Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve showcased in a story trailer; Annihilation Battle mode returns.

p>On September 14th, Bandai Namco released the narrative trailer for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, arriving just two and a half weeks before its scheduled October 2nd launch (Deluxe Edition owners get early access on September 29th).The footage showcases a direct clash between Shadow 22—commander of the Republic of Sotoa’s elite "Shadows" unit—and Joker Flight, led by the "Wings of Theve." They are the stars of a campaign set in the Central Usea Federation, a region almost entirely occupied by Sotoan forces, where the *Endurance* and its surviving troops represent the last hope for retaking the territory. The trailer also confirms the return of "Annihilation Battle," a mode that gives pilots the freedom to choose the order in which they destroy enemy targets within a set time limit.In Mission 7, targets include a solar power plant, an oil depot, an airbase, and an ammunition dump, with supply lines scattered across the map allowing players to reload weapons without returning to base—a welcome feature for those who remember the frenetic pace of this mode in earlier entries of the series. There is also a more unusual venture: starting tomorrow, September 15, "Hour Zero" launches. This four-episode live-action miniseries serves as a prequel to the campaign and features a cast that includes Josh Holloway (*Lost*, *Yellowstone*), Brandon Routh (*Superman Returns*), and Tamlyn Tomita (*Cobra Kai*).The episodes will be released in stages leading up to the game's launch—a level of production investment few arcade flight franchises have ever undertaken. Finally, producer Manabu Shimomoto described "Ace Combat Online"—the cross-platform multiplayer component of *Wings of Theve*—as "the biggest online mode ever created for the series."That is no small claim for a franchise that has historically focused almost entirely on its single-player campaign; it remains to be seen whether Ace Combat’s long-time fanbase will follow the series into the online arena.