Bandai Namco Releases First Episode of Live-Action Prequel Series for Ace Combat 8

Bandai Namco has released the first episode of Hour Zero, a live-action prequel series dedicated to Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. The series follows an initial tease from the publisher and is designed to set the stage for the upcoming game. The first episode stars Josh Holloway as Ledger, the commander of a flight of F-18s from the FCU Billhook. The story shows Ledger dealing with the loss of a wingman during the initial phase of the conquest of the Federation of Central Usea by the Republic of Sotoa.

Hour Zero is a four-episode prequel series. Following the release of the first episode, Bandai Namco scheduled three additional installments for the remainder of September. Act 2 is scheduled to premiere on Thursday, September 17. Act 3 will follow on Wednesday, September 23, and the epilogue will release on Tuesday, September 29.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is scheduled to launch on October 2, 2026. The flight simulation title will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game is the latest installment in the long-running Ace Combat franchise, which previously achieved major success with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. That preceding title broke franchise sales records by shipping over 7 million units following a period of dormancy for the series.

Players tracking the upcoming release can watch the live-action episodes while waiting for the game to launch early next month. Additional coverage of the title leading up to its release has included developer diaries, gameplay reveals, trailers, and looks at the game's multiplayer and roster of fighter aircraft.