Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has passed one million copies sold worldwide about a week after launch, Bandai Namco and Project Aces said on October 9, 2026. The studio called it the fastest million in series history. The game launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on October 2, with Deluxe Edition early access starting September 28.

The number is a sharp contrast with the last main entry. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown arrived in 2019. Bandai Namco later reported 2.5 million copies for that game around January 2021, roughly a year and a half after release. Lifetime sales for Ace Combat 7 have since climbed past 7 million, and the franchise as a whole sits above 21 million. Wings of Theve reached its first million in days, not months.

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What pushed the launch

The long gap is the clearest driver. Fans waited about seven years for a numbered sequel. Pre-orders bundled a PS5 version of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War and the F-14A, which gave older players a reason to buy early. Deluxe buyers also got three days of early access, so sales were already moving before the standard edition unlocked.

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Demand showed up in the charts. Before full release, the game reached the top of Steam’s U.S. top sellers list on pre-order and early access revenue. After launch it led global Steam revenue charts and set a series record for concurrent players. Reports put the Steam peak above 37,000 at first, then past 52,000. Ace Combat 7’s Steam peak was about 13,800.

Reception helped the word of mouth. Critics scored it around 87 on OpenCritic, with nearly all recommending it. Steam reviews landed in the positive range, with players praising the dogfights, campaign, and soundtrack. Complaints about performance and anti-cheat on Linux did not stop the sales climb.

Emergency Sortie

Arcade flight games rarely sell like this. A loyal base, a clean multiplatform release, and a drought of similar titles gave Wings of Theve a clear runway. Whether it keeps that pace is the next question. Ace Combat 7 grew for years after launch. A first-week million suggests this one starts from a much higher floor.