Ace Combat 8: Live-Action Series "Hour Zero" Teased – Miniseries Starts Next Week

Bandai Namco has announced "Hour Zero", a four-part live-action series serving as a prequel to Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, premiering on September 15, 2026.

Bandai Namco is already firing up the afterburners: ahead of the release of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve on October 2, Bandai Namco is giving new pilots a narrative introduction to the Ace Combat series with the miniseries "Hour Zero". Josh Holloway, Brandon Routh, and Tamlyn Tomita play three strangers whose everyday lives are turned upside down by the invasion of the Republic of Sotoa into the Federation of Central Usea – a pilot, a doctor, and a journalist. There's another twist: the four episodes tell their story in reverse and conclude shortly before Advanced Access begins on September 29.

What to Expect in Ace Combat 8

In the flight action game itself, you take on the role of an elite pilot with the callsign "Schwinge von Theve" and join a new squadron in the fight to reclaim your occupied homeland. Developer Bandai Namco Aces is using Unreal Engine 5 to deliver the most realistic flight experience possible, along with its own "Cloudly" technology for authentic weather and cloud rendering. On PC, Advanced Access begins on September 29 with the Deluxe Edition.