Theve wing release date and all confirmed flights to date

If a nuke hits a forest but no one is left to hear it, does it make a sound? It looks like we may get the answer to this question this October, as Ace Combat 8 ​​is preparing to become the second game in the franchise to feature an exploding atomic bomb.

A giant mushroom cloud and shockwave were included in the ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ during the Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve release date trailer at today’s PlayStation State of Play show event.

Although Ace Combat has always had a dramatic flair, to put it mildly, the franchise has always been shy about nukes, given both the universe and the constraints of the real world. Combined with the recent confirmation that the game will have the largest scale in the series, today’s trailer is an indication that Project Aces is not pulling any punches in this regard.

Fox 2 (nd October)!

As cool and unexpected as the nuke sequence, the main news of the day is that we finally have an official release date (no, PEGI of May 30 does not count).

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will be released on October 2 this year. For the average gamer, this means we only have to wait four months to get our hands on this. If you measure things with the timekeeping unit of the latest game industry, Ace Combat 8 ​​​​will have uninterrupted attention for a month and a half until people dive into GTA 6, with the bonus of giving you some flying lessons before you take the ‘real’ flight of the famous Rockstar.

Now, please get back to the nukes. The proliferation of nuclear weapons has been a hot topic in global security since the atomic bomb was invented, but Strangereal’s Ace Combat site didn’t deal with that.

When creating an Ace Combat theory, Project Aces decided it would be more fun to put all the points into making super-powered flying machines instead of nukes. This decision made for a different artistic reference to the game’s technology, but also better aligned with the Japanese public’s historical concerns about nuclear weapons.

However, nukes are always close to Ace Combat, because of one game. In Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War (2006), Belkan forces detonate seven nuclear warheads at their base to stop the enemy’s advance.

It’s the kind of over-the-top plot point that makes Ace Combat great, and Project Aces isn’t shy about the connections between the two games. Ace Combat Zero is offered as a pre-order bonus for Ace Combat 8. In addition, players also gain access to the F-14A Tomcat swing-wing carrier fighter, which recently appeared in Ace Combat 7’s Top Gun: Maverick Pack.

If Ace Combat 7 is any indication, the Tomcat will be available for purchase later, as was the F-4E that was offered as a pre-order bonus at the time.

All Aircraft Known to Operate in Ace Combat 8: Theve Wings

Before the game’s release in October, Here is a list of the aircraft seen in promotional material so far. This list includes both playable and AI-controlled planes, separated by traditional real-world terrain.

United States:

• IA-10A Thunderbolt II

• IA-6E Intruder

• IF/A-18E/F Super Hornet

• IF/A-18C Hornet

• IF-15E Strike Eagle

• IF-4E Phantom

• IF-4S Phantom

• IF-14A Tomcat

• IF-16C Viper

• IF-22A Raptor

• F-35B Lightning II

• SH-60J Seahawk

The EU:

• Eurofighter Typhoon

• Rafale C

Russia:

• Su-33

• The Su-35S

• Su-57

• MiG-29SMT 9.18

• MiG-29 9.12

Invention:

• MQ-19

• ADFX-02 Morgan-Pixy

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve comes out on October 2, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Released

October 2, 2026

Engineer(s).

Bandai Namco Aces

Cross-Platform Play

Full