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Breaking Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

Ace Combat 8 Smashes the Series’ Steam Record With 52,000+ Players

Wings of Theve peaked at more than 52,000 concurrent players on Steam, nearly four times the old series record set by Ace Combat 7. Critics love it; PC players want a performance patch.

5 October 2026 GetRekt News Desk

Ace Combat 8 Smashes the Series’ Steam Record With 52,000+ Players

TL;DR

Peaked at 52,000+ concurrent Steam players a day after its 2 October launch

Nearly 4x Ace Combat 7 (13,758) and the best PC launch in series history

Steam reviews ~78% positive: great dogfights and campaign, weaker PC frame rates

Way Too Many Games scored it 9.5/10

Out now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S with 100-player cross-play

Seven years after Skies Unknown, Ace Combat is back, and PC players turned up in force. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launched on 2 October and peaked at more than 52,000 concurrent players on Steam a day later, according to SteamDB. That’s the best PC launch the series has ever had, by a long way.

The numbers

For context, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown peaked at 13,758 players on Steam in 2019, and Assault Horizon managed 3,795. Wings of Theve nearly quadrupled the old record and reportedly topped Steam’s global top sellers chart along the way. Bandai Namco hasn’t shared sales figures yet, and Steam is only one of three platforms, so the full launch is likely bigger again.

What players think

Steam reviews sit at around 78% positive (Mostly Positive). The dogfights, mission variety, campaign and soundtrack are getting the love. Most of the complaints are about PC performance, with frame rates lower than people expected, and opinions on multiplayer are mixed.

Critics are keener. Way Too Many Games gave it 9.5/10 on PC and called it “a bonafide magnum opus”, praising the mission design, controls and voice acting. Their main gripe: not enough post-game content once you’ve finished the campaign.

One thing tripping people up: the pre-order bonus, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, only works with Wings of Theve installed. Licensing means it’s handled as DLC rather than a standalone game.

What you’re getting

It’s back in Strangereal. After the Lighthouse War, the FCU comes under attack from Sotoan invaders. You play REX, who takes on the identity of the legendary Wings of Theve after the real pilot, Jan Cope, is killed in a crash. You lead Joker Flight alongside Professor, Tasha and Noise.

A first-person story campaign with chain-destruction set pieces and a new dynamic cloud and weather system
Quick wingman commands (back from Ace Combat 5), plus a cockpit view and both simulator-style and arcade-style controls
Ace Combat Online: 100-player lobbies with cross-play across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Modes include Co-Op Assault (2-4 player PvE), Co-Op Warfare (4v4 with NPC units), Scrambles, Emergency Sorties (8 players vs a superweapon) and limited-time PvP events

It’s out now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it’s NZ$119.95 on Steam at the time of writing.

Our take

Fifty-two thousand people in the air at once for a series this niche is a massive result. If Bandai Namco gets a performance patch out quickly, that review score should climb. Flying it already? Tell us how the PC version is running for you in the comments, or find a wingman on the Discord.

Sources: TechPowerUp (SteamDB data), Way Too Many Games, Bandai Namco. Images: Bandai Namco.