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Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe announced HOUR ZERO, a live action miniseries that will act as a prequel to the events of ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE. Composed of four short films, production will see in the cast Josh Holloway, known for Lost and Yellowstone, Brandon Routh by Superman Returns and Tamlyn Tomita by Cobra Kai. The first episode will be published 15 September 2026, while the series will end before the launch of the game scheduled for October 2.
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HOUR ZERO was also conceived as an entry point for those who do not yet know Ace Combat and his universe. The story will follow three unknowns survived the first days of the invasion of the Federation of Central Usea by the Republic of Sotoa: Holloway will interpret a remaining pilot without a place to land, Routh a doctor who saved his life to an enemy and Tomita a television journalist silenced after trying to tell the truth. The three events will be told back, also focusing on the familiar life of the protagonists and shaping an account to the reverse towards the moment when the outbreak of war has definitively destroyed their everyday life. The events of the miniseries will thus serve to prepare the ground for the ACE COMBAT 8 campaign and for the conflict that players will live directly from the cockpit.
The new chapter will report the series in โช, this time upset by a war that led to the occupation of the Federation of Central Usea and the destruction of most of its armed forces. The player will assume the role of Ali of Theve, a legendary aviation ace became a symbol of hope for the people of the FCU, flanked by a squadron composed of three other pilots in the desperate counter-offensive against the Republic of Sotoa. Developed by Bandai Namco Aces, ACE COMBAT 8 represents the first new main chapter of the series after seven years and aims to offer the most cinematic experience of the franchise. The project will run Unreal Engine 5 together with proprietary technologies to further increase the realism and spectacularness of flight and air combat.
ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE will be released on October 2, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S PC via Steam, while Deluxe Edition buyers can start playing from 29 September. HOUR ZERO will accompany the wait from September 15 with the first of his four episodes.
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