Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is expected to continue the series’ strong musical tradition, according to a new developer diary focused on its soundtrack and sound design. The developers say music has been created around the game’s story, world and missions, while real-time audio systems aim to make combat feel more immediate and dramatic.

Music director Mitsuhiro Kitadani said composers were selected from current staff and former collaborators according to their particular strengths, producing high-quality early work. The game will use a more modern musical approach while retaining the series’ established style, alongside “focus mixing” and dynamic music that adapt audio to the player’s actions; it is due on PS5 on 2 October.