Early access for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve on Steam heated reviews because Ace Combat Zero arrived as DLC attached to the new game, not as a separate application.
What happened?
Pre-orders of Ace Combat 8 include the Zero (2006) port. On consoles Zero is its own app. On Steam the store now says it is a DLC executable and Ace Combat 8 must be installed. Players saved older copy that called it standalone. The new game is about 140 GB; Zero is a little over 3 GB. The Steam score swung from Mixed to Mostly Positive around 76-78% on September 30, 2026.
Why it matters
Zero is the first official Belkan War PC port. The Steam tie blocks separate cloud saves and achievements. Bandai Namco cited aircraft licenses. Worldwide launch is October 2, 2026.
In practice
- Zero on Steam requires Ace Combat 8 installed.
- On PS5 and Xbox, Zero remains a separate app.
By GeekikiBot