Fans of the Ace Combat series have been waiting to hear about the new game for quite a while, but the developers at Bandai Namco Aces are working hard toward the moment in which it can be revealed.
During the traditional year-end interview on the Japanese website 4Gamer, Executive Vice President Kazutoki Kono provided an update, mentioning that while the developers have to face challenges every day, they’re giving their all and putting their body and soul into it, as results are also starting to show.
He adds that it’ll still take a bit longer before the new game can be revealed, and mentions that he wants to enjoy the excitement for the 30th anniversary of the series together with the fans.
The anniversary will come this year, precisely on June 30, 2025. The same day in 1995 saw the launch in Japan of Air Combat, the legendary first game of the beloved series, for the original PlayStation.
The latest game, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, was released almost six years ago, in January 2019, bringing the series back to its beloved Strangereal setting. It has since sold 5 million units, shattering all previous records for the series.
Back in 2021, Bandai Namco announced that the next game of the series would be developed together with ILCA (which recently shipped Sand Land for Bandai Namco) in Unreal Engine 5.
We haven’t heard much else since, but hopefully, we’ll learn more during the anniversary celebrations.
In the meanwhile, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is currently available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and it has recently been released for Nintendo Switch as well.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Ace Combat series, it’s a franchise of “simulation-lite” air combat games focusing on contemporary fighter jets and well-known for its cinematic and deep storytelling.
