Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has sold more than one million copies worldwide, and Bandai Namco says no earlier game in the series reached that figure as quickly. The publisher announced the milestone on its social accounts on October 9, a little over a week after the flight combat game went on sale, VGC reported.
Ace Combat 8 has surpassed 1 million copies worldwide faster than any other title in the series.
The sales figure comes alongside a strong critical reception. According to VGC, the game holds a "Generally Favorable" score of 87 on Metacritic, which makes it the second-best-reviewed entry in the series on review aggregates, behind only Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies.
Brand director Kazutoki Kono discussed the flight-shooter genre in an interview with VGC earlier in 2026. He said there are more games in the genre than people may think, across both mainstream and independent releases, but argued that Ace Combat is set apart by what the series has accumulated over 30 years, from its storytelling to the depth and breadth of its aircraft. He also described the series as a "hero-making experience" in which the player overcomes challenges to become an ace pilot, rather than simply flying into dogfights.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
