Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is off to the best start the series has ever had. Bandai Namco Entertainment announced that the flight shooter has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide, reaching that milestone faster than any previous Ace Combat game.
The game launched on Friday, October 2, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, so it crossed the line in roughly a week. Bandai Namco shared the news in a press release in Japan and in a post from its European account. “Thank you to all the ace pilots around the world for your support in reaching record-breaking heights,” the company wrote.
Bandai Namco didn’t give a more precise number or a split between platforms. It did credit both longtime fans and new players for the result, and said the milestone reflects the Ace Combat brand it has built over 30 years along with Project Aces’ development work and the publisher’s global release. A special wallpaper celebrating the milestone is available now on the game’s official Japanese website.
Wings of Theve is the first new numbered Ace Combat since Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown in 2019. It is developed by Project Aces, the Bandai Namco studio behind the series, and keeps the formula fans know: a dramatic story campaign, a large roster of licensed aircraft, and big set-piece dogfights. Brand director Kazutoki Kono told VGC earlier this year that Ace Combat’s edge comes from its 30 years of storytelling and the depth of aircraft it can offer, describing each game as a “hero-making experience” for the player.
The sales news follows a strong critical reception. According to VGC, the game is now the second-best-reviewed entry in the series on review aggregates, behind only 2001’s Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
For more on how reviewers reacted, read RCG’s earlier report: Ace Combat 8 lands an 88 on Metacritic and an 87 on OpenCritic.
