Ace Combat 8 developer apologises for Belkan War pre-order confusion, cites Steam licensing limits

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve's early access launch was overshadowed by confusion over a pre-order bonus. Players who paid £75 or $90 for the Deluxe edition to access the game three days early discovered that Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, included as a pre-order bonus, was not a standalone product on Steam as they expected.

The studio responded with clarification on Steam. "Ace Combat Zero is offered as a pre-order bonus. Due to licensing restrictions and platform-related considerations, it cannot currently be released on Steam as a standalone application," the developer wrote. "As a result, we have chosen to make Ace Combat Zero available through Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. We apologise for any confusion or frustration caused by our failure to clearly communicate this distribution method in advance."

The decision created additional friction. Ace Combat 8 must remain installed for The Belkan War to play. The older game also cannot maintain separate Steam cloud saves or achievements under this arrangement, since it exists as a bundled component rather than its own application. Console versions of the game do release The Belkan War standalone, highlighting the inconsistency.

The developer acknowledged player concerns. "We have carefully reviewed player feedback regarding this issue and understand the concerns that have been raised. We are currently evaluating possible options, including discussions with our platform partners," the statement said. "At this time, we cannot guarantee that any changes will be made. However, we are actively exploring potential solutions and will continue working with relevant partners to address player concerns where possible."

The backlash initially dragged Ace Combat 8's Steam rating from Mostly Positive to Mixed. By the official launch on 2 October, the rating had recovered to Mostly Positive as awareness of the situation spread among the broader player base.