PC flight fans have a small but real change to note. Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is now its own app on Steam, but the catch is large: you can only have it if you already got it as a pre-order bonus for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve.
What changed on Steam
Bandai Namco posted the news on Steam on October 22. The pre-order bonus title, Ace Combat Zero, is now available as a standalone application. Until now, PC owners could only start it from inside Ace Combat 8, according to Simulation Daily’s October 13 report, which first flagged that a standalone version was in the works. That report said a release date would come once final quality assurance and compatibility testing were done. The Steam post now confirms the app is live.
In practice, that means the game gets its own entry that you can launch straight from the Steam client rather than navigating through the sequel’s menus. Simulation Daily adds that save data is shared between Ace Combat 8 and the standalone version, and that you can still launch Zero from within Ace Combat 8 if you prefer.
The catch: it is not for sale on its own
The Steam announcement is explicit that players who did not get the pre-order bonus cannot newly obtain Ace Combat Zero through this update. Simulation Daily reads that more bluntly: if you skipped the pre-order bonus, you are out of luck for now. Neither source gives a price, system requirements, or any plan to sell the game separately, so treat any talk of a wider release as speculation until Bandai Namco says otherwise.
Console players are ahead here. Simulation Daily says a standalone app already exists on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S for people who got the bonus there. The Steam release brings PC in line with that setup.
Why this game matters
Ace Combat Zero first launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2006, so including it as a bonus gives newer fans a way into an older entry. Ace Combat 8 itself is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Simulation Daily reports it is the fastest game in the series to reach 1 million copies sold, which helps explain why the publisher is putting effort into the extras. Bringing an older game back through a sequel is a pattern we saw this month with Hitman: Absolution reaching Switch 2, though that one is a regular release anyone can buy.
Bottom Line
If you pre-ordered Ace Combat 8 and claimed the bonus, check your Steam library: Zero should now appear as its own app, with saves shared with the main game. If you did not pre-order, nothing changes for you today. The sensible reading is that Bandai Namco is tidying up access for existing owners rather than relaunching the game. Whether it ever sells Zero on PC is unknown, and the company has not said. Until it does, the only route is the bonus.
FAQ
Can I buy Ace Combat Zero on Steam now?
Not on its own. Bandai Namco’s Steam post says players without the Ace Combat 8 pre-order bonus cannot newly obtain the game through this update, and no separate purchase has been announced.
Do I lose my progress if I switch between versions?
According to Simulation Daily, save data is shared between Ace Combat 8 and the standalone Zero app, so progress should carry over. It is still sensible to back up your saves before switching.
Is Ace Combat Zero a new game?
No. It is Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, which first came out on the PlayStation 2 in 2006. The news is about how PC players can launch it, not about new content.
Featured image: Photo by Cook aynne on Unsplash.
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