The campaign in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has 30 missions, and reviewers who finished it report roughly 15 to 20 hours for a first run. Reviewers call it one of the longest campaigns in the series, and the Aircraft Tree, harder difficulties and the separate online mode can add a lot more.
Below we collect the playtimes reviewers reported, explain what the missions look like, what stretches or shortens a run, and what is left after the credits. This covers the launch version on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, which went live in Deluxe early access on September 28, 2026; Bandai Namco has announced no campaign differences between platforms.
How Long the Campaign Takes
Bandai Namco has not published an official playtime, so these figures come from published reviews:
| Reviewer | Reported time | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Digitally Downloaded | around 15 hours | PS5 |
| TechRadar | around 18 hours | all 30 missions, PC |
| Hardcore Gamer | almost exactly 20 hours | full 30-mission campaign |
| Push Square | around 20 hours | reviewer’s estimate, given in reader replies |
| CGMagazine | around 32 hours | Elite difficulty, Expert controls, plus an online press session |
Going by those reports, a first run on the default difficulty should land somewhere between 15 and 20 hours. CGMagazine’s much higher figure mixes in a hard difficulty setting and multiplayer time, so treat it as a ceiling rather than the norm.
Some detail on where those hours go:
- Missions are long. Hardcore Gamer reports most missions take around 15 minutes, with a few longer ones running past 30.
- There are far more cutscenes than in Ace Combat 7. The story is now told in first person between missions, and GamesRadar’s reviewer says it took 45 minutes from booting the game to finishing the first mission. The same reviewer says they thin out as the campaign goes on.
- The finale is big. PC Gamer describes the closing stretch as a climax of around two hours.
How Many Missions There Are
Reviews from GamesRadar, Push Square, TechRadar, CGMagazine and Hardcore Gamer all count 30 missions. For comparison, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown launched with a 20-mission campaign, which is why TechRadar calls the new one significantly longer.
Bandai Namco’s own material promises dogfights, air support for ground troops, strikes on ships threatening the carrier, and key missions against superweapons. Xbox Wire’s preview of the first 10 missions lists escort missions, bombing runs, air-to-air combat, a land battleship set piece and a fight to protect the carrier fleet. Reviewers add a few more types:
- Score-attack missions where you destroy as much as possible before a timer runs out
- A low-altitude mission spent staying under enemy radar
- A mission where you flee in an underpowered aircraft
- At least one tight flight through a confined space, per Hardcore Gamer
The PS5 trophy list, as published on PlayStation Network, has one trophy for a prologue and one each for Missions 01 through 30, so the full campaign is a prologue plus 30 numbered missions. TechRadar notes the prologue plays mostly as a scripted escape.
What Changes Your Playtime
Difficulty. Per Bandai Namco’s official difficulty guide, there are four standard settings, and you can change them at any time from the settings menu:
- Rookie: focused on the story, with optional settings that reduce damage from hitting the ground or structures
- Pilot: the default, recommended for new or returning pilots
- Veteran: enemies may have more health or be more aggressive, and missile locks can be harder to shake
- Elite: a high-challenge mode built around target priority and split-second decisions
The trophy list also names an ACE difficulty that is not among these four. Trophy guides describe it as the hardest setting, but Bandai Namco has not said how it unlocks.
Controls. Standard controls turn the plane when you push the left stick sideways, while Expert controls make you roll and pitch like a real aircraft. Expert opens up more maneuvers but takes practice; our controls and HOTAS guide covers both.
Cutscenes. Official screenshots show a “Hold To Skip” prompt during story scenes, so replays go faster than a first run.
Your aircraft. Picking the right plane for the job saves a lot of retries. Our best plane guide and the full planes list help you choose.
What Is Left After the Credits
Finishing the story is not the end of the campaign:
- The Aircraft Tree. Missions pay out MRP, the in-game currency Bandai Namco says you spend to unlock more jets and parts. Push Square’s reviewer told readers most planes and parts unlock in one playthrough, but getting everything takes mission replays.
- Post-game unlocks. Bandai Namco confirms that the ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- from the Deluxe Edition voucher and that edition’s two aircraft skins only become usable in the campaign after you complete every mission. Hardcore Gamer reports extra fictional aircraft unlock after the credits too.
- Replays. TechRadar describes going back through missions in Free Mission mode with different loadouts after beating the game.
- Trophies and achievements. The hardest ones ask you to finish the campaign on ACE difficulty and to earn an S rank on every mission, free missions included. Our trophies guide tracks what a full clear takes.
Then there is Ace Combat Online, which Bandai Namco calls the game’s end-game content. It has its own progression, its own save data and two-month Ace Pass seasons, so it has no fixed length at all. Our multiplayer guide explains how it works. If you pre-ordered, the bundled Ace Combat Zero port is a whole second campaign; our editions guide covers who gets it, and the launch and early access story has unlock times for every region. The Ace Combat 8 hub collects every guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many missions are in Ace Combat 8? A prologue plus 30 numbered missions, per the PS5 trophy list and every major review. That is up from 20 in Ace Combat 7.
How long does it take to beat Ace Combat 8? Reviewers report about 15 to 20 hours for the story. Harder settings, replays and online play add more.
Is Ace Combat 8 longer than Ace Combat 7? Yes. Reviewers consistently call it one of the longest campaigns in the series, with half again as many missions as Ace Combat 7.
Can you replay missions in Ace Combat 8? Yes. Finished missions can be replayed as free missions, which the trophy list references, and the Aircraft Tree rewards going back for more MRP.
Can you skip cutscenes in Ace Combat 8? Official screenshots show a “Hold To Skip” prompt during story scenes, so you can skip them on replays.