Ace Combat 8 Developers Address ‘Belkan War’ Disappointment
The developers of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve have apologized to Steam players over confusion surrounding the game’s pre-order bonus. The bonus includes a copy of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, but its availability differs across platforms.
On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, The Belkan War can be launched as a standalone title separate from Ace Combat 8. However, on Steam, the game is only accessible as content tied to Ace Combat 8 and cannot be purchased or accessed independently.
The discrepancy led to disappointment among the Steam community, who expected parity with console versions. In response, the developers clarified that The Belkan War cannot be released as a standalone application on Steam “due to licensing restrictions and platform-related considerations.”
The statement acknowledges the frustration but explains that technical and licensing limitations prevent Steam from offering the title in the same way as PlayStation and Xbox platforms. This represents a common challenge for multiplatform releases, where platform holders and licensing agreements can create different user experiences across digital storefronts.