The Ace Combat 8 price is $69.99 for Standard and $89.99 for Deluxe with 3-day early access. Three Bandai store tiers run 79.99 EUR to 179.99 EUR.
Ace Combat 8 Price and Contents of Every Edition
Quick answer: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE costs $69.99 (69.99 EUR) for the Standard Edition and $89.99 (89.99 EUR) for the Digital Deluxe Edition. Three collector tiers sold only through the Bandai Namco store start at 79.99 EUR and top out at 179.99 EUR. There is no Ultimate Edition on any storefront. The game launches worldwide on October 2, 2026, and any copy bought before that date also carries the F-14A plus ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR pre-order package.
This page was written on September 27, 2026, five days before launch. The dollar and euro figures come from the Steam, PlayStation and Xbox store listings. Prices in any other currency are not yet confirmed, so treat regional numbers circulating elsewhere as unverified until a local storefront prints one.
Standard Edition vs Digital Deluxe Edition
Both digital editions contain the same campaign, the same ACE COMBAT ONLINE mode and the same pre-order package. The twenty dollar step up buys three things, and nothing else changes.
| Item | Standard Edition | Digital Deluxe Edition |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $69.99 | $89.99 |
| Euro price | 69.99 EUR | 89.99 EUR |
| Base game | Included | Included |
| 3-day early access | Not included | Starts September 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT |
| PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS voucher | Not included | One season, with 30 tier skips |
| Customizable Cosmetic Set | Not included | Four items, detailed below |
| F-14A and ACE COMBAT ZERO package | Included if bought before October 2, 2026 | Included if bought before October 2, 2026 |
Standard is the right call for anyone who plans to play from launch day onward. Deluxe exists for players who want the September 28 early start, a paid pass track handed to them for free, and a handful of cosmetics for the online mode.
Official source: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE on Steam
What the Deluxe Edition Actually Contains
Early access is the headline item. Digital Deluxe buyers, plus buyers of the Joker Flight Pack and the Premium Joker Flight Pack, start playing on September 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT, which is September 29 at 00:00 CEST. That is three days ahead of the October 2 worldwide launch, and it is the only official route to playing before launch day. The timing was published in the PlayStation Blog launch announcement and repeated by Bandai Namco's European site.
The second item is a PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS voucher. It redeems for one pass season, whatever season is running when you redeem it, and it comes with 30 tier skips on top of the premium reward track.
The third is the Customizable Cosmetic Set, four pieces in total:
- Tasha Costume Set, usable in the online mode only
- F-4E Mobius Squadron livery
- F/A-18C Team Zvezda livery
- Scarlet Missile Smoke
None of that content is sold separately at launch, and none of it touches the campaign difficulty curve. Cosmetics are cosmetics; the early access window is the part with a clock on it.
The Three Bandai Namco Store Tiers
Beyond the two digital editions, the Bandai Namco store sells three hardware-flavored tiers. They are store exclusives, and the two game-bearing packs ship the game itself as a PC/Steam digital code.
| Tier | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| The Vinyl Collection | From 79.99 EUR | 2LP soundtrack on vinyl, 15 tracks |
| Joker Flight Pack | From 149.99 EUR | All Deluxe digital content, hard box, 2LP soundtrack, record mat, 208-page art book ACES at WAR A History 2029 |
| Premium Joker Flight Pack | From 179.99 EUR | Everything in the Joker Flight Pack, plus a 7cm Wings of Theve embroidered patch and a 300x900mm LED XXL mouse pad |
Two practical notes. First, the Joker Flight Pack and Premium Joker Flight Pack are PC/Steam products: the physical box and the goods are real, but the game arrives as a code. Second, both packs were showing as sold out on the store page when this was checked on September 27, 2026, so availability may move before launch.
The full comparison table lives on the official Bandai Namco EU site, alongside the early access and bonus details quoted above.
Official source: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE All You Need To Know
There Is No Ultimate Edition
Steam lists two stock keeping units for this game, $69.99 and $89.99. The PlayStation store lists the same two. The Xbox store lists the same two. The Bandai Namco store adds its three physical tiers and stops there.
No Ultimate Edition exists on any storefront as of September 27, 2026. If a page, video or forum post sells you one, it is either describing the Joker Flight Pack tiers or making the number up. Official material also refuses to promise traditional DLC or a season pass, so no extra tier is hiding behind a future announcement.
The same rule applies to post-launch content: the publisher's official line is that it is not ready to share details about future content plans. Anything beyond that is community speculation.
The Three ACE PASS Tiers
Editions and passes are separate systems. Every player gets the free pass whether they buy Standard or Deluxe.
| Pass | Who gets it | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| ACE PASS | Everyone | ACE PASS XP earned in ACE COMBAT ONLINE, redeemable for cosmetics and aircraft upgrade items, with a new season every two months |
| PREMIUM ACE PASS | Purchased per season | An extra reward track plus seasonal paid content, including immediately unlockable aircraft; Season 1 adds ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- |
| PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS | Deluxe voucher or purchase | Premium benefits plus 30 tier skips |
The official FAQ states there are no paid randomised rewards and no consumables, which rules out loot boxes in the usual sense. Premium Pass aircraft are planned to go on sale separately after their season ends. ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- is usable in the online mode right away, while the campaign only unlocks it after you clear every mission. Premium and Premium Pass Plus prices are not yet confirmed.
Which Edition Fits Which Buyer
Buy Standard if you simply want the game on October 2 and you are happy to wait out the three day gap. It is the cheapest legal copy, it still includes the pre-order package, and it runs on all three platforms listed on the platforms comparison page.
Buy Deluxe if September 28 matters to you. Three days of early access plus a full premium pass season is the whole value proposition, and the cosmetics only sweeten it for players who spend time in ACE COMBAT ONLINE.
PC shoppers should read the PC requirements page before paying, because the 150 GB SSD and Windows 11 bars are non-negotiable and a machine that misses them cannot run the game at any price.
Anyone holding out for a free copy through a subscription should check the Game Pass status page first: there is no official announcement, and none of the Deluxe perks are tied to any subscription. Flight stick owners have a separate open question, covered on the VR and flight stick page.
FAQ
How much does Ace Combat 8 cost?
$69.99 for the Standard Edition and $89.99 for the Digital Deluxe Edition in US dollars, or 69.99 EUR and 89.99 EUR in euros. Prices in other currencies are not yet confirmed. Collector tiers on the Bandai Namco store run from 79.99 EUR to 179.99 EUR.
What is the difference between Standard and Deluxe?
Deluxe adds the three day early access window starting September 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT, a PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS voucher covering one season with 30 tier skips, and the four-piece Customizable Cosmetic Set. The campaign and multiplayer content are identical in both editions.
Is there an Ultimate Edition?
No. No storefront sells an Ultimate Edition. The only tiers that exist are Standard, Digital Deluxe, The Vinyl Collection, Joker Flight Pack and Premium Joker Flight Pack.
Do I need the most expensive edition to play early?
No. Early access belongs to the Digital Deluxe Edition, the Joker Flight Pack and the Premium Joker Flight Pack only. The 179.99 EUR tier buys a patch and a mouse pad, not extra playtime.
Does pre-ordering cost extra?
No. Pre-order bonuses attach to any edition bought before October 2, 2026 at no added cost, and the package contains the F-14A and ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR.
Related Guides
- Ace Combat 8 Early Access Times — the three day window that separates Standard from Deluxe buyers.
- Is Ace Combat 8 on Game Pass — why a subscription will not cover the Deluxe perks.
- Ace Combat 8 PC Requirements — check the hardware bar before paying for the PC version.
- Ace Combat 8 PS5, Xbox and PC Compared — where each edition is actually sold.
More Ace Combat 8 Guides
ACE COMBAT 8 Hour Zero is a four-episode live-action prequel, not a game chapter or DLC. See the episode schedule, the cast and what the series adds.
ACE COMBAT 8 sits at 87 on Metacritic for PS5, 86 on PC and 90 on Xbox Series X, with an 88 on OpenCritic as of September 27, 2026.
Ace Combat 8 PC requirements: Windows 11, 16 GB RAM, RTX 2060 or RX 6600 XT, hardware ray tracing and a 150 GB SSD for 1080p at 30 fps on Low.
The Ace Combat 8 PS5, Xbox Series and Steam versions launch October 2, 2026. PS5 adds Pro Enhanced support; Xbox lists 4K, HDR10 and ray tracing.
Pre-order any Ace Combat 8 edition before October 2, 2026 to get the F-14A plus Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. Here is what you get.
Steam and Xbox preload for Ace Combat 8 is not yet confirmed. PS5 preload is press reported for September 29 at about 108.672 GB.
Ace Combat 8 unlocks worldwide on October 2, 2026 at 22:00 UTC. See the release date converted to PT, ET, BST, CEST and JST.
Tasha Severskaya is Joker Flight No. 3 and a former Zvezda star in ACE COMBAT 8. See her backstory, voice actresses Emi Lo and Chika Anzai and her costume.