Bandai Namco is preparing to separate Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War from Ace Combat 8 on PC, following strong criticism from players who found the bonus game awkward to access.
The publisher announced the change on Steam after players highlighted the difference between the PC and console versions. The update was also reported by Wario64 (@wario64.bsky.social) in a post dated 2026-10-13T12:44:35.175Z.
Ace Combat Zero is getting its own PC app
Players who pre-ordered Ace Combat 8 on PC or console received The Belkan War as a bonus. Originally released for PlayStation 2 in 2006, the game is widely regarded as one of the series’ standout entries.
On console, the bonus operates as a separate game with its own achievements and activity log. The PC arrangement instead required players to download Ace Combat 8 and launch Ace Combat Zero from within it. That difference prompted considerable frustration on the game’s Steam page and across the wider arcade gaming news community.
Bandai Namco says the standalone version is now in the final stages of quality assurance and compatibility testing. A release date has not yet been announced, but the publisher describes the launch as imminent.
Save data transfer is planned
The planned PC release should also preserve existing progress. Bandai Namco says save-data transfer for Ace Combat Zero is part of the plan, so players should not need to begin the campaign again when the standalone application arrives.
For players interested in bringing cockpit-style action into a home setup, RETROCADE’s racing simulators category offers another route into dedicated driving and simulation hardware, while the arcade videos section covers the broader arcade experience.
Ace Combat 8 continues to perform strongly
The PC packaging issue has not stopped Ace Combat 8 from performing well. Bandai Namco previously announced that the game had sold more than one million copies since its October 2 release, making it the fastest-selling title in the franchise and its second-best-reviewed entry.
Some PC players continue to report stability problems, including frequent crashes. Bandai Namco has said it is working on those issues as well. For readers comparing dedicated hardware options, RETROCADE’s arcade machines provide a broader look at home arcade cabinets and formats.
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