In the lead-up to Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve’s October 2 launch, the development team at Bandai Namco Entertainment’s Project Aces has issued a standard warning against spoilers. The advisory simply urges players to label any spoiler-containing content they share online, but a subsequent note extended this courtesy to the 20-year-old title Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, drawing some curious responses from the community.
First released exclusively for PlayStation 2 in 2006, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War marks the final Ace Combat game developed by Namco prior to its merger with Bandai. A contemporary port of the game is being offered as a pre-order bonus for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, alongside the F-14A aircraft. Although there’s no word on whether The Belkan War’s narrative ties into Wings of Theve, Bandai Namco may be aiming to preserve the experience for newcomers, especially if the upcoming title serves as many players’ introduction to the franchise. The peculiar request left some Japanese gamers wondering, “Why worry about spoilers for a game that’s two decades old?”
The creators of Wings of Theve appear to have a fondness for retro elements, as details revealed that Season 1 will feature playable versions of Pac-Man, Galaga, Rally-X, and Dragon Spirit within its online lobby.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is set to launch on October 2 across Windows (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X❘S.