The Game Awards had plenty of reveals on Thursday, including the return of Ace Combat. The combat flight simulation will make its comeback next year with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, which will be the first new game in the franchise since 2019's Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

In Ace Combat 8, you're once again a one-person force taking on a whole squadron of fighter jets. If this lives up to the series' reputation, expect a surprisingly dramatic story about nations at war and the battles they fight in the sky.

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When does Ace Combat 8 come out? 

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will come out in 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. 

What is the story of Ace Combat 8?

Even though the Ace Combat series uses real aircraft and weapons, the story takes place in the universe of Strangereal. The world is just like Earth, with different countries that have their own power struggles and political battles that feel familiar. 

Players take the role of a fighter pilot adrift at sea, whose homeland's naval force has been destroyed, Bandai Namco Entertainment CEO Nao Udagawa told Variety Thursday. The Federation of Central Usea was invaded by the Republic of Sotoa, and it's up to this pilot and the crew of the vessel Endurance to fight back. In the series timeline, the events in Ace Combat 8 take place after Ace Combat 7 and before Ace Combat 3.