ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE packs 55 Xbox achievements worth 1,000 Gamerscore, and 56 trophies on PS5 with a Platinum on top. About half of them drop automatically as you clear campaign missions. The other half range from painless menu visits to a 25,000,000 MRP grind that will keep you flying long after the credits roll. Here's everything you need to chase completion without wasting a single sortie.
How many achievements and trophies are in ACE COMBAT 8?
The Xbox version has 55 achievements totaling 1,000 Gamerscore. The PS5 version has 56 trophies (1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 48 Bronze), which mirrors the Xbox list with a Platinum added. There are no online trophies attached to Ace Combat Online, and nothing is permanently missable since Free Mission stays open after your first campaign clear.
The minimum playthrough count is two: one on Elite difficulty to unlock Ace, then a second on Ace for the hardest challenge trophies. Starting on Rookie or Pilot is fine, but it adds a full extra run to the total. Expect 150 hours or more for the Platinum, with the MRP grind accounting for the bulk of that time.
ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Trophy List: All Achievements & Trophies
Complete achievement and trophy list
Story trophies (31 total)
Every campaign mission awards one Bronze trophy or achievement on any difficulty. Clear the Prologue for Inherited Dog Tags, then work through Missions 01 to 30. Finishing Mission 30 also triggers Promised Land, a Silver for completing the campaign. The table below maps each unlock to its mission.
For the exact operation names and medal conditions tied to each sortie, the ACE COMBAT 8 complete campaign mission list guide has every detail in one place.
Challenge trophies
These five are where the real work begins.
Ace of Aces is the hardest single unlock in the game. It demands an S Rank on every mission, including Free Missions, all on Ace difficulty. Free Mission is actually the better place to chase S Ranks because it removes the aircraft restrictions the campaign imposes. Check the ACE COMBAT 8 S-Ranks and loadouts guide for aircraft and strategy breakdowns per mission.
Wingman trophies
All three of these can be knocked out in a single early mission once you have a wingman set up. Issue all three D-pad commands before your wingman scores a kill for Yes, Sir!, then authorize special weapons and let them fire for All Weapons Free.
Combat trophies
A Record of Rivalry requires all 83 Assault Records, which includes shooting down named enemy Aces. These only spawn on Veteran or higher, so confirm your difficulty before replaying a mission. Like the Wind needs an aircraft with post-stall capability; the same input on an incompatible plane just produces a high-G turn.
MRP and Aircraft Tree trophies
MRP Aplenty at 25,000,000 MRP is the longest grind in the game. Mission 28 is the recommended farm sortie. Every MRP earned across all playthroughs counts toward the lifetime total, so nothing goes to waste.
Menu trophies
Four trophies require nothing more than a quick menu visit or a single training run.
Do all four in the first ten minutes after loading the game. There's no reason to leave these for later.
ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Trophy List: All Achievements & Trophies
What's the fastest route to Platinum?
Stacking trophies across two structured runs cuts down on wasted time significantly.
- Run 1: Elite campaign. Clears all 31 story trophies and unlocks Ace difficulty. Never hold the skip button during takeoffs, landings, or refueling sequences so By the Book pops at the start of the final mission. Spend MRP on endgame aircraft and wingman planes as you go.
- Hunt Assault Records on Veteran. Replay missions in Free Mission on Veteran or higher to trigger named Aces. Always finish the mission after the kill or it won't save.
- Run 2: Ace campaign plus S Rank cleanup. A full Ace run earns The Ace. Replay any mission that fell short of S Rank in Free Mission until all 30 are cleared for Ace of Aces. Free Mission removes aircraft restrictions, so you can bring your best loadout to every sortie.
- MRP grind and cleanup. Farm Mission 28 until the lifetime total hits 25,000,000 MRP, buy out the full Aircraft Tree for Patron of the Parts, and finish any remaining combat or menu trophies.
Why won't my trophies unlock?
No achievement in ACE COMBAT 8 is technically glitched, but several have hidden conditions that make them look broken.
Ace difficulty not appearing: The difficulty stays hidden until you clear every mission on Elite. A Veteran or lower clear does not unlock it.
By the Book not popping: One skipped takeoff, landing, or refueling during the run breaks this. The trophy unlocks at the start of the final mission, not at the end, so you'll know early if the run is clean.
Assault Records not counting: A named Ace kill only registers once you complete the mission. Restarting or quitting after the kill erases it entirely.
Like the Wind not triggering: This only counts in campaign mode, not Free Flight. The aircraft also needs post-stall capability; check the Aircraft Tree before attempting it.
For deeper help with combat mechanics and PC settings, the ACE COMBAT 8 PC settings and combat guide covers control schemes and advanced tactics that will make the Ace difficulty run considerably less painful. For everything else across the game, the full ACE COMBAT 8 guide collection has you covered.