Controversy erupts around Ace Combat 8 on PC as bundled Belkan War re-release remains problematically attached to the new game, whereas it’s standalone on console
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Bandai Namco has quietly changed how Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is distributed on Steam with pre-orders of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, switching it from a promised standalone application to DLC that requires the main game to be installed. The alteration contradicts the original store listing and differs markedly from console versions, where The Belkan War is genuinely standalone, prompting significant backlash from PC players who feel misled about their purchase.
The practical implications are substantial: players must download and install approximately 135GB of Ace Combat 8 to access a 2006 game that weighs under 4GB, making it impractical for lower-spec hardware such as the Steam Deck—a particular frustration for those who pre-ordered specifically to play the re-release portably. As DLC, The Belkan War lacks its own achievements, cloud saves, and separate profile tracking; whilst the game technically launches independently, its installation remains bound to the new title's directory. The mixed reception on Steam (over 1,350 reviews) has been significantly shaped by this controversy, which currently dominates discussion on the Ace Combat subreddit and in negative reviews, overshadowing commentary on the game itself.
- Bandai Namco quietly changed Steam listing, making The Belkan War DLC instead of standalone
- Players must install ~135GB game to play a ~4GB 2006 re-release
- Console versions remain standalone; Steam Deck compatibility now compromised
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Ace Combat 8: Wings of Thieve is the latest entry in Bandai Namco's long-running fighter jet arcade game series. The publisher bundled the game with a remastered version of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, a 2006 entry in the franchise, which PC players pre-ordering on Steam were initially told would be a standalone application alongside the new game.
Bandai Namco has now altered this arrangement without public announcement, converting The Belkan War from a standalone release to downloadable content that requires the main game to be installed. This differs from console versions, where players can run the remaster as a completely separate application, and contradicts what was originally advertised on Steam, leading many PC buyers to feel they've been given misleading information about what they paid for.
The change creates significant practical problems for PC players. Accessing a remastered game from 2006 that takes up under 4 gigabytes now requires installing roughly 135 gigabytes of Ace Combat 8, making the package impractical for those with older computers or limited storage, and particularly problematic for Steam Deck users who were interested in portable gaming. The controversy has come to dominate player discussion online and shaped much of the game's early reception on Steam.
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