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Everything you need to know about the Season One Ace Pass in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, from free rewards to the ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY.
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ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE has launched its largest multiplayer mode in franchise history, and with it comes the Season One Ace Pass, a two-month reward track that gives every pilot, free or premium, something to chase. Whether you're grinding PvE co-op missions or queuing up for PvP warfare, every match you finish feeds into your Ace Pass progression. Here's the full breakdown of what's available, what's worth it, and what you need to do before the season ends.
The Ace Pass is ACE COMBAT ONLINE's seasonal progression system. It runs in two parallel tracks: the Free Ace Pass and the Premium Ace Pass. Both tracks advance by earning XP through completing missions in the multiplayer mode. The more missions you finish and the better you perform, the faster you climb through 100 levels of rewards.
Every season lasts two months, and the rewards reset when a new season begins. That means anything exclusive to Season One, including the headline aircraft, is gone once the clock runs out.
The Free Ace Pass is available to every player at no additional cost. Across its 100 levels, you can unlock:
The catch: not every Free Ace Pass level awards a reward. Some levels are progression gaps, so expect uneven pacing as you climb the track.
Blueprints and Zoll contracts earned on the Free track can still be used to unlock aircraft upgrades, the same upgrades available through standard in-game play. Nothing on the Free track is pay-to-win, but the gaps between meaningful rewards are noticeable compared to the Premium side.
The Premium Ace Pass unlocks a second reward layer on top of the Free track. Redeeming a Premium Ace Pass or Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher gives you access to additional rewards at every level, plus the Season One exclusive aircraft.
Here's the short answer on what the Premium track adds over Free:
| Reward | Free Ace Pass | Premium Ace Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Playable aircraft | None | ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY |
| Aircraft skins | 12 | +13 additional |
| Aircraft emblems | 9 | +9 additional |
| Avatar costumes | 4 | +11 additional |
| Emotes | None | 1 |
| Extra credits and supply tickets | Limited | Yes |
Both tracks also include blueprints, boost tickets, and aircraft banners alongside the items listed above.
For anyone who played ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR, the ADFX-02 Morgan needs no introduction. It's the experimental multirole aircraft flown by Larry Foulke, call sign Pixy, the protagonist's wingman who turned against the alliance in a last-ditch attempt to reshape the Belkan War's outcome. It's one of the most story-loaded aircraft in the entire franchise.
In ACE COMBAT 8, the airframe has been modified to carry two types of special weapons simultaneously, chosen from a pool of three types that includes high-output lasers. That makes it one of the most tactically flexible aircraft in the game's multiplayer roster.
The ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY and its exclusive skin collection are locked behind the Premium Ace Pass. There's no other way to get this aircraft in Season One.
The Premium Ace Pass Plus is a step up from the standard Premium Ace Pass. The key difference: redeeming a Plus voucher automatically unlocks the first 30 out of 100 Ace Pass levels, including all normal and premium rewards for those levels at the moment of redemption.
This is the voucher bundled with the Deluxe Edition, the Joker Flight Pack, and the Premium Joker Flight Pack. If you pre-ordered one of those editions, you already have it.
For a full breakdown of which edition includes which pass and how early access works, check out the ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE release date and editions guide.
Both tracks advance the same way: complete missions in ACE COMBAT ONLINE. The two main modes are Co-Op Assault, a 2-4 player PvE mission where your team chases a collective high score, and Co-Op Warfare, a PvP mode where two teams of four face off with NPC units in the mix.
Limited-time missions also feed into your progression. Scrambles pit four players against a powerful NPC squad, while Emergency Sorties throw 8 players at iconic superweapons from previous ACE COMBAT games. Special PvP events like 4v4 deathmatch and 8-player free-for-alls appear periodically as well.
The mistake most players make is ignoring the limited-time missions. These often have unique scoring conditions and can push your Ace Pass levels faster than standard queue grinding.
Credits, blueprints, and supply tickets earned through both tracks can be exchanged at the Supply Shop for item packs. These packs unlock aircraft upgrades, the same upgrades available through regular in-game play. The Supply Shop is your main conversion point for turning Ace Pass currency into meaningful aircraft improvements.
Cosmetic rewards like aircraft emblems, avatar costumes, and rare titles are exclusive to the track that awards them. Free track cosmetics can't be obtained on the Premium track and vice versa, so there's no overlap on the cosmetic side.
Here's why that matters for your decision: the ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY is genuinely one of the most capable aircraft in the current multiplayer roster, and it carries significant franchise history. If you're planning to put real time into ACE COMBAT ONLINE this season, the Premium track's additional 13 aircraft skins, 11 avatar costumes, and extra currency on top of the headline aircraft makes it a reasonable value for active players.
Skip this if you're primarily a Campaign Mode player with no interest in multiplayer progression. The Ace Pass is entirely tied to ACE COMBAT ONLINE, and none of its rewards affect the single-player campaign directly.
For everything else about the game, from editions to story details, browse the full ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE strategy guides collection.
How long does Season One last? Each season runs for two months. Season One is live now with Early Access underway, and rewards must be claimed before the season ends in late November.
Can I earn the ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY without paying? No. The ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY is exclusive to the Premium Ace Pass track. It cannot be earned on the Free track.
Does the Ace Pass carry over between seasons? No. Each season has its own reward set. Unclaimed rewards from Season One will not be available in Season Two.
What happens if I buy the Premium Ace Pass after already leveling up on the Free track? You'll unlock the Premium rewards for all levels you've already completed, so you won't miss out on earlier rewards by upgrading mid-season.
Is ACE COMBAT ONLINE cross-play? Yes. All lobbies and matches in ACE COMBAT ONLINE are fully cross-play enabled across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
ACE COMBAT 8 is part of a growing wave of shooter games that are building out live-service multiplayer modes alongside traditional campaign experiences. As of the latest update, Season One is the place to be for anyone who wants the Morgan-PIXY in their hangar.
