Ace Combat 8 Steam Launch Hit With Backlash Over Bundled Belkan War Pre-Order Bonus
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Ace Combat 8 is facing backlash on Steam because its pre-order bonus, a re-release of The Belkan War, is locked behind the main game as DLC rather than being a standalone app like on consoles.
Early access to Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is currently underway for Deluxe Edition owners, but the release is facing heavy criticism on PC. As reported by Eurogamer, players who pre-ordered the game were excited to finally play a modern re-release of 2006 classic Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. However, unlike the console versions where the classic title is distributed as a standalone application, the Steam release handles the game as DLC. This change was quietly updated on the store page prior to launch, catching many buyers off guard.
Treating the retro title as an add-on introduces several frustrating limitations for PC and handheld users. Players are forced to install the massive ~135GB main game just to access a sub-4GB classic from the PlayStation 2 era. This architectural quirk completely defeats the purpose for Steam Deck owners who wanted a lightweight portable experience for the older game, while also stripping away dedicated achievements, independent cloud saves, and separate playtime tracking.
While community members have discovered that the classic title can technically be launched via its executable file within the directory, the base game must still remain installed. This platform discrepancy has tanked the Steam user review score to Mixed as the wider October 2nd release date approaches. It is a clear reminder that digital distribution quirks and sudden last-minute store page edits continue to frustrate players who expect parity across all platforms.
Tags: Ace Combat 8, PC Gaming, Steam, Bandai Namco, Steam Deck
Original article: Eurogamer