Ace Combat 8 Release Date and Unlock Time
Ace Combat 8 unlocks at the same moment everywhere: 22:00 UTC on 1 October 2026. That is 3 pm on October 1 on the US west coast, 11 pm in the UK, and early on October 2 in continental Europe and Asia, which is why US stores print October 1 and the publisher prints October 2. Deluxe Edition owners started 3 days earlier.
Unlock moment
October 1, 22:00 UTC
Unlock time by city
| Where | Full game | Deluxe early access |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (PDT) | Thu, Oct 1, 3:00 PM | Mon, Sep 28, 3:00 PM |
| New York (EDT) | Thu, Oct 1, 6:00 PM | Mon, Sep 28, 6:00 PM |
| London (BST) | Thu, Oct 1, 11:00 PM | Mon, Sep 28, 11:00 PM |
| Berlin, Paris (CEST) | Fri, Oct 2, 12:00 AM | Tue, Sep 29, 12:00 AM |
| Beijing, Singapore | Fri, Oct 2, 6:00 AM | Tue, Sep 29, 6:00 AM |
| Tokyo, Seoul | Fri, Oct 2, 7:00 AM | Tue, Sep 29, 7:00 AM |
| Sydney (AEST) | Fri, Oct 2, 8:00 AM | Tue, Sep 29, 8:00 AM |
Early access and preloading
The Deluxe Edition's head start began at 3 pm PDT on 28 September, for digital pre-orders. Deluxe bought after launch still has its other contents but no head start. The editions page compares what each version includes, and the PC check is worth a minute before a PC download this size.
Where it is out
- Steam (Windows) at $69.99
- PlayStation 5 at $69.99
- Xbox Series X|S at $69.99
No Switch 2 or last-generation version has been announced. The platforms page has the details.