Following significant backlash from players regarding the PC version of Ace Combat 8, Bandai Namco has announced it will release Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War as a standalone application on Steam. This move comes after players expressed frustration with Ace Combat Zero being bundled as a pre-order bonus for Ace Combat 8, requiring users to navigate through the new game to access the classic title.
While console players received Ace Combat Zero as a separate bonus with its own achievements and activity log, PC players found the integration inconvenient and restrictive. The announcement on the game's Steam page confirms that the standalone version is in the final stages of quality assurance and compatibility testing, with an unspecified release date. Bandai Namco also stated plans to allow Ace Combat Zero's save data to transfer to the new application, enabling players to continue their progress without starting over.
Despite the controversy surrounding the pre-order bonus integration, Ace Combat 8 has achieved significant commercial success. The game has sold over a million copies since its October 2nd launch, making it the fastest-selling title in the franchise's history and one of its best-reviewed. Bandai Namco is also reportedly addressing lingering PC stability issues that have caused crashes for some players, with ongoing development efforts to resolve these problems.