Bandai Namco says Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has passed one million copies worldwide, making it the fastest-selling game in the series. The flight shooter launched on 2 October 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, so it hit the mark in roughly a week.
The publisher shared the milestone in a post on X on 9 October, thanking players and promising further updates to keep them engaged.
How it compares with earlier games
Bandai Namco didn’t give a breakdown by platform or region, and hasn’t said whether the figure counts digital and physical sales together. It also hasn’t published a comparison with earlier entries. Push Square notes that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown remains the best-selling title in the series by a wide margin, with 7.5 million units since its 2019 launch. The publisher never said when that game reached one million, but it took well over a year to reach two million.
Reviews have helped. VGC reports that Ace Combat 8 holds a “Generally Favorable” Metacritic score of 87, which makes it the second-best-reviewed game in the series on review aggregates. Only Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies scores higher, and narrowly.
Why the series still sells
Brand director Kazutoki Kono told VGC earlier this year that the flight shooter genre is more crowded than many assume, across mainstream and indie releases. In his view, the series’ edge is 30 years of accumulated storytelling and a deep roster of aircraft. He also described the games as a “hero-making experience”, where you overcome challenges to become the ace pilot, rather than simply flying into dogfights.
The launch followed a promotional push that included a live-action Hour Zero prequel released before the game arrived.
Which platforms is Ace Combat 8 on?
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It launched on 2 October 2026.
Is it the best-selling Ace Combat game?
Not yet. It’s the fastest to one million copies, but Ace Combat 7 has sold 7.5 million units over seven years, according to Push Square.
