Ace Combat 8 Multiplayer: Ace Combat Online
Multiplayer lives in Ace Combat Online, a multiplayer-only mode with its own progress and save, separate from the campaign. The co-op there is its own missions, not the story campaign. You meet other pilots in an air base lobby of up to 100, then fly co-op or PvP, cross-platform between PS5, Xbox and PC. On consoles, online needs PS Plus or Game Pass Essential.
| Mode | Players | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Co-Op Assault | Two teams of four | PvE: both teams race the same scenario for the higher score. |
| Co-Op Warfare | 4 v 4 | PvP with ground, sea and air units on the map. A pilot who keeps scoring without being shot down climbs in Threat Level; at three stars they are called an Ace, worth more to kill and costly to lose. |
| Scramble | 4 | A special mission that can appear after an Assault or Warfare match: a strong enemy squadron. |
| Emergency Sortie | Up to 8 | Also a random special mission: a superweapon from earlier games in the series. |
| Team Deathmatch | 4 v 4 | A limited-time PvP event, sometimes with limits on jet cost or role. |
| Free-for-All | 8 | A limited-time PvP event, every pilot for themselves. |
Jets and progress online
Online uses the same list of jets as the campaign, but you earn them again there: your mercenary rank decides which you can get, and each jet levels up the more you fly it, raising its stats and unlocking abilities of its own. Paint, emblems and weathering are yours to set. Seasons of the Ace Pass run about 2 months each.
The lobby
The air base lobby has classic Namco arcade cabinets, a supply shop, a jukebox of music from earlier games, a training area where up to four can fly together, the online tutorial, and gates to other bases.