Ace Combat 8 tops predecessor with record Steam numbers

Bandai Namco's Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has set a new franchise record on Steam, peaking at over 52,000 concurrent players during its opening weekend. This figure represents more than 3X the peak player count of its predecessor, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

The combat flight series previously saw modest numbers on Valve's platform. According to SteamDB's data, Ace Combat 7 topped out at 13,758 in 2019. On its first weekend after launch, Ace Combat 8 surged past both titles, reaching over 52,694 simultaneous players on Steam on October 3rd.

Despite strong player interest, user reviews currently have a “Mostly Positive” rating, with 78% of players recommending it on Steam due to technical and access issues, such as not being able to access the pre-order bonus, which was a copy of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. However, due to the game's inclusion as DLC for Ace Combat 8, you need to have the main game installed in order to re-play the old classic.

While there have been some issues, fans have praised the new Ace Combat 8 single-player campaign, and overall gameplay.

KitGuru says: With over 52,000 peak concurrent players on Steam, Ace Combat 8 seems on track to outsell its predecessor. However, Bandai will need to address performance complaints to ensure it succeeds.

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