Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve slammed into PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam today with the full numbered sequel treatment after seven years. The launch is already cooking on Steam with a 37k+ peak concurrent and mostly positive reviews hovering around 76% globally, though Japanese players are sitting prettier at 86% very positive.

Bandai Namco dropped the F-35C Lightning II unlock guide right on cue for day-one grinders. It’s not a preorder flex — you start free with the F/A-18C Hornet, then chain through the Mirage 2000-5 (130k MRP), a Super Hornet variant (240k MRP), the EA-18G Growler (350k MRP), and finally drop 550k MRP on the Lightning II itself, plus all the parts tax along the branch. The plane’s already popping up in multiplayer clips and early clears, and it doubles as a stepping stone to the post-campaign X-40 Nightmare.

The real flex isn’t just the jet list — cross-play lobbies are live, the Air Base hub is popping, and players are already theorycrafting loadouts while the campaign’s story choices and squad commands keep the Strangereal drama cranked. If you’re still on the fence about the MRP marathon, the community’s already sharing the efficient farm routes.