Ace Combat 8 director hints at upcoming story DLC and the possibility of Ace Combat 9.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Thevel is set to launch on October 2, and Bandai Namco is already laying the groundwork for the franchise’s future. In a recent interview, Ace Combat brand director Kazutoki Kono hinted at the possibility of story DLC and even teased Ace Combat 9 while discussing the series’ direction.

Kono shared insights about Bandai Namco Aces, a studio formed in 2022 specifically for Ace Combat development. Previously, the team members would disperse to work on various projects between game releases, but this new structure allows them to concentrate solely on the series, collaborating in specialized teams. He suggested that the story team is already preparing for new content once the campaign for Ace Combat 8 wraps up.

“We’ve already announced that Ace Combat 8 will feature a live-service component, which requires a dedicated team to keep rolling out new content,” Kono explained. “I haven’t gone into detail about this yet, but once the main storyline is complete, there will be new challenges ahead. And looking even further, we might see Ace Combat 9 as we continue to expand the franchise.”

While Bandai Namco hasn’t officially confirmed any story DLC for Ace Combat 8, the game’s FAQ hints at future expansions, stating, “The Ace Combat series has a long history of supporting players with additional post-launch content. While we are not ready to share details about future content plans at this time, we look forward to sharing more information in the future.”

Kono’s remarks are the first indication that additional missions could be on the horizon in future updates, which aligns with the approach taken in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, where three extra missions were added post-launch.

His mention of Ace Combat 9 reflects confidence in Bandai Namco Aces as a “more self-sustaining” entity. Kono emphasized the importance of nurturing institutional knowledge, developing technology applicable to other projects, and empowering smaller teams to tackle various aspects of game development.

“At the heart of development are the people, the talent. To support their growth and future paths, we need to retain that knowledge,” Kono stated. “When each individual can elevate their skills, it opens up more development avenues. Different teams can emerge around those who have retained that expertise.”

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Thevel is launching on October 2 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.

Prepare for an epic aerial showdown!