Bandai Namco Teases Ace Combat 8 Post-Launch Content and Ace Combat 9
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Polygon reports that Ace Combat brand director Kazutoki Kono has teased post-launch story DLC for the upcoming Ace Combat 8 and signaled early plans for Ace Combat 9.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is still weeks away from its October 2 launch, but the development team is already looking far beyond release day. In a recent interview with Polygon, Ace Combat brand director Kazutoki Kono discussed the long term trajectory of the franchise, dropping hints about upcoming story expansions and even confirming that early thoughts on Ace Combat 9 are already on the table.
This forward looking strategy is largely thanks to the establishment of Bandai Namco Aces, a dedicated studio formed in 2022 to keep the core team together between projects rather than scattering developers across different company initiatives. Kono explained that this permanent studio structure allows specialized teams to handle the game's live service elements while freeing up the narrative crew to tackle new story challenges once the main campaign ships.
While official details regarding post-launch add-ons remain under wraps outside of a broad teaser on the game's official website, the strategy aligns with the successful DLC rollout seen in Ace Combat 7. By building a self-sustaining studio culture focused on retaining talent and institutional knowledge, Bandai Namco is positioning the franchise for a much more consistent and expansive future across console and PC platforms.
Tags: Ace Combat 8, Bandai Namco, PC Gaming, Console Gaming
Original article: Polygon