ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass is now live with the first ACE COMBAT ONLINE season, so the existing Ace Pass guide can move from pre-launch structure to the actual Season 1 reward breakdown. Free and Premium tracks both have 100 levels, with Premium adding the ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY and extra cosmetics, currency and upgrade resources.
The biggest decision around ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass is whether you want the Premium rewards now or would rather save a Deluxe Edition Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher for a later season. Bandai Namco confirms that the voucher can be redeemed for any season, so Deluxe owners are not forced to spend it on Season 1.
ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass: Free vs Premium rewards
Image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment
The Free track in ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass includes 12 aircraft skins, 9 aircraft emblems and 4 avatar costumes, alongside blueprints, XP, Zoll contracts, boost tickets, aircraft banners and other progression items. Not every Free level gives a reward, but the track progresses through the same 100-level seasonal structure.
The Premium track adds the ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY, 13 additional aircraft skins, 9 additional emblems, 11 additional avatar costumes and one emote. Premium also adds more credits, blueprints and supply tickets that can be exchanged for item packs at the Supply Shop.
ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY reward
The headline ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass reward is the ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY. Bandai Namco says players who redeem Premium or Premium Plus for Season 1 unlock the aircraft and a special skin collection for it.
The Season 1 Morgan can equip two special-weapon types at once from a selection of three, including high-output lasers. Bandai Namco also says Premium-pass playable aircraft are planned to be sold separately after their season, so the pass is not presented as permanent exclusivity.
What Premium Ace Pass Plus does
Premium Plus does not create a separate third reward track for ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass. It unlocks Premium and immediately opens the first 30 of the 100 levels on both the normal and Premium tracks, granting the rewards for those levels at the time you redeem it.
That is mainly a time-saving benefit. If you already bought Deluxe Edition, the included Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher can be held for a future season rather than automatically consumed on Season 1.
How to level the Ace Pass
Progress for ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass comes from completing ACE COMBAT ONLINE missions. Both tracks require XP to raise pass levels, so Campaign completion is not the route for unlocking seasonal rewards.
The online progression system rewards playing PvP and PvE Co-Op missions, while your mercenary career, upgrades and seasonal pass grow through the multiplayer side of the game. If your pass is not moving, make sure you are earning progression in ACE COMBAT ONLINE rather than only playing Campaign Mode.
Season 1 reward totals
- Free: 12 aircraft skins
- Free: 9 aircraft emblems
- Free: 4 avatar costumes
- Premium: ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY
- Premium: +13 aircraft skins
- Premium: +9 aircraft emblems
- Premium: +11 avatar costumes
- Premium: 1 emote
- Both tracks also include blueprints, boost tickets, aircraft banners and other progression rewards
Completing the entire ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass structure can also award Ace Coins. Bandai Namco says pilots who complete all 100 levels of the Free and Premium tracks before the season ends can unlock 500 Ace Coins in total.
How long does Season 1 last?
ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass follows the standard two-month season length announced for ACE COMBAT ONLINE. Bandai Namco specifically warns players who want the Morgan-PIXY to redeem Season 1 Premium before the end of November, because Premium rewards change each season.
That deadline matters for Deluxe voucher owners. Saving the voucher is allowed, but if you skip Season 1 you are also choosing not to unlock its Premium track through that voucher during the season.
Should you spend the Deluxe voucher on Season 1?
The value of ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass depends on whether the Morgan-PIXY and Season 1 cosmetics are the rewards you want. The voucher is flexible, so there is no technical reason to redeem it immediately just because Early Access has started.
If the Morgan is the main reason you bought Deluxe, Season 1 is the obvious season to use it. If not, compare the visible reward track with what Bandai Namco reveals for later seasons before spending the one-season voucher.
No paid loot boxes
Bandai Namco has said ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass does not rely on paid loot boxes or randomized paid rewards. The pass content is visible, and the paid tier is a direct seasonal progression purchase rather than a chance-based reward system.
ACE COMBAT 8 Season 1 Ace Pass is now a concrete 100-level reward track rather than a vague launch feature. Free players have a meaningful cosmetics and progression path, Premium adds the Morgan and a larger reward pool, and Premium Plus mainly saves the first 30 levels.
