With just a month left to go before ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE takes to the skies, Bandai Namco has revealed the series’ biggest online modes to date.
Bandai Namco has just pulled back the curtain on a fresh trailer for ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, with just a month to go before the title takes flight on October 3. In the Online 101 trailer, Bandai Namco Entertainment reveals new online 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.
The graphical prowess shown in previous ACE COMBAT 8 campaign trailers has not taken any hits; fans can expect the same visuals, photorealistic graphics and intense battles as shown in previous Campaign Mode trailers, but progression will be markedly different. The full Online 101 trailer can be seen just below, courtesy of Bandai Namco.
Players enter online mode as a blank slate in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE. You are a mercenary pilot, with a fully customizable avatar that can be personalized. Once outfitted, an interactive Air Base will act as the online lobby when you enter online mode, and players can meet and chat with pilots worldwide.
WINGS OF THEVE features two main online multiplayer modes: Co-Op Assault mode, which is focused on PvE combat where two teams of four players compete for the highest score in missions that feature a variety of enemies and objectives, and Co-Op Warfare, which is the game’s PvPvE mode, pitting two teams of four against each other with CPU NPC obstacles. The team with the highest total score at the end wins and earns more rewards.
The Air Base lobby is a big part of the experience in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE online mode. Players can matchmake and launch sorties or participate in military training mode with up to four players. Players can also just loiter around the hub and interact with pilots worldwide via chat, play classic Bandai Namco arcade games in the virtual arcade, or play the Jukebox to jumpstart nostalgia with soundtracks from prior ACE COMBAT games.
ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE arrives in early access, available for Deluxe Edition holders on September 28, 2026, and the official launch for all players is on October 2 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
