Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve appears on 2 October 2026 according to Kotaku

• The preview describes it as the first Ace Combat release in seven years and is based on about an hour of hands-on time.
• Kazutoki Kono is mentioned in the article as Ace Combat’s brand director.

What happened

Kotaku published a preview on 23 September 2026 of the next Ace Combat game, using the name Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. In the piece, the game is presented as the next major release in Bandai Namco’s air-combat series, with a planned release date of 2 October 2026. The publication ties that date directly to the preview, framing the game as a title due to arrive very soon after the article.

The preview is based on about an hour of playtime. Writer Moises Taveras says he had not played the series before, so the article mainly offers a first impression of the game. Based on the source provided, it reads more like a short hands-on report than a full review or in-depth test.

Kotaku also links the game to Kazutoki Kono, who is identified in the article as Ace Combat’s brand director. Kono is quoted as saying that flying freely through vast skies is a universal desire shared across countries and cultures. The quote is used in the preview to frame the series’ theme and the franchise’s return.

The publication also explicitly says this is the first Ace Combat game in seven years. That positions the title as a long-awaited comeback for the series, although the provided source does not add extra details about spin-offs, remasters, or regional releases in between. No platforms, editions, or pre-order details are mentioned in the available information.

Background

Ace Combat is Bandai Namco’s long-running flight-combat series. Kotaku positions Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve as the next step in that lineup and explicitly describes it as the first new Ace Combat game in seven years. That gives the title a clear comeback status in the article, without the source adding further historical context about earlier mainline entries or side releases.

In the piece, Kazutoki Kono is named as the person representing the series as brand director. His name matters because Kotaku directly connects him to the franchise and uses his quote to describe Ace Combat’s core appeal: the feeling of free flight across wide open skies. The provided source does not name any other developers, publishers, or team members.

The preview is written by Moises Taveras and includes his personal note that he had not played the series before. That detail is important because it shows the impressions come from a first-time encounter lasting about an hour. The source does not mention technical specs, a platform list, or any regional release differences.

The only concrete release date in the provided information is 2 October 2026. Because Kotaku uses the title in a preview, the source still leaves open whether Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is the final official title or a name used in the context of the article. The seven-year framing is also Kotaku’s editorial wording, with no further support included in the text provided here.