Quick answer
At the start you can pick Rookie, Pilot, Veteran or Elite, and you can change the setting at any time.[1] Ace, the fifth and highest setting, stays hidden until you clear every campaign mission on Elite. Clearing the campaign on Rookie, Pilot or Veteran does not unlock it.[2][3] Once unlocked, Ace is available in both the campaign and Free Mission.[2]
There is no separate "New Game Plus" mode that we could confirm. Instead, after your first clear, all the planes and parts you have unlocked can be used in Free Mission and in campaign replays.[3]
Every difficulty compared
| Difficulty | How you get it | What changes | Named enemy Aces | MRP multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rookie | Available from the start | Made for players who want to follow the story. You can turn on an option that reduces damage from hitting the ground or buildings.[1] The reviewer at DayOne says that on the lowest setting your main missiles are unlimited (special weapons still run out).[4] | Do not appear[3] | x0.8 (PowerPyx calls the lowest setting "Casual")[3] |
| Pilot | The default setting | Bandai Namco's pick for new or returning players: a balanced challenge for most players.[1] Main missiles are no longer unlimited.[4] | Do not appear[3] | Not published |
| Veteran | Available from the start | Depending on the mission, enemies may have more health or be more aggressive. Missile locks can be harder to shake, and damage recovery depends heavily on your loadout.[1] | Appear from here up[3][5] | Not published |
| Elite | Available from the start | A high-challenge mode where you must read the battlefield and prioritise targets well to complete objectives and survive.[1] | Appear[3] | Not published |
| Ace | Clear the campaign on Elite[2] | Bandai Namco has not published what Ace changes. PowerPyx calls it the highest difficulty.[3] | Appear[3] | x1.5[3] |
Difficulty and flight controls are separate settings. You can pair Standard or Expert controls with any difficulty.[1][5]
How to unlock Ace, step by step
- Play the full campaign on Elite. If you already know Ace Combat or flight games, PowerPyx says you can start on Elite straight away.[3]
- Clear every mission on Elite. KeenGamer's wording is that Ace stays hidden "until you clear every campaign mission on Elite".[2]
- Pick Ace for the campaign or for single missions in Free Mission. Free Mission opens after your first campaign clear and lets you replay any mission at any difficulty you have unlocked.[3]
Finding Elite too hard? PowerPyx suggests a run on a lower difficulty first, to unlock the endgame planes, and then going back up to Elite. The MRP from that run still counts toward the 25,000,000 MRP trophy, so it is not wasted.[3] How to earn MRP faster: MRP farm.
Mixing difficulties: you can change difficulty at any time.[1] The guides say Ace needs "every campaign mission" cleared on Elite.[2] Whether a run that dropped below Elite for some missions counts is not confirmed by a reliable source yet. To be safe, keep the whole run on Elite.
What your first campaign clear unlocks
| Unlock | Condition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Free Mission | Clear the campaign once, any difficulty | PowerPyx[3] |
| Aircraft Sets (pick unlocked skins) | Clear the campaign once | PowerPyx[3] |
| FA-36 Game and X-40 Nightmare on the Aircraft Tree | Clear the campaign, then own an F-22A, F-35C or Su-57 | Community wiki[6][7] |
| ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- usable in the campaign (Ace Pass owners) | Clear every campaign mission | Bandai Namco[8] |
| Ace difficulty | Clear the campaign on Elite | KeenGamer[2] |
PowerPyx's S-rank guide words it as "Complete the Campaign on Elite" to unlock Ace, the endgame aircraft and Free Mission all together.[9] The community wiki only says "after completing the campaign" for the two endgame jets.[7] Prices and gates: aircraft tree unlocks.
New Game Plus: what carries over
- Planes and parts carry over. Everything you have unlocked can be used in Free Mission and in campaign replays.[3]
- Free Mission is less restrictive. It lifts the campaign's aircraft rules. Any unlocked plane works, carrier-only missions accept any plane, and missions that share a plane in the campaign become separate picks.[2]
- One exception: Mission 14 always puts you in the unarmed A-6 Intruder.[2]
- Not confirmed: a menu option actually called "New Game Plus".
Trophies tied to difficulty
- The Ace: complete the campaign on Ace difficulty.[2]
- Ace of Aces: an S rank in all 30 missions on Ace. You can earn the S ranks in Free Mission instead of one campaign run.[3]
- Minimum runs: two. One on Elite to unlock Ace, one on Ace.[3][2]
- Assault Records: named enemy Aces only spawn on Veteran or higher.[2]
Score tips for the Ace S-ranks: S rank requirements.
Not confirmed yet
- What Ace changes compared with Elite (enemy health, damage, numbers, timers). Bandai Namco's difficulty guide only covers the first four settings.[1]
- MRP multipliers for Pilot, Veteran and Elite.
- Whether a mixed-difficulty campaign clear unlocks Ace.
Sources & References
- Bandai Namco Europe: How to Choose Your Difficulty in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE (Sep 18, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- KeenGamer: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE – All Trophies List and Platinum Roadmap (Rafly Wibowo, Sep 29, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
- PowerPyx: Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve Trophy Guide & Roadmap (Jack McBastard, Sep 29, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
- DayOne: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Review (Jon "Sikamikanico" Clarke) ↩ 1, 2
- The Click: ACE COMBAT 8 Difficulty Settings: Rookie, Pilot, Veteran and Elite (PaulD, Sep 30, 2026) ↩ 1, 2
- Ace Combat Wiki (wiki.gg): FA-36 Game ↩
- Ace Combat Wiki (wiki.gg): X-40 Nightmare ↩ 1, 2
- Bandai Namco: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE official site (FAQ section) ↩
- PowerPyx: Ace Combat 8 All Ace S-Ranks Walkthrough (Oct 1, 2026) ↩
