Ace Combat 8 is already in the crucible of development

Bandai Namco’s airborne shooter, “Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown”, released in 2019, perpetuates an arcade-style aerial combat gameplay that has spanned nearly three decades. It has graced platforms such as PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One, and four years have elapsed since its debut. A pressing query among many enthusiasts is the unveiling date of the next installment in the “Ace Combat” series.

Recently, the producer of “Ace Combat”, Kazutoshi Kono, granted an audience to Tech4Gamers. He divulged that Bandai Namco is in the throes of assembling a fresh team, and “Ace Combat 8” is already in the crucible of development. Additionally, “Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown” is poised to cross a seminal milestone, with global sales teetering on the brink of five million copies.

The clarion call for this nascent development team is to craft “Ace Combat 8” as a paragon, replete with impeccable visual fidelity and an immersive aerial combat experience. To this end, seasoned game developers have been inducted into the fold. There are still some vacancies within the team, spanning roles such as environment artists, character designers, UI effects artists, and level designers. To ensure unwavering development standards, Bandai Namco has ensconced key veteran members at strategic junctures, tasked with mentoring the greenhorns and fostering a conducive development milieu. Moreover, in a bid to elevate the game’s quality to loftier heights, the team has delved profoundly into flight simulation research.

Bandai Namco has previously intimated that “Ace Combat 8” will harness the Unreal Engine 5, a choice made to manifest jaw-dropping visual realism. Sources whisper that Bandai Namco had kindled the development flames of “Ace Combat 8” as early as 2021, though, until now, the world remains largely in the dark regarding the project’s progress.