Real Fighter Jet Manufacturers Participate in the Development of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

Bandai Namco sometimes wondered if they were really allowed to use such information in the game.

In a joint interview for the Japanese publication GameWatch, Ace Combat franchise director Kazutoki Kono and producer Manabu Shimomoto explained that one of the most challenging tasks was licensing real combat aircraft for Wings of Theve. According to the developers, aircraft manufacturers pay special attention to the accuracy of their machines' appearance, but achieving complete authenticity is extremely difficult.

As Shimomoto noted, modern fighter jets contain many classified technologies, so developers have to work with a limited amount of public information. The creation of aircraft models followed a cycle: the team gathered available materials, created prototypes, and then sent them to manufacturers for review.

Company representatives pointed out inaccuracies and outdated design elements, helping to gradually bring the virtual aircraft closer to their real counterparts. At the same time, some comments were based on data that had never been publicly released. According to Shimomoto, the developers sometimes wondered if they were really allowed to use such information in the game.

The manufacturers' assistance was not limited to the appearance of the equipment. The authors even received consultations when preparing in-game aircraft descriptions. According to the team, the people who create combat machines in reality have a great passion for them, which was reflected not only in visual authenticity but also in the accompanying texts.

To achieve maximum realism, the developers also conducted field research. The team visited military bases where they recorded real jet engine sounds. Shimomoto recalls that employees had to stand for hours under the scorching summer sun of Okinawa with microphones pointed at the sky, waiting for fighter jets to fly by.

Ace Combat 8: WINGS OF THEVE will be released on October 2 for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.