Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock requires you to complete the main campaign on Hard difficulty. Once you’ve cleared Hard, Ace becomes available as the game’s toughest campaign setting. Simply beating the story on Easy or Normal does not open it.
If you are aiming for the ACE OF ACES achievement, unlocking the setting is only the beginning. That challenge asks you to finish all 20 standard campaign missions with an S rank on Ace difficulty. Here is the sensible way to approach the unlock, mission replays and your first serious run.
Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock: step by step
- Start a campaign playthrough on Hard difficulty.
- Complete all 20 missions, finishing the story on Hard rather than stopping after an individual S rank.
- Return to the difficulty selection after clearing the campaign. Ace should now be available.
- Choose Ace for your next playthrough or eligible mission replays.
- Check the result shown for each mission as you work towards S ranks.
A common point of confusion is thinking that one particularly strong mission result will unlock Ace. It won’t. The Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock is tied to completing the campaign on Hard, not scoring a particular number of points in a single sortie.
The three extra SP story missions are separate DLC, and the PlayStation VR campaign is separate too. The core ACE OF ACES requirement concerns the 20 standard campaign missions, not those additional mission packs.
Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock: what changes on Ace?
Ace is designed for players who already know the mission objectives and can keep their aircraft under control when the enemy is aggressive. You’ll have less room for mistakes in positioning, aiming and ammunition management than you did while learning on the easiest settings.
On higher settings, machine-gun ammunition is limited rather than effectively unlimited as it is on Easy and Normal. Pay attention to both missile and gun reserves, especially in missions with several distinct phases. You still need to react to ground fire and incoming missiles while tracking the objective.
The practical Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock advice is to finish a normal learning run first, then spend your Hard playthrough discovering where a more dangerous aircraft or weapon will make the biggest difference.
Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock: How to work towards the ACE OF ACES achievement
The ACE OF ACES achievement or trophy requires an S rank on all 20 campaign missions on Ace difficulty. It is not awarded merely for clearing them. Keep a record of which mission results you have already earned and which need another attempt.
S ranks depend on both score and time. You cannot guarantee one by shooting down every enemy while ignoring the timer, and you won’t necessarily get one by racing to the final objective with a low score. The right balance depends on the mission.
For a long sortie, memorise the objective changes so you don’t waste time wondering why an enemy is not taking damage. For an escort, deal with enemies that threaten the friendly aircraft first. For a score mission such as Fleet Destruction, learn efficient target routes and pick weapons suited to ships and platforms.
Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock tips for mission replays
Use Free Mission to practise a problem encounter without committing to a whole new story run just for that one section. If you are chasing a perfect S-rank result, replay the complete mission instead of relying on a checkpoint to salvage a bad opening phase. Your end-of-mission rank is the only result that matters.
- Learn the target order before experimenting with an unfamiliar aircraft.
- Pick a weapon for the actual objectives, such as a naval missile for fleets or a multi-target air-to-air weapon for a drone-heavy operation.
- Do not treat a crash or failed checkpoint section as a free way to reset a poor run.
- Save flares for an incoming missile you cannot avoid through manoeuvring.
- When your time is poor, study where you travelled unnecessarily instead of simply buying a faster aircraft.
There is a difference between finishing every difficulty and earning an S on Ace. Hardened Vet tracks difficulty completion, while ACE OF ACES requires those top ranks specifically on Ace. They are related goals, not interchangeable tasks.
Why Ace difficulty is still locked
If the Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock has not appeared, the first thing to check is whether all 20 Hard campaign missions are actually cleared. Completing only the final mission, or completing the campaign on another setting, does not satisfy the requirement.
For your first Ace run, focus on surviving and finishing each mission cleanly. Once that feels reliable, the Ace Combat 7 Ace difficulty unlock opens up a much more demanding S-rank project, and you’ll already have the mission knowledge to make it manageable.
We also have an Ace Combat 7 Aircraft Tree guide for unlocking equipment and an Ace Combat 7 Best Aircraft guide for choosing loadouts.
Related Guides
Official source: Bandai Namco Ace Combat 7 official game page.
