Ace Combat 8's Mythic Achievement Demands Double Campaign Clears on Brutal ACE Difficulty

Key points

• The game features 55 achievements totaling 1,000 Gamerscore, with 31 tied to campaign missions.
• Unlocking the Mythic achievement requires clearing the campaign on both Elite and the hidden ACE difficulty.
• The 'Ace of Aces' achievement demands S-ranks on all ACE difficulty missions, a feat only 0.14% of players achieved in Ace Combat 7.
• No achievements are tied to multiplayer modes, allowing players to focus solely on campaign challenges for the Mythic.
• The game launched with performance issues and controversy over the bundled Ace Combat Zero port on PC.

Background

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launched on October 2, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders included a digital copy of the 2006 title Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, which faced backlash on PC due to platform-specific distribution issues and performance problems. The game received critical acclaim for its visuals and story, with a review score of 9/10 from GamingBolt.

How outlets are covering it

TrueAchievements emphasizes the extreme difficulty of the Mythic achievement, noting that the 'Ace of Aces' achievement requires S-ranks on all ACE difficulty missions, a feat only 0.14% of players achieved in Ace Combat 7. GamingBolt highlights the game's massive Steam launch, peaking at 48,687 concurrent players, despite performance issues and the Ace Combat Zero controversy. Bandai Namco focuses on the new ACE COMBAT ONLINE multiplayer mode, which launched in Early Access with cross-platform play and a Premium Ace Pass featuring the ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY aircraft.

Why it matters

The Mythic achievement sets a new benchmark for difficulty in the Ace Combat series, requiring players to master the game's most challenging difficulty mode. The game's strong launch performance and critical acclaim, despite technical issues, indicate its significance in the aerial combat genre. The new multiplayer mode and seasonal content suggest a long-term commitment to the franchise.

What to watch

Players aiming for the Mythic achievement should focus on mastering the campaign on Elite difficulty to unlock ACE mode, then work on achieving S-ranks on all ACE missions. Bandai Namco will release new content and rewards for ACE COMBAT ONLINE in Season One, with the Premium Ace Pass offering the ADFX-02 Morgan-PIXY aircraft and other exclusive items. The game's performance and the Ace Combat Zero controversy may lead to further updates or patches from Bandai Namco.