Today, Bandai Namco Entertainment America announced a live-action prequel short film to Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, titled Hour Zero.
Hour Zero will expand the game’s story ahead of its October 2, 2026 launch. The short film will star Josh Holloway (Lost, Yellowstone), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), and Tamlyn Tomita (Cobra Kai), and is set to release in four installments beginning September 15, 2026, with the final episode arriving before the game’s release.
Hour Zero is designed to introduce both longtime fans and newcomers to the world of Ace Combat, following three strangers as they attempt to survive the opening days of the Republic of Sotoa’s invasion of the Federation of Central Usea. Holloway portrays a pilot with nowhere to land, Routh plays a doctor who saves an enemy soldier, and Tomita plays a news anchor who is silenced after trying to reveal the truth.
The series will be told in reverse chronological order, centering on the personal lives of its three protagonists as it counts backward to the moment their ordinary lives were destroyed by the outbreak of war, setting the stage for the events players will experience in the game’s Campaign Mode. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve returns players to the series’ long-running fictional setting of Strangereal, where the world has been plunged into a major conflict and the Republic of Sotoa has occupied the Federation of Central Usea.
With the FCU’s military forces shattered and survival becoming the nation’s only option, players take to the skies as Wings of Theve, a legendary ace whose name is connected to Theve, the FCU’s capital and a symbol of hope for its people.
Players will be joined by a squadron of three new fighter pilots as they fight against overwhelming odds to repel Sotoa’s invasion and reclaim their homeland. The campaign is being positioned as one of the franchise’s most cinematic entries, combining a character-driven story focused on identity and duty with the series’ signature aerial combat.
Developed by Bandai Namco Aces, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is the first mainline entry in the series in seven years and is being built with Unreal Engine 5 alongside Bandai Namco’s proprietary technology. The combination is intended to deliver more realistic aircraft, environments, and large-scale aerial battles as the franchise pushes its flight-shooting gameplay to a new level.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on October 2, 2026, with Deluxe Edition owners receiving early access beginning September 29, 2026. The game is currently available to pre-order in Standard and Deluxe Editions.
