Multiplayer in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve lives in Ace Combat Online, a separate online mode with its own progression where you play as a mercenary pilot, hang out in an Air Base lobby of up to 100 players, and fly co-op and competitive missions with up to eight players per match. It has full cross-play between PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, but the story campaign stays single-player, with AI wingmen and no co-op or split-screen announced.
Below: every mode, the Air Base, cross-play and subscriptions, progression and the Ace Pass, and the campaign question, verified against Bandai Namco’s official multiplayer FAQ, its Ace Combat Online page and the store listings for the launch version, in Deluxe early access as of September 2026.
What Ace Combat Online Is
Bandai Namco describes Ace Combat Online as a multiplayer-only mode with its own progression and save data, separate from Campaign Mode, and calls it the game’s end-game content. You arrive as a mercenary pilot with a custom avatar and build your mercenary rank by flying missions.
The aircraft roster matches the campaign’s, but per the official FAQ, planes must be earned again through online rewards; campaign unlocks do not carry over.
Every Online Mode
| Mode | Players | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Co-Op Assault | Two teams of up to four | PvE: both teams fight AI enemies and compete for the higher score |
| Co-Op Warfare | Two teams of four | PvPvE: the teams fight each other with NPC land, sea and air units in the battle |
| Scramble | Team of four | Limited-time PvE mission against a powerful NPC squadron |
| Emergency Sortie | Up to eight players | Limited-time PvE battle against a series superweapon |
| PvP events | 4v4 or 8-player free-for-all | Limited-time Team Deathmatch and Free-for-All Deathmatch |
Co-Op Warfare runs on a Threat Level system. You earn stars by destroying targets and scoring without being shot down, and each star raises the points you get per kill. The catch is that a high Threat Level also makes you worth more to the enemy team if they shoot you down. Reach three stars and you earn the title of “Ace.”
Scramble and Emergency Sortie are not always available. Per Bandai Namco, they appear randomly for a limited time when you return from a Co-Op Assault or Co-Op Warfare match, and winning them pays greater rewards. PC Gamer’s review says Emergency Sorties bring back fan-favorite bosses such as the Chandelier railgun and the Alicorn submarine.
PvP events rotate in for limited periods and may add unit cost limits or restrict aircraft roles. In every mission, your post-mission earnings depend on your mission rank, and the winning squadron earns more.
Aircraft come in four roles: Fighters, Attackers, Multirole and Electronic Warfare. Bandai Namco pitches the online mode around mixing roles and builds across a squad; our best plane guide and planes list break them down.
The Air Base Lobby
The Air Base is the hub between matches. It holds up to 100 players at once, and you can chat, matchmake, form squads with pilots you meet, and use its facilities:
- An arcade of classic Bandai Namco games. The official series account named a Season 1 lineup of Pac-Man, Galaga, Rally-X and Dragon Spirit, as reported by Push Square, with the selection expected to rotate by season.
- A jukebox playing music from past Ace Combat games
- A supply shop and the Ace Combat Store, where in-game currency from missions buys aircraft, cosmetics and in-game boosts
- A military training mode for up to four players
As you rank up, you unlock gates to other Air Bases. Reviewers flag two caveats: GamesRadar found that waiting for a match locked out other lobby activities, and Push Square saw long matchmaking waits on pre-launch servers, blamed on low player numbers.
Cross-Play and What You Need on Each Platform
Every match and lobby in Ace Combat Online is fully cross-play enabled, per Bandai Namco, so you can team up with friends whichever platform they use. What you need to get online differs:
- PS5: a PlayStation Plus membership. The PlayStation Store lists “PS Plus required for online play” and support for up to eight online players.
- Xbox Series X|S: Xbox Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate, per the Xbox Store listing.
- PC (Steam): no subscription. Steam lists online co-op, online PvP and cross-platform multiplayer.
Bandai Namco has not announced cross-progression between platforms. If you are flying in Deluxe early access, the online population is limited to other early access players until the full launch at 3:00 PM PDT on October 1; our launch and early access story has the times for every region.
Progression and the Ace Pass
A higher mercenary rank opens up more aircraft. Planes level up as they survive sorties, raising stats and unlocking abilities, and each one’s skin, emblem and weathering can be customized.
On top of that sits the Ace Pass, a seasonal track that fills as you complete online missions:
- Ace Pass: free for everyone, with cosmetics and aircraft upgrade items
- Premium Ace Pass: extra rewards at each level; in Season 1, the ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- is the Level 1 reward
- Premium Ace Pass Plus: the Premium rewards plus an instant 30-level skip
Seasons are scheduled to last two months, and Bandai Namco plans to sell each season’s premium aircraft separately after the season ends. It also says there are no paid loot boxes, and every reward is visible before you buy. The Deluxe Edition includes a Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher, as our editions guide explains.
Whether the Campaign Has Co-op
It does not, as far as Bandai Namco has announced. The campaign is a solo story in which you lead three AI wingmen, Baxter, Tasha and Coster, with quick orders from the d-pad; our controls guide covers them. There is no local multiplayer either: PlayStation Blog’s Japanese launch post lists the game as one player offline and one to eight players online.
For more to play with friends, see our best PS5 co-op games of 2026 and best PC co-op games of 2026. The Ace Combat 8 hub collects every guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ace Combat 8 have co-op? Yes, online: Co-Op Assault, Scramble and Emergency Sortie are co-op PvE modes. The campaign itself is single-player.
Is Ace Combat 8 cross-platform? Yes. Bandai Namco says all Ace Combat Online matches and lobbies are fully cross-play enabled across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Does Ace Combat 8 have split-screen? No. Bandai Namco has announced no local multiplayer, and PlayStation Blog’s Japanese launch post lists the game as one player offline.
Do I need PS Plus or Game Pass to play Ace Combat 8 online? PS5 needs PlayStation Plus and Xbox needs Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate. PC through Steam needs no subscription.
Do campaign planes carry over to multiplayer? No. Ace Combat Online has separate progression, so you earn every aircraft again as a mercenary pilot.