ACE COMBAT 8 early access began on Monday, 28 September 2026 at 3 PM Pacific Daylight Time, which was 11 PM BST in the UK. Bandai Namco’s later announcement also refers to 29 September because it was already the following day across parts of Europe, Asia and Australia. The worldwide full release followed on Friday, 2 October.
The ACE COMBAT 8 early access window is now over. If you’re checking the Deluxe Edition after launch, the useful extras are its Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher and cosmetics, not an additional opportunity to start playing before everyone else. Here’s the original timing, who qualified and what to check if you still have an entitlement question.
ACE COMBAT 8 early access start time in each region
| Time zone | Start date and time |
|---|---|
| Pacific (PDT) | Monday 28 September, 3 PM |
| Eastern (EDT) | Monday 28 September, 6 PM |
| UK (BST) | Monday 28 September, 11 PM |
| Central Europe (CEST) | Tuesday 29 September, midnight |
| Japan (JST) | Tuesday 29 September, 7 AM |
| Australia east (AEST) | Tuesday 29 September, 8 AM |
ACE COMBAT 8 early access did not start twice. Steam listed 28 September at 3 PM PDT, while official publisher material used 29 September for the opening early-access period. Those statements fit the same worldwide moment when converted to local time zones, which is why the date on your old receipt or store notice might look different.
Who qualified for ACE COMBAT 8 early access?
ACE COMBAT 8 early access came with eligible digital Deluxe Edition orders. Standard preorders were for the regular worldwide release. The Deluxe purchase also included a Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher and four cosmetics, which are different benefits and aren’t needed to access the base game after its release.
Both editions advertised the F-14A and ACE COMBAT ZERO for qualifying preorders. Those items were not equivalent to an early-access upgrade. If you preordered Standard, receiving the aircraft and ZERO didn’t mean you had permission to play before 2 October.
When did ACE COMBAT 8 launch for everyone?
Bandai Namco confirms that WINGS OF THEVE launched worldwide on 2 October 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on Steam. Its 9 October publisher announcement describes the game as already released and reports that it had reached one million sales. By that date, no owner of the full game needed a separate launch privilege to begin playing.
Buying Deluxe now does not restart the early-access window. Standard and Deluxe owners have the same base-game release; the Deluxe price is for the pass voucher and cosmetics. The timed benefit is a historical part of the original preorder package.
What does Deluxe still include?
The Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher can be redeemed for one season of premium rewards and an instant 30-level skip. Bandai Namco says it isn’t locked to Season 1, so Deluxe owners can save the voucher for a later season rather than spend it as soon as they start online.
The included cosmetics are the Mobius Squadron F-4E skin, Team Zvezda F/A-18C skin, Tasha costume and Scarlet missile smoke. The outfit and smoke are for Online Mode. The aircraft skins are also available in Campaign Mode after completing all campaign missions, which is a separate condition from owning the Deluxe Edition.
Why ACE COMBAT 8 early access shows September 29 in some regions
For ACE COMBAT 8 early access, time-zone conversion explains most conflicting date references. The same 28 September afternoon in California was 29 September after midnight in Central Europe. If the store showed local time, you could see a different calendar date even though the game unlocked at the same moment.
If your ACE COMBAT 8 early access entitlement didn’t work during the original period despite a qualifying Deluxe preorder, gather the dated store receipt and contact the platform’s support team. That won’t recreate an expired head start, but it can help resolve any separate entitlement or purchase issue still affecting your account.
Did ACE COMBAT 8 early access include preorder aircraft and ZERO?
Eligible preorder entitlements may remain on an account after launch. Check the offer attached to the original purchase and the appropriate game content library. On Steam, Bandai Namco addressed ZERO’s distribution method in separate announcements, so the lack of a standalone library entry isn’t proof the reward was omitted.
For a current purchase decision, read the Standard vs Deluxe comparison. It covers the lasting benefits and skips the expired head start when evaluating the upgrade’s value.
Related Guides
Official source: Bandai Namco’s ACE COMBAT 8 release and Deluxe Edition information.
