Following its reveal at The Game Awards 2025, Bandai Namco shared deeper development insights for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, due in 2026. In a preview interview, developers revealed consultations with former combat pilots and new 'Cloudly' graphics tech to balance realism and arcade fun in the Strangereal setting—the series' first on current-gen consoles.
Ace Combat series brand director Kazutoki Kono and producer Manabu Shimamoto discussed the upcoming title in a preview ahead of The Game Awards on December 12, building on the cinematic announcement trailer.
This sequel to 2019's Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown introduces 'Cloudly' graphics technology for realistic cloud physics. Players can weave through clouds, using contrails to spot foes for tactical advantage. Consulting former combat pilots grounded these features: "What they told us is that it's too scary to go into clouds; [they] actually avoid it altogether," Shimamoto said via translator, contrasting real caution with the game's heroic maneuvers.
Set 10 years after Ace Combat 7 in the fictional Strangereal world, the story continues the underdog struggle after the Federation of Central Usea's defeat by the Republic of Sotoa. Players control an unnamed pilot rescued by remnants aboard an outdated aircraft carrier, earning the alias Wings of Theve amid crew dynamics and high-stakes battles.
Jets like the F-18E Super Hornet are photorealistically recreated to suit the carrier-based action, though UAVs were dialed back per fan feedback to prioritize intense dogfights. "We are going for a certain level of reality, but we do want to give the player a lot of decision-making agency," Shimamoto explained. Extensive world-building via roleplayed invasions shapes the lore, with Kono noting only about 10% makes it into the game.
Both developers highlighted the F-18E's details, like its nose cone, as a development favorite.
