Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, published by Bandai Namco and developed by Bandai Namco Aces, has launched in early access for Deluxe edition owners. While the game previously received critical acclaim with scores between 86 and 90 percent on Metacritic, initial user reception on Steam has been mixed.
The game currently holds a 67 percent rating on Steam based on over 1,100 reviews. Players have praised the aerial combat, visual presentation, controls, and soundtrack. However, technical issues have emerged, including poor optimization, memory leaks, and frequent game crashes.
Additional criticism concerns pre-order bonuses, specifically the Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War title, which reportedly fails to launch independently of the new game. The full release for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S is scheduled for October 2 at 1:00 AM Moscow time.
The game will feature real-world fighter jets, massive combat machines, and Russian language support. Pricing for the PC version on Steam starts at 4,999 ₽. The developer has not yet released peak online player statistics, which are expected after the official launch.
