Ace Combat 8 sells 1 million copies in a week with 81% positive Steam reviews amid debate

Ace Combat 8 has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, making it the fastest-selling mainline entry in the series. It has 16,000 Steam reviews with an 81% positive rate and a peak of 52,000 concurrent players. The article notes that its retro close-range dogfighting, which downplays stealth, electronic warfare, and beyond-visual-range combat, drew criticism from Chinese players over outdated design, PC performance, and Simplified Chinese localization.