During today's State of Play, Sony announced that Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will be released on PlayStation 5 on October 2, 2026. For Deluxe Edition owners, early access will open on September 28 at 3:00 PM PDT.

Along with the announcement, a campaign trailer was shown — it features new boss battles, footage with allies and rivals, as well as hints at the events awaiting players in the story mode.

The story mode will again be the central part of the series. The events of Ace Combat 8 unfold in the fictional world of Strangereal, familiar to fans of previous installments, and the script was written by Sunao Katabuchi. Players will be tasked with waging war against Sotoa and earning their wings as an ace pilot.

The game will feature more than 30 aircraft: from real fighters to original models. The machines are divided into four roles — fighters, attack aircraft, multirole aircraft, and electronic warfare planes. Players will also be able to manage the squadron's composition and issue commands to wingmen during missions.

At the start, the player will lead Joker Squadron. Among the characters are Ellington Baxter, Tasha Seversky, William Coster, and Kate Evans, known as Little Bee.

Separately, the trailer showcased the Land Battleship — a giant weapon that is crucial to the plot. It measures approximately 450 meters in length and moves towards Theve, destroying skyscrapers in its path. There will also be a battle against an enemy squadron following the leak of operational information.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is already available for pre-order in the PlayStation Store. The Deluxe Edition includes three days of early access and additional skins for aircraft. As a pre-order bonus, players will receive Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War for PS5 and an F-14A Tomcat aircraft.