A new playable aircraft for 'ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE' was revealed for the first time globally at the Bilibili First Look event held in Shanghai on September 3.
The aircraft unveiled that day is named the 'FA-36 Game'. According to official lore, it is a high-maneuverability stealth carrier-based aircraft equipped with a variety of armaments, featuring a tailless design and main wingtips that fold depending on flight speed. Equipped with twin engines for operational stability, its engines feature 3D thrust vectoring nozzles for high-agility combat. The nickname "Game" originates from "gamecock."
At the event where the aircraft was first revealed, Brand Director Kazutoki Kono stated, "Fans who played previous titles will likely find the nickname 'Game' familiar." This is because a fictional aircraft named 'XFA-36A' appeared in 'ACE COMBAT 3 electrosphere', released in 1999. That aircraft's nickname was also Game, sharing the same characteristics such as a tailless design and 3D thrust vectoring nozzles.
Although it is an original in-game aircraft rather than a real-world fighter jet, traces of the 'X-36'—an experimental aircraft jointly developed by McDonnell Douglas Phantom Works and NASA—remain in the design of the XFA-36A and FA-36. Built at 28% the size of a real fighter jet, it was an experimental aircraft designed to research the maneuverability of futuristic tailless fighters.
This is quite interesting considering the chronological relationship between Ace Combat 8 and Ace Combat 3. The story of Ace Combat 8 takes place in 2029 within the universe's 'Strangereal' timeline, set 10 years after the events of its predecessor, 'Ace Combat 7'. Furthermore, the developers themselves previously explained that they designed the game with the overarching timeline leading into 'ACE COMBAT 3', which depicts the 2040s, in mind.
Therefore, what relationship the newly introduced FA-36 shares with the XFA-36A set to appear 11 years later is a key detail to watch. However, whether the FA-36 is a direct predecessor to the XFA-36A or corresponds to that lore's "experimental aircraft" was not explicitly explained in this announcement. Additionally, due to the nature of the series, aircraft that do not appear in the main story are frequently added as playable jets, making it uncertain whether it will be featured in the campaign.
'ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE' follows the story of the protagonist who inherits the name of a legendary ace pilot, alongside the FCU aircraft carrier 'Endurance', adrift at sea after losing its country to an invasion by the hostile nation of Sotoa. The game is scheduled to launch on October 2 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
