The short answer
ACE COMBAT 8 has fully launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. Bandai Namco confirmed worldwide availability on October 2; the preorder and advance-access windows have ended. Steam’s October 1, 2026 listing date and Bandai Namco Europe’s October 2, 2026 · 00:00 CEST launch time reflect regional timing. The ACE COMBAT ZERO preorder bonus currently comes through ACE COMBAT 8 on Steam; the team now says a standalone Steam application will be made available for existing preorder-bonus owners, with final QA underway. Timing and distribution details remain unannounced; new buyers cannot obtain the bonus through this change. European PC Joker Pack listings still conflict about code delivery, so check your exact order with the publisher.
Which date applies to you?
Bandai Namco Europe now publishes exact full-release and early-access times. Its September 29 at 00:00 CEST early-access time and Steam’s September 28 at 3 p.m. PDT time both equal 22:00 UTC on September 28. The European full release began October 2 at 00:00 CEST, or 22:00 UTC on October 1. Steam’s October 1 listing date is regional; the ACE COMBAT Team announced availability on October 2. Check your own storefront for purchase and download status.
| Listing | Published date and time | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Steam full release | October 1, 2026 | Regional listing date; the ACE COMBAT Team announced availability on October 2. |
| Bandai Namco Europe full release | October 2, 2026 · 00:00 CEST | The publisher gives an exact European launch time, equal to October 1 at 22:00 UTC. |
| Steam Deluxe advance access | September 28, 2026 · 3 p.m. PDT | Historical Deluxe advance-access time; this window has ended. |
| Bandai Namco Europe early access | September 29, 2026 · 00:00 CEST | Historical early-access time, equivalent to September 28 at 22:00 UTC; this window has ended. |
Compare what each edition includes
Preorder eligibility ended before the October 2 launch. Steam now also lists F-14A as separately purchasable DLC; that listing does not establish ACE COMBAT ZERO availability for new buyers. The publisher also lists a Joker Flight Pack with the Deluxe game, an ACES at WAR book, and vinyl records. Regional stock, prices and delivery are separate from digital unlock timing. We do not quote a single price across currencies.
| Content | Standard | Deluxe |
|---|---|---|
| Full game | Included | Included |
| Three-day advance access | Not included | Historical preorder offer; ended at full launch |
| Customizable Cosmetic Set | Not included | Included |
| PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS voucher | Not included | Included |
| F-14A and ACE COMBAT ZERO preorder offer | Past qualifying preorders only; check entitlement | Past qualifying preorders only; check entitlement |
European PC Joker Pack: conflicting code-delivery descriptions
Bandai Namco Europe advertised Joker and Premium Joker early access from September 29 at 00:00 CEST. Its edition explainer says the Steam code is printed on a card shipped with the physical collectibles, while the Official Store’s Joker Flight Pack PC Download listing says the key will be available in your Bandai Namco account three days before the October 2 release. Those descriptions disagree on delivery method. Neither page gives an exact code-delivery time, proves a late key or confirms when a particular buyer will receive one.
If a past Joker Pack order is still missing its key, check the exact regional SKU and its order/account delivery terms, then ask the publisher’s store support which method applies to that order. Keep the confirmation; do not buy a second copy based only on the conflicting descriptions. No buyer fulfillment or redemption has been independently verified here.
How the Steam bonus is delivered
Bandai Namco describes ACE COMBAT ZERO as a port of the 2006 game, not a remaster. The ACE COMBAT Team said on October 1 that the Steam preorder bonus is currently available through ACE COMBAT 8 on Steam because of licensing and platform considerations. The October 23 notice now confirms the standalone Steam application is available and is being added to eligible libraries in stages. Only existing preorder-bonus owners qualify; this does not make ACE COMBAT ZERO newly purchasable. The standalone app runs without AC8 installed. On the same PC, existing local progress carries over; for another PC, enable Steam Cloud before launching the standalone app. Kingy has not verified an individual entitlement or save transfer.
The bonus’s supported languages can differ from AC8. The historical advance-access offer does not establish the bonus’s current entitlement or exact access steps.
- Check your order and regional listing to confirm that it qualified for the preorder bonus.
- Read the language and redemption notes for ACE COMBAT ZERO separately from AC8.
- If the bonus is missing, keep your purchase confirmation and ask the platform or publisher about that order.
- The October 23 notice says the standalone application is being added to eligible Steam libraries in stages.
What the pass voucher does
The publisher says the Deluxe voucher can be saved for a later season. Premium Plus includes the Premium rewards and a 30-level skip. It should not be described as access to every future season or all future DLC.
Redeeming Premium or Premium Plus in Season One unlocks ADFX-02 Morgan–PIXY. The October 1 season article asks players to redeem before the end of November; it gives no exact cutoff time. The official FAQ requires all campaign missions to be completed before using it in campaign. Online access and campaign access are different questions.
Choose around the feature you want
- For the full game, compare the Standard listing first.
- Advance access has ended. Compare Deluxe’s cosmetics and one-season pass voucher with the features you want now.
- If the bonus matters to your purchase, verify eligibility and current delivery instead of inferring them from the edition name.
- Retail gameplay and the paid rewards have not been tested by Kingy, so this is an inclusion comparison, not a value review.