Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Story Trailer Reveals Annihilation Battles

Bandai Namco and Bandai Namco Aces have released a new story trailer for flight action game Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, alongside new details on its returning Annihilation Battle missions and several threats players will encounter.

The story trailer highlights a confrontation between Shadow 22, leader of the Sotoan Air Force’s elite Shadows Unit, and Joker Flight, led by the pilot known as the Wings of Theve. Players will command their squad against Sotoan forces while defending the Federation of Central Usea.

Annihilation Battle will return as part of the campaign, including Mission 7. These missions task players with destroying as many enemy targets as possible within a time limit while leaving the order of attack largely up to them. One such operation includes a solar power plant, oil tanks, an air base, and an ammunition dump. Supply lines allow players to replenish weapons during the mission, making the timing of trips back to the return line another consideration.

Destroying flammable objects such as oil tanks can trigger explosions that take out nearby structures. Buildings near the crash sites of destroyed enemy aircraft can also be damaged.

The Megafloat Fatsia is one of the campaign’s major threats. Located off the western coast of the Republic of Sotoa, the six-kilometer artificial island functions as an arms factory and supply station. Its upper deck contains a 2,000-meter runway capable of handling large transport aircraft, while a cold-fusion power plant supplies its military and industrial facilities.

Fatsia’s defenses include CIWS, surface-to-air missile batteries, railguns, defensive aircraft, and UAVs connected through its radar systems. The UAV network extends its defensive coverage to a 400-kilometer radius.

Another weapon, the Tonitrus Spear, operates from a satellite platform positioned 500 kilometers above the planet. The Sotoan weapon fires dense metal rods using kinetic energy and is based on a project Yuktobania originally conceived during the Cold War as an alternative to nuclear strikes.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on October 2, 2026.