{"rewrite":{"id":"r_5825074017412db0ecd66d57","clusterId":"c_ebfd5f2e76f6b0fc61d2ec7d","slug":"ace-combat-8-launches-october-2-with-metascore-88-and-zero-port-deadline","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"Ace Combat 8 Launches October 2 With Metascore 88 And Zero Port Deadline","summary":"Bandai Namco Entertainment's ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE launches digitally on October 2 at 7:00 for PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, following early access for Deluxe Edition buyers. The standard edition costs 9,790 yen and the Deluxe Edition 11,990 yen. Purchases made by 6:59 on October 2 include a port of ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR at 2160p and 60fps, and the pre-order bonus adds the playable aircraft F-14A. The port will not be sold separately because of fighter jet licensing arrangements, and the official X account has warned buyers about the cutoff. First production run package copies carry serial codes for the bonus. The campaign follows Lieutenant Colonel Jean Kope, a fallen hero called Wings of Sheave, as the Sotoa Republic invades the Usean continent. Online mode includes PvE and PvPvE. Metacritic sits at 88 for the PS5 version as of early October.","whyItMatters":"The bonus port carries the same licensing restriction that keeps ACE COMBAT ZERO off store shelves, so the only route to a 2160p/60fps version of a 2006 game runs through a purchase window that closes before the game even launches.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eBrand Director Kazutoki Kono released a message when the ZERO port was announced on June 30, the series\u0026#39; 31st anniversary. The campaign has over 20 missions and runs more than 20 hours per playthrough, set in the fictional world of Strangereal. Online mode includes lobbies for up to 100 players, and arcade cabinets with Namco classic titles sit in the lobbies; the game\u0026#39;s endgame content is described as the largest in series history, with players rising through the ranks as mercenaries.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMetacritic stood at 87 from 55 PS5 reviews, 86 from 28 PC reviews, and 90 from 4 Xbox Series X|S reviews as of September 26; 87 was the second-highest PS5 score in series history after Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies. The PC early access version has drawn frequent crash reports in some environments. The development team said on Steam News the cause is likely not any single hardware configuration, and advised updating graphics drivers, keeping at least 16GB free on the install SSD, and enabling Windows virtual memory. Some flight stick configuration functions available in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown are unavailable here; the team is working on improvements. A live-action prequel short film and its making-of are out.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"The Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War port bundled with Ace Combat 8 carries no separate release because of fighter jet licensing, so the cut-off is a one-time window rather than an early-buyer perk.","twitterPost":"Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War never leaves the Ace Combat 8 bundle. Fighter jet licensing rules out a standalone port.","threadsPost":"The Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War port coming with Ace Combat 8 is not a pre-order perk that gets sold again later. Fighter jet licensing blocks a separate release, which turns the October 2 cutoff into the only chance to buy it.","newsletterBlurb":"ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE launches October 2, and with it comes the only chance to get the 2160p/60fps port of ACE COMBAT ZERO, which cannot be bought on its own because of licensing. The PC build has crash reports and flight stick gaps to sort out. Reviews put the PS5 version at 88 on Metacritic.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/10/01/173007.html\",\"title\":\"If You Want the Port of 'Ace Combat Zero,' You Have to Buy Now! 'Ace Combat 8' Officially Launches Tomorrow, October 2 - Main Game 'AC8' Earns High Metascore of 88\"},{\"source\":\"Inside\",\"url\":\"https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2026/10/01/188591.html\",\"title\":\"If You Want the Port of 'Ace Combat Zero,' You Have to Buy Now! 'Ace Combat 8' Officially Launches Tomorrow, October 2 - Main Game 'AC8' Earns High Metascore of 88\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":17320,"outputTokens":1526,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1791071967,"createdAt":"2026-10-03T23:56:55.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T23:58:22.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-03T23:58:22.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_ebfd5f2e76f6b0fc61d2ec7d","canonicalTitle":"『エスコンZERO』移植版が欲しいなら今買うしかない！『エースコンバット8』明日10月2日に正式発売―本編『AC8』はメタスコア88点の高評価","representativeArticleId":"a_bc0f69c3c4e3bf10d452c1ae","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Ace Combat 8\",\"Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-10-01T06:45:02.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-10-01T08:40:02.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-03T23:58:20.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Inside","url":"https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2026/10/01/188591.html","title":"『エスコンZERO』移植版が欲しいなら今買うしかない！『エースコンバット8』明日10月2日に正式発売―本編『AC8』はメタスコア88点の高評価"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/10/01/173007.html","title":"『エスコンZERO』移植版が欲しいなら今買うしかない！『エースコンバット8』明日10月2日に正式発売―本編『AC8』はメタスコア88点の高評価"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Ace Combat 8","Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE launches digitally on October 2 at 7:00 for PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.","The standard edition of ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE costs 9,790 yen and the Deluxe Edition costs 11,990 yen.","Digital purchases of ACE COMBAT 8 made by 6:59 on October 2 include the ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR port, which runs at 2160p and 60fps.","The ACE COMBAT ZERO port will not be sold separately because of fighter jet licensing arrangements, and package version codes are limited to the first production run.","Ace Combat 8 holds a Metacritic score of 88 for the PS5 version as of early October 2026, after recording 87 from 55 reviews on September 26."]}