Ace Combat celebrates 30th anniversary; teasing its next game

The Ace Combat series is easily the most well known in the combat flight sim genre, with the franchise stretching all the way back to 1995. That said, we’ve not seen a new entry since 2019’s Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. 6 years and more than 6 million copies sold later, it seems the team are finally gearing up for what’s next – while celebrating the franchise's 30th anniversary.

Taking to their blog to celebrate the moment, Ace Combat’s brand director Kazutoki Kono wrote: “Since the release of the first title in 1995, thanks to your unwavering support, the ACE COMBAT series has reached a remarkable milestone—its 30th anniversary in 2025.”

Kono continued, “Over the past thirty years, times have changed. Values have shifted, technologies have evolved. Our company and our team have continually transformed to navigate these tides. In a word, we've embraced change. There were times we may not have fully met your expectations. But I also believe there were moments when we exceeded them—when we soared higher than anyone imagined.”

The director concluded by teasing what’s next, saying: “After three incredible decades of adapting to change, we've built an enduring bond of trust with all of you. That connection is the very force that has sustained the ACE COMBAT series and propelled it into the future. I can now feel this truth in every fiber of my being. And I'm proud—proud that our ongoing commitment to delivering value and earning your trust has led us to this 30th anniversary. And now, we're ready. Everything is in place. It's time to take flight once again—toward even greater heights.”

While Kono remained just shy of officially announcing the next entry in the Ace Combat series, it is quite clear that a new game is currently in the works and will (hopefully) be ready to be shown off sooner rather than later.

Since 1995, Bandai have published over a dozen Ace Combat titles. That said, we’ve not seen a new entry of any kind since 2019’s Ace Combat 7. As such, it is high time that Project Aces were to finally announce a sequel. Though we’re not quite there yet, it’s only a matter of time.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Ace Combat 7? How long have you been waiting for a sequel? What improvements/additions are you hoping to see with the next entry? Let us know down below.

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