Good news: it looks like we’re going to get a new Ace Combat game from Bandai Namco sometime in the future. Weird news: apparently, at least part of the game is going to be by the developers of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes for the Nintendo Switch. Now doesn’t that beat all?

Pokémon Going Sky High?

"Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown" key art.
Here’s a weird thought: Ace Combat 8, but with Pokémon.

Video Game Chronicles has just announced that Bandai Namco is forming a new company with ILCA (Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Brilliant Pearl). Apparently, this new Tokyo-based company will be Bandai Namco Aces. ILCA president and CEO Takuya Iwasaki will head this new company.

“With the cooperation of Bandai Namco, we would like to pass on the knowledge we have cultivated so far to a new generation in order to further evolve this series that remains in the history of games. The whole team will do their best to give back to Namco, which I have been admiring since I was a child, so I would appreciate your support. Come young, to the sky!”

Takuya Iwasaki, President and CEO, ILCA

As for what Bandai Namco Aces will work on? Well, according to Video Games Chronicles (and as you might expect from the new company name), this new company will “deliver deep and lasting, high-quality content to fans around the world”. It seems that part of this new “high-quality content” will include a new Ace Combat game made using Unreal Engine 5. Not only that, but ILCA actually has experience in this field. ILCA apparently contributed to the development of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Considering how wildly successful that game was, I daresay that it sounds like a good sign for this new Ace Combat game. Now all we have to do is wait to see how it turns out. That might take a while, but hopefully, it will be worth it.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown ~ Details

If Ace Combat 7 was this good, then I can’t wait for Ace Combat 8.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the latest installment in the Ace Combat series of arcade combat flight simulator games by Bandai Namco Studios. Yuta Hamanaka and Masashi Koyanagi directed this game, with Kazutoki Kono and Manabu Shimomoto producing. Sunao Katabuchi wrote for the game, with Masato Kanno as the artist. Keiki Kobayashi, Mitsuhiro Kitadani, Junichi Nakatsuru, Ryo Watanabe, and Tetsukazu Nakanishi composed the music for the game.

As for what Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is about? Well, Steam has a synopsis about the game on their page for it. Check it out below:

“Become an ace pilot and soar through photorealistic skies with full 360 degree movement; down enemy aircraft and experience the thrill of engaging in realistic sorties! Aerial combat has never looked or felt better!”

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown was released on January 18, 2019, for the PS4 and Xbox One, but is also available for PC. You can purchase it on Steam, PlayStation Store, or Xbox Store.

Source: Video Game Chronicles