ACE COMBAT 8 has no campaign co-op and no local play. All co-op and PvP sits in ACE COMBAT ONLINE: six modes, 100-player lobby, full cross-play.
Does Ace Combat 8 Coop Cover the Campaign or Only ONLINE?
Quick answer: the campaign of ACE COMBAT 8 has no co-op and no local multiplayer — every cooperative and PvP mode lives in the separate suite called ACE COMBAT ONLINE, which is cross-platform, keeps its own progression and holds a 100-player lobby called the Air Base. Local play is not supported either, which is press reported rather than an official FAQ line.
This page was written on September 27, 2026, five days before launch. The mode list below comes from the official multiplayer reveal and the official co-op and PvP FAQ published by Bandai Namco; anything the publisher has not published (such as cross-save) is marked not yet confirmed.
The Short Answer on Campaign Co-Op
No. Official material describes the single-player campaign and ACE COMBAT ONLINE as two separate structures, and every co-op option the publisher documents sits inside the online suite. There is no second pilot slot in any campaign mission, and no hot-seat or split-screen variant is listed anywhere.
Local cooperative play is likewise unsupported — that detail is press reported from store metadata coverage rather than quoted from an official FAQ, so the honest status is: campaign co-op is not confirmed and the official material places co-op only in ONLINE, while local co-op is press reported as unsupported.
If your plan was to play the story with a friend in your wing, that plan has no official path. Co-op starts and ends in ACE COMBAT ONLINE, and the campaign progress you earn there does not transfer back.
Official source: ACE COMBAT 8 multiplayer co-op and PvP FAQ
All Six ACE COMBAT ONLINE Modes
The official multiplayer reveal names six modes across PvE, PvPvE and pure PvP. Two of the four PvP-flavored entries are limited-time events, so the playlist rotates rather than showing everything at once.
| Mode | Type | Players | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-Op Assault | PvE | Two teams of up to 4 | Each team score-attacks the same NPC targets and compares totals |
| Co-Op Warfare | PvPvE | Two teams of 4 | The teams fight each other while land, sea and air NPC forces take part |
| Scramble | Special mission (PvE) | 4-pilot squad | A limited-time sortie against unusually strong NPC forces |
| Emergency Sortie | Special mission (PvE) | Up to 8 pilots | A limited-time fight against superweapons from across the franchise |
| Team Deathmatch | PvP | 4v4 | Limited-time event match |
| Free-for-all | PvP | 8 players | Limited-time event match |
Two patterns are worth reading out of the table. First, four of the six modes are built around four-pilot flights, so the squad is the unit the mode design revolves around. Second, Emergency Sortie is the only place the series' legendary superweapons are documented for multiplayer, and it caps at eight pilots.
Threat Level Stars and the Ace Title
Co-Op Warfare carries a reputation system on top of the score. Chained kills without being shot down build stars, and three stars earns the Ace title. The counterweight works both ways: being shot down hands the opponent more points, so a hot streak you protect is worth more than a streak you throw away.
The Ace title is the only documented cosmetic-status reward in the mode list; how it displays to other players and whether it persists across seasons is not yet confirmed.
Lobby, Progression and Your Save File
ACE COMBAT ONLINE drops players into the Air Base, a virtual hub that holds 100 players at once with a customizable avatar. It functions as the social space between matches rather than as a mode itself.
Progression is the part that surprises people coming from other shooters:
- Separate save, separate progression. Online unlocks and campaign unlocks do not mix.
- Same aircraft pool as the campaign. The hangar you know from single player is the hangar here, but you re-earn access on the online track.
- ACE PASS XP is earned here. The free and premium pass tracks level through online play, which is why the editions and price page treats pass vouchers as an online-facing bonus.
- Deluxe cosmetics are online-scoped. The Tasha Costume Set included with Deluxe is flagged as online mode only.
Cross-platform status: full cross-play across PS5, Xbox and PC for all matches and lobbies is official. Cross-save — carrying that separate online progression between platforms — is not yet confirmed.
Because the two tracks never merge, nothing you do online is wasted if you only care about the campaign, and nothing in the campaign carries over to your leaderboard. Pick the track you actually play and spend your session there.
What You Need to Play Online
Store listings fill in the platform requirements, and they differ slightly by console:
| Platform | Store listing | Extra requirement |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | Up to 8 online players | PlayStation Plus required for online play |
| Xbox Series X|S | Online co-op and multiplayer listed as 4-8 players | Xbox online subscription per standard console rules |
| PC (Steam) | Cross-platform play with the console versions | None documented beyond an internet connection |
The 4-8 range on Xbox and the 8-player cap on PlayStation describe the match ceilings, not the lobby: the Air Base hub is 100 players regardless of which store page you read. Console subscription requirements and any PC-side matchmaking fee details beyond the store text are not yet confirmed.
PC players get one practical footnote: Steam lists full controller support and Steam Cloud, so a controller setup works fine for online matches even though local cooperative play does not exist. VR is not supported anywhere, so no headset lobby applies.
Official source: ACE COMBAT 8 on Steam
Official source: ACE COMBAT 8 multiplayer reveal
How Online Relates to the Rest of the Game
Three neighbors matter when you plan a session. The gameplay and campaign page covers the single-player structure you are alternating with, platforms and versions lays out which console needs which subscription, and flight stick support answers whether your HOTAS can come along (in-game HOTAS support is not yet confirmed).
The remaining open questions are the usual live-service ones: ranked or skill-based matchmaking is not yet confirmed, the seasonal rotation schedule for the limited-time modes is not yet confirmed, and whether the online suite gets post-launch modes beyond the six named at reveal is not yet confirmed.
FAQ
Can you play the Ace Combat 8 campaign with a friend?
No. Every official description separates the campaign from ACE COMBAT ONLINE, and co-op appears only in the online suite. There is no documented second seat in any campaign mission.
Is there local co-op or split screen in Ace Combat 8?
Not supported — that is press reported rather than an official FAQ quote. All cooperative play goes through online matches.
Does Ace Combat 8 have crossplay?
Yes. Full cross-platform play across PS5, Xbox and PC for all matches and lobbies is an official statement, not a rumor.
Does multiplayer progression carry over to the campaign?
No. ACE COMBAT ONLINE keeps a separate save and a separate progression track, even though both use the same aircraft pool.
Do I need PlayStation Plus to play online on PS5?
Yes. The PlayStation listing states that online play requires PlayStation Plus, and it caps matches at 8 online players.
Is cross-save between platforms confirmed?
Not yet confirmed. Cross-play is official; moving your online progress between a console and PC has no published answer as of September 27, 2026.
Related Guides
- Ace Combat 8 Gameplay and Campaign Structure — difficulty tiers, control schemes and the four mission types you alternate between.
- Ace Combat 8 Platforms: PS5, Xbox and PC — which console needs which subscription and how cross-play fits in.
- Ace Combat 8 VR and Flight Stick Support — HOTAS status, VR non-support and controller fallbacks.
- Ace Combat 8 Editions and Price Comparison — what the Deluxe cosmetics and ACE PASS voucher actually cover.
More Ace Combat 8 Guides
ACE COMBAT 8 Hour Zero is a four-episode live-action prequel, not a game chapter or DLC. See the episode schedule, the cast and what the series adds.
ACE COMBAT 8 sits at 87 on Metacritic for PS5, 86 on PC and 90 on Xbox Series X, with an 88 on OpenCritic as of September 27, 2026.
Ace Combat 8 PC requirements: Windows 11, 16 GB RAM, RTX 2060 or RX 6600 XT, hardware ray tracing and a 150 GB SSD for 1080p at 30 fps on Low.
The Ace Combat 8 PS5, Xbox Series and Steam versions launch October 2, 2026. PS5 adds Pro Enhanced support; Xbox lists 4K, HDR10 and ray tracing.
Pre-order any Ace Combat 8 edition before October 2, 2026 to get the F-14A plus Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. Here is what you get.
Steam and Xbox preload for Ace Combat 8 is not yet confirmed. PS5 preload is press reported for September 29 at about 108.672 GB.
Ace Combat 8 unlocks worldwide on October 2, 2026 at 22:00 UTC. See the release date converted to PT, ET, BST, CEST and JST.
Tasha Severskaya is Joker Flight No. 3 and a former Zvezda star in ACE COMBAT 8. See her backstory, voice actresses Emi Lo and Chika Anzai and her costume.