A new Ace Combat game is confirmed to be in development

Bandai Namco and ILCA have announced a joint partnership to make the next game in the long running areal dogfighting series, Ace Combat.

The news was announced during a special Japanese livestream celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series. As spotted & translated by Gematsu, series producer Kazutoki Kono said “We’ve started work on a new project in the Ace Combat series. Project Aces staff will of course continue to be involved in the development of this new project, but as we celebrate 25 years and three million copies sold, we’ve come to understand we have many fans of all tastes. Our small team can’t handle it all alone, so we’re looking to expand the Ace Combat team in a big way.”

Details are understandably light on the ground given development has only just begun on the project.  However, studio ILCA have some pedigree behind them, also providing support on games such as Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age and the upcoming Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes.

In the meantime, a new Japan Air Self Defense Force DLC is on the way for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. The pack will include several skins from across the history of the series, as well as accompanying music. Two more DLC packs are also teased for the future.

You can check out the trailer for the new Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Japan Air Self Defense Force DLC down below. The pack launches on August 31 for the game on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.