At the end of July, gamers were reminded of the arcade flight simulator Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve again, and the reason was not particularly joyful. Bandai Namco Entertainment updated the game's Steam page, and fears about the protection system were confirmed.
A notification about the use of Denuvo appeared, as well as a message about the activation limit per day:
Third-party DRM protection: Denuvo Anti-Tamper. 5 different systems within a day - maximum number of devices.
The problem is that switching Proton versions is considered a "new activation," so Linux / Steam Deck players may face a temporary game lockout if they experiment too much.
Some users in the Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve community on Steam have already announced their refusal to purchase due to the presence of Denuvo in the game.
You can add Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve to your Steam wishlist via the following link. The regular release is scheduled for October 2, 2026, and owners of the premium edition will be able to start playing three days earlier. The game will be available not only on PC but also on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.