Bandai Namco unveils Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve – First trailer presented at The Game Awards 2025
More than just a gentle breeze: Bandai Namco showed the first trailer for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve at the 2025 Game Awards, giving us a first glimpse of the setting, characters, and aerial combat.
With Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, Bandai Namco is continuing its long-running dogfighting action series in 2026 – and the new trailer from The Game Awards 2025 clearly shows where the journey is headed. Amidst clouds that are arguably among the most beautiful ever seen in video games, this time you'll be looking at a future in which a collapsed state, a scarred pilot, and an old aircraft carrier form the starting point for a new campaign.
The story of Ace Combat 8 begins in the summer of 2029. Your pilot is rescued from a lifeboat and brought to the Endurance. An aging aircraft carrier that has retreated far behind the lines and is overflowing with refugees. The Central Usea Federation was overrun by the Republic of Sotoa in a very short time, vast regions are occupied, and the military structure lies in ruins. You take on a new identity on the ship: “Wing of Theve,” the namesake of the game. This is where Ace Combat 8 comes in – you take on the role that was previously only a myth and work together with a new squadron of pilots to recapture your character's homeland.
Once again, the focus is on fast-paced, direct action. As expected and typical for the series, Ace Combat 8 relies on fast-paced dogfights, precise maneuvering, and an arcade feel that fans of the series are familiar with. You experience cutscenes from a first-person perspective, watch the crew grow together, and feel the pressure of making decisions under wartime conditions. Bandai Namco Aces, the team behind previous installments in the series, wants to appeal to both veterans and new players who value story and characters.
Mt Ace Combat 8 in seventh aviation heaven
Technically, the trailer highlights the elaborate depiction of the sky: dynamic cloud structures, different flight altitudes, and visible weather layers are intended to convey the impression of a credible environment. This makes battles not only spectacular, but also more tactically varied. For you, this means assessing threats, marking targets cleanly, and keeping track of everything in dense combat.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is scheduled for release in 2026. The Game Awards 2025 will thus mark the start of a new phase for the series.
