F-14A Tomcat (Fighter Aircraft)
Early purchase bonus, the initial model of the carrier-based fighter series that would later be upgraded to the "Super Tomcat." Its role of using long-range missiles to outrange and eliminate threats to the fleet has remained consistent from its creation.
Its nickname is “Tomcat”.
ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- (Multi-role Aircraft)
Season 1 “PREMIUM ACE PASS” (Battle Pass) Aircraft, a large multirole aircraft used in an uprising by terrorists in A World With No Boundaries.
Codenamed "Morgan," this versatile plane features high-output lasers, multi-purpose burst missiles, and more.
About ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE
ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE carries on the legacy of ACE COMBAT, a franchise that has always pushed the envelope of game visuals and action-packed, arcade-inspired game play in the flight shooting genre. The newest entry will once again break boundaries, with the trailer showing a glimpse at what realism powered by new generation consoles can bring to the experience. Players fly the world’s most advanced fighter jets in a game marked by stunning visual details and effects, with realistic expanses of clouds and finely rendered terrain and landscape, and the added challenge of navigating through inclement weather. Players will also experience thrilling cinematics, with the possibility to live them from the first-person point of view, adding even more immersion to the story.
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