Quick answer
ACE COMBAT 8: Wings of Theve has 30 numbered missions. Add the Prologue, "Wings of Theve", and you get 31 campaign sorties. KeenGamer's list puts it as "a Prologue and 30 numbered missions, with no chapters or branching routes".[1] The last mission is Mission 30, "Song of Wings".[1][2]
So "30 missions" and "31 missions" are the same campaign. The difference is only whether you count the Prologue.
A first run takes about 15 to 20 hours. Some reviewers say more than 20 (details below).
All missions in order
| No. | Mission | Operation | Location | Mission medal (optional goal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue | Wings of Theve | None | Straits of Adea | None |
| 01 | Jokers Wild | Seabird | San Salvacion North Coast | None |
| 02 | Nomad | Falling Sparks | Deltheim Port | None |
| 03 | Purple Magic Takes Flight | Frostwave | White Valley Base | None |
| 04 | The Fall of the Numbered Fleets | Elder Hand | Newfield Island | Tunnel Specter: fly through the narrow space |
| 05 | Retaking of Theve | Long Shot | FCU Capital: Theve | Proud Shoulders: evacuate 4 or more LCACs |
| 06 | Attack on the Drinwich Airfield | Redouble | Rigley Mountains | None |
| 07 | A Lifeline in the Desert | Squeeze | Faith Park Ravine | None |
| 08 | Retaking of Theve II | Gut Shot | FCU Capital: Theve | None |
| 09 | The Land Battleship Blockade | Ogre Pitfall | FCU Capital: Theve | Aegis Penetrator: destroy all 10 Land Aegis ships |
| 10 | Over the Rainband | Raincoat | Waters of Newfield Island | None |
| 11 | Maximum Payload | Gaffed Card | Off Rocky Island | None |
| 12 | An Island in Darkness | Worker Bee | Fort Grays Island | Rapid Dragon Slayer: destroy the Rapid Dragon before launch |
| 13 | The People of the Lost Country | Twin Birds | Rio Bajo | None |
| 14 | Two on the Run | Homing Pigeon | Rio Bajo | Avoid all radar detection |
| 15 | Wings of Wax | Deal Cards | Spring Sea | None |
| 16 | Singer | Lighthouse Lady | Selatapura | None |
| 17 | Land Battleship No. 3 | Broncobuster | Waiapolo Mountains | Clear the primary targets with Joker Flight only |
| 18 | Moonlight and Shadows | Branching Path | Comona Space Base | None |
| 19 | Clearing the Lighthouse | Silver String | Selatapura | None |
| 20 | Escort Orbiter | Migration Keeper | Spring Sea | None |
| 21 | The Star-Bound Bird | Dawn Rising | Comona Space Base | No damage to the escort target |
| 22 | Pursuing the HSCA | Patch of Blue | Aurum Sea | None |
| 23 | The Destruction of Expo City | Rumbling | Expo City | Land Piscivore: destroy all land ships |
| 24 | The Battle of Rocky Island, Day 1 | Coastal Hammer | Northern Rocky Island | None |
| 25 | The Battle of Rocky Island, Day 2 | Paint it Blue | Northern Rocky Island | Eliminate the specific enemy forces |
| 26 | Crossing Fleets | King Tide | Cima Island | None |
| 27 | Fatsia, The Ocean Fortress | Rootbreaker | Megafloat Fatsia | Destroy mass enemy units in a chain reaction |
| 28 | A Thousand Points of Light | Locust Purge | Cima Island | None |
| 29 | Selene | Lunar Eclipse | FCU Capital: Theve | None |
| 30 | Song of Wings | Showdown | Newfield Island | Intercept all threats to the escort target |
How we built this table: Mission and operation names come from three separate lists: KeenGamer, The Click and the community Ace Combat Wiki. We checked them cell by cell, and all three agree.[1][2][3] The Location column comes from the wiki,[3] and the medal column from KeenGamer.[1]
Our count: 11 of the 30 numbered missions have a mission medal. That matches KeenGamer's own count: "Eleven missions carry their own medal".[1] The other 19 have no mission medal.
Missions worth knowing before you start
- Mission 14 (Two on the Run) always puts you in an unarmed A-6 Intruder. This applies in the campaign and in Free Mission.[1][2] Its medal is for avoiding all radar detection.[1]
- Mission 18 (Moonlight and Shadows) has a kill that matters later. Shooting down Shadow 24 here is what makes the Lux Lunae 22nd Unit appear in Mission 28.[4]
- Mission 28 (A Thousand Points of Light) is the best single mission for MRP. You can land at the Cima Island airstrip to rearm.[1] See MRP farming.
- Mission 29 (Selene) is where you fight the X-40 Nightmare.[4] See X-40 Nightmare.
How long is the campaign?
| Source | Estimate for one campaign run |
|---|---|
| KeenGamer (mission guide) | "A first run through the campaign takes 20 hours"[1] |
| GameSpew (review) | "will likely take you over 20 hours to complete"[5] |
| FandomWire (mission guide) | "around 15 to 20 hours to complete"[6] |
FandomWire adds that the shorter missions should take around 15 minutes each, and larger operations take longer.[6] PowerPyx gives one real example. Mission 05 shows a 25-minute clock, but the writer says "in practice you'll be done in under 15".[7]
Our calculation: 15 to 20 hours spread over 31 sorties is about 29 to 39 minutes per sortie on average. That average includes briefings, cutscenes, takeoffs and retries, not just the flying.
A full 100% run is much longer. KeenGamer and PowerPyx both estimate 150 hours or more for the Platinum. Most of that is the 25,000,000 MRP grind.[8][9]
Replaying missions: Free Mission
- Free Mission unlocks after you finish the campaign once, on any difficulty.[1]
- You can replay any mission on any difficulty you have unlocked. The campaign uses autosave only, with no manual save slots.[1]
- In the campaign, some missions only allow carrier-capable aircraft. Others run back to back on the same plane. Free Mission lifts both limits, but Mission 14 is still locked to the A-6.[1]
- Nothing is missable. Medals, Assault Records and S ranks can all be finished in Free Mission.[1][2]
For S-rank goals by mission, see S rank requirements. To unlock Ace difficulty, see Ace difficulty unlock.
Is "Hortus Regis Alti" a mission?
No. It does not appear in any of the three mission lists above.[1][2][3] Bandai Namco Europe describes it as a piece of music performed by Lindsey Stirling, giving its meaning as "Latin for “The Garden of the High King”".[10]
Sources & References
- KeenGamer: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE – All Missions List (Rafly Wibowo, Sep 29, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
- The Click: ACE COMBAT 8 Mission List: All Campaign Missions in Order (PaulD, Sep 30, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Ace Combat Wiki (wiki.gg): Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve/Missions ↩ 1, 2, 3
- PowerPyx: Ace Combat 8 All Assault Records & Enemy Aces (Sep 29, 2026) ↩ 1, 2
- GameSpew: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve review (Richard Seagrave) ↩
- FandomWire: Ace Combat 8 Mission List: How Many Missions Are There? (Daniel Royte, Sep 30, 2026) ↩ 1, 2
- PowerPyx: Ace Combat 8 All Ace S-Ranks Walkthrough (Oct 1, 2026) ↩
- KeenGamer: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE – All Trophies List and Platinum Roadmap ↩
- PowerPyx: Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve Trophy Guide & Roadmap ↩
- Bandai Namco Europe: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Soars with Lindsey Stirling ↩