ACE COMBAT 8 Updates: Upcoming Patch, Matchmaking and Known Issues

Summarized from Bandai Namco Entertainment’s official Steam posts for ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, developed by Bandai Namco Aces. No numbered patch notes have been posted on Steam so far.

When did the game come out?

Date (2026)	What happened
Sept 29	Early Access for Digital Deluxe Edition pre-order holders
Oct 2	Launch for all players (the Steam store lists October 1)
Oct 9	Million seller, the fastest-selling game in the 30-year series

Bandai Namco also says the game ranks second in the series on review aggregator scores, just behind ACE COMBAT 4: Shattered Skies from 2001. The Steam store lists it at $69.99 in the US.

The Digital Deluxe Edition adds 3 days of Early Access, a customizable cosmetic set and a Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher for ACE COMBAT ONLINE. Pre-order bonuses included ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR and the playable F-14A Tomcat.

Is there an ACE COMBAT 8 patch yet?

Not yet. On October 9, Bandai Namco apologized for the issues affecting the game and said it is preparing an update with:

• Fixes for some of the issues players have reported.
• Various gameplay adjustments.

It will announce the release date and contents once they’re finalized. Work is also under way on other fronts:

Issue	Latest official word
Crashes	Several causes under investigation; memory use called a significant issue being reduced (October 16)
Flight sticks and HOTAS	Improvements being explored to bring support closer to ACE COMBAT 7; may take time (September 30)
ACE COMBAT ZERO	Standalone Steam version in final testing (October 13)
Matchmaking	Investigation and improvements continuing (October 9)

What’s wrong with ACE COMBAT ONLINE matchmaking?

Bandai Namco has confirmed that, in certain environments, online mission matchmaking may be harder to establish than intended. Its investigation found that one factor can be players connecting from systems that don’t meet the game’s requirements, which can hurt matchmaking stability for everyone in the same session, not just the player on that PC.

It asks online players to check two things:

1. Play on Windows 11. It’s the officially supported OS; other systems may behave differently from the test environment.
2. Install the game on an SSD. Bandai Namco has seen players running it from an HDD, which can affect loading times, overall stability and matchmaking quality.

ACE COMBAT ONLINE is the game’s online endgame mode. The Steam store describes the series’ first online lobby, an air base you explore with a custom avatar, plus online modes including co-op and cross-platform play.

What does error ST-3100001 mean?

It appears when communication with the game server is lost during ACE COMBAT ONLINE. Bandai Namco’s fix: check whether your Windows clock is off, synchronize the time in Windows, then try again.

What is being done about crashes?

In its October 16 Product Notice ②, Bandai Namco said it is chasing several possible causes and working toward a permanent fix. More total memory (RAM plus Windows virtual memory) reduced some memory-related crashes in its testing, and it suggests raising virtual memory as a temporary workaround. The settings, its earlier tips and how to send a crash report are on our PC and flight stick page.

What’s happening with the ACE COMBAT ZERO bonus?

Date	Update
Oct 1	ZERO is played through ACE COMBAT 8 because licensing and platform issues prevented a standalone Steam release; Bandai Namco apologized for not explaining this in advance
Oct 2	Exploring a standalone Steam version after talks with platform partners
Oct 13	Standalone version confirmed and in final QA and compatibility testing

The standalone version is only for players who got ZERO as a pre-order bonus; it can’t be newly obtained this way. You’ll keep the version inside ACE COMBAT 8 too, and saves are expected to be shared between both through Steam Cloud.

How can you send feedback?

Bandai Namco is running a player survey for everyone who bought the game, open until October 30, 2026 at 07:59 AM PDT. The survey link is in its October 16 Steam post. For crashes, it has a separate PC Crash Report Thread.

What hasn’t been announced yet?

• The first update’s date and patch notes.
• Specific matchmaking fixes: only the investigation and the Windows 11 and SSD advice so far.
• A date for the standalone ACE COMBAT ZERO.
• When improved flight stick support arrives.

Steam numbers are on the player count and achievements pages. All guides are on the game hub.