The Ace Combat series has always been a console-first franchise. Most entries never made it to PC at all, so when Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown peaked at 13,758 concurrent Steam players back in 2019, that felt like a genuine win. Fast forward to this week, and ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE has blown that number completely out of the water.
The numbers that tell the story
The game officially launched on 2nd October after three days of early access, and by Saturday the 4th, Steam was showing a peak of 52,694 concurrent players. That is nearly four times what Ace Combat 7 managed at its best, and it puts Wings of Theve firmly in the conversation as one of the most successful flight action launches PC gaming has seen in years.
Player sentiment is tracking positive too. With over 5,755 reviews posted, the game currently sits at a Very Positive rating on Steam. That is a meaningful signal, especially given the rocky start the launch had.
A pre-order controversy that almost derailed the momentum
Here's the thing: the launch was not entirely smooth. Shortly after early access opened, players discovered that Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, bundled as a pre-order bonus, was not a standalone application as many had assumed. Instead, it had to be launched through Wings of Theve itself, which created compatibility headaches and frustrated a vocal portion of the community.
Bandai Namco addressed the situation publicly, apologising for what it acknowledged was misleading store page wording, and confirmed it is exploring solutions. That response appears to have taken some of the heat off, with the review sentiment staying firmly positive through launch weekend.
What this means for the series going forward
The key here is context. Ace Combat has historically struggled to build a PC audience because so few entries ever came to the platform. Ace Combat 7 changed that trajectory, but 13,758 players was still a modest ceiling. Jumping to 52,694 in a single weekend, during what has been a packed October release window, is a different story entirely.
PS5 and Xbox Series X/S player counts remain undisclosed, which means the total player base across all platforms is almost certainly larger still. The Steam figure alone signals that the series has genuine momentum on PC now, not just a niche following.
For players jumping in fresh, the complete campaign mission list guide covers all 31 missions in order, including medal conditions and MRP farming tips that will save you a lot of grinding time. If you are chasing completionist goals, the full trophy and achievements guide maps out all 55 achievements and 56 trophies with a Platinum roadmap included.
Bandai Namco will need to follow through on the Ace Combat Zero situation to keep that goodwill intact, but right now, Wings of Theve is the strongest PC debut this series has ever had. The next few weeks of post-launch support will show whether the studio can hold that audience.
