Bandai Namco has revealed the online mode for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, describing it as the largest multiplayer offering in the series’ history. The new Ace Combat Online mode includes a virtual Air Base hub supporting up to 100 players, cross-platform play, separate progression from the campaign and a mixture of cooperative, competitive and PvPvE missions.
The details were announced through Bandai Namco’s new Online 101 trailer and an accompanying multiplayer overview. Ace Combat Online functions independently from the campaign, with its own save data and progression system. Players begin as mercenary pilots, create customizable avatars and then enter the Air Base, which acts as the main social and matchmaking hub.
Two modes form the core of the multiplayer experience. Co-Op Assault focuses on PvE and places two teams of four players into the same operation, with both groups competing to earn the highest score against computer-controlled enemies. Mission clear ranks determine rewards, while the better-performing team receives additional rewards.
Co-Op Warfare adds direct competition between players while retaining AI-controlled forces. Two four-player squads fight alongside allied land, sea and air units, with victory awarded to the team that finishes with the highest total score. Players build a Threat Level as they perform well, increasing the points available from their actions but also making them more valuable targets for the opposing team.
Reaching a three-star Threat Level gives a pilot ace status, creating additional risk and reward when high-value players face one another. Bandai Namco says aircraft roles will also affect team strategy, with fighters, attackers, multirole aircraft and electronic warfare planes designed for different battlefield responsibilities. Players can experiment with aircraft combinations, special weapons and builds rather than relying on a single optimal class.
Additional missions can appear after regular sorties. Scramble events send four players against a powerful NPC rival squadron, while Emergency Sortie missions bring eight players together against large weapons and bosses drawn from Ace Combat history. Bandai Namco is also planning limited-time traditional PvP events, including four-versus-four team deathmatch and eight-player free-for-all matches.
Progression extends beyond simply unlocking new aircraft. Increasing mercenary rank expands the available aircraft roster, while planes themselves gain levels by surviving sorties. Levelling can improve aircraft parameters and unlock unique abilities, with players also able to customize skins, emblems and weathering.
The Air Base is intended to make the online experience feel more like a persistent multiplayer space than a conventional menu. Up to 100 players can gather there, communicate, form parties and launch missions. The hub also contains military training for up to four players, a supply shop, a jukebox featuring music from earlier Ace Combat games and an arcade where players can access classic Namco titles.
Bandai Namco is also tying multiplayer progression into the game’s Ace Pass system. Playing Ace Combat Online contributes toward Ace Pass levels and unlocks, with both free and Premium tracks available. Each season will last two months, while playable aircraft included through the Premium Ace Pass will also become available for separate purchase after their associated season ends.
Cross-play will allow PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC players to compete and cooperate together. That should be particularly important for the more specialized multiplayer modes, since combining the player pools across platforms can help matchmaking remain viable across regular missions, emergency events and limited-time PvP playlists.
The scale of the mode represents a substantial expansion over Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, which offered much more traditional competitive multiplayer. Ace Combat 8 is treating online play as a separate long-term progression path, complete with its own social hub, aircraft development and seasonal content rather than as an additional set of isolated matches.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches on October 2, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. Deluxe Edition owners receive three days of early access beginning September 28, giving them the first opportunity to enter the new Air Base and begin progressing through Ace Combat Online.
