Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has already set a series record on Steam. It reached 37,214 concurrent players on 2 October, according to SteamDB. Ace Combat 7 peaked at 13,758. That makes the new game's opening roughly 2.7 times larger.
That many pilots arrived despite a PC launch carrying more warning lights than the average cockpit. Steam currently labels the English reviews "Mostly Positive," with 78% of 3,210 reviews recommending the game at the time of writing. The complaints are not all about the flying. Crashes, flight stick support, Steam Deck compatibility, and the strange packaging of the Ace Combat Zero preorder bonus are dragging down the mood.
The Steam numbers are excellent
This is the first mainline Ace Combat in seven years, and the audience clearly showed up. Wings of Theve launched worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC after three days of paid early access. Its campaign returns to the fictional Strangereal setting, while the expanded online mode adds crossplay, co-op operations, competitive events, and a 100-player Air Base hub.
The Steam peak matters because Ace Combat has never opened this strongly on Valve's store. It does not tell us how the console versions are selling, nor does it make the PC complaints disappear. It does show that the seven-year wait translated into a much bigger launch audience.
PC players should check the fine print
Bandai Namco has acknowledged unexpected crashes in the Steam version and published basic troubleshooting advice. The publisher recommends current graphics drivers, at least 16 GB of free SSD space beyond the installation itself, and Windows virtual memory. Those suggestions may help some systems, but they are not a substitute for a patch.
Flight stick owners have another reason to pause. Bandai Namco says some configuration options available in Ace Combat 7 are missing from the new game. The studio is reviewing feedback, but it has not given a timetable for changes.
The Steam Deck situation is more direct. Steam marks the game as Unsupported. GamingOnLinux found that the campaign could run through Proton during early access, but online matches did not. Players could enter a lobby and were kicked when joining a game, apparently because of Easy Anti-Cheat. Anyone buying primarily for Steam Deck or another SteamOS device should treat multiplayer as unavailable unless Bandai Namco confirms a fix.
Ace Combat Zero comes with a 150 GB catch
The preorder and early-purchase bonus includes a modern port of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. On consoles, it is delivered as a separate game. On Steam, it is a DLC executable tied to Ace Combat 8, so the full base game must stay installed to launch it.
That is a painful arrangement for a small 2006 game. Steam lists 150 GB of available storage in the PC requirements for Ace Combat 8. Bandai Namco apologized for not explaining the distribution method clearly before release. The publisher blamed licensing restrictions and platform considerations, and said it is discussing possible options. It did not promise that the Steam version will become independent.
There is still plenty of good news here. The audience is the largest the series has seen on Steam, the campaign is available without touching multiplayer, and the user score has recovered to Mostly Positive. PC buyers should still read the store page before dropping $69.99. If you need flight stick options, SteamOS multiplayer, or a tiny standalone install for Ace Combat Zero, wait for a status update rather than assuming launch week will sort itself out.
