Campaign · Mission list · AC8
Ace Combat 8 Has 30 Missions (+ Prologue)
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has 30 numbered campaign missions, plus a separate Prologue (“Wings of Theve”) — 31 sorties if you count both. A first story clear is about 20 hours. The last mission is Mission 30, Song of Wings (Operation Showdown). Full mission list, operation names, medals, and unlock path below.
Campaign GSC Oct 2026 Play-sourced
How many missions are in Ace Combat 8?
30 numbered missions (Mission 01–30). Add the Prologue and you get 31 campaign sorties. There are no branching routes — every player flies the same mission order. After credits, Free Mission unlocks for replays, S-ranks, medals, and Assault Records.
- Answer most people want: 30 missions
- If you count the Prologue: 31 sorties
- Online / Ace Pass missions: separate from campaign count
How the campaign is structured
- Prologue: “Wings of Theve” (Inherited Dog Tags trophy).
- Missions 01–30: story sorties from Operation Seabird through Operation Showdown.
- Free Mission: post-credits replay mode — best for cleanup without full campaign restarts.
Recommended difficulty path
- Clear on Elite to unlock Ace (warm up on lower difficulties first if needed). Details: difficulty guide.
- Don’t skip takeoffs / landings / refuels for By the Book.
- Named enemy aces for Assault Records generally need Veteran+ — checklist: Hidden Aces.
- Replay on Ace (or Free Mission) for all S-ranks → Ace of Aces. Guide: S-rank.
Ace Combat 8 mission list (all 30)
Use this table as the full campaign mission list — mission title, operation name, and mission medal where one exists.
| # | Mission | Operation | Mission medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Joker’s Wild | Operation Seabird | — |
| 02 | Nomad | Operation Falling Sparks | — |
| 03 | Purple Magic Takes Flight | Operation Frostwave | — |
| 04 | The Fall of the Numbered Fleets | Operation Elder Hand | Tunnel Specter |
| 05 | Retaking of Theve | Operation Long Shot | Proud Shoulders |
| 06 | Attack on the Drinwich Airfield | Operation Redouble | — |
| 07 | A Lifeline in the Desert | Operation Squeeze | — |
| 08 | Retaking of Theve II | Operation Gut Shot | — |
| 09 | The Land Battleship Blockade | Operation Ogre Pitfall | Aegis Penetrator (Land Aegis) |
| 10 | Over the Rainband | Operation Raincoat | — |
| 11 | Maximum Payload | Operation Gaffed Card | — |
| 12 | An Island in Darkness | Operation Worker Bee | Rapid Dragon Slayer |
| 13 | The People of the Lost Country | Operation Twin Birds | — |
| 14 | Two on the Run | Operation Homing Pigeon | Avoid all radar detection (stealth medal) |
| 15 | Wings of Wax | Operation Deal Cards | — |
| 16 | Singer | Operation Lighthouse Lady | — |
| 17 | Land Battleship No. 3 | Operation Broncobuster | Clear primary targets with Joker Flight only |
| 18 | Moonlight and Shadows | Operation Branching Path | — |
| 19 | Clearing the Lighthouse | Operation Silver String | — |
| 20 | Escort Orbiter | Operation Migration Keeper | — |
| 21 | The Star-Bound Bird | Operation Dawn Rising | Complete without damaging the escort target |
| 22 | Pursuing the HSCA | Operation Patch of Blue | — |
| 23 | The Destruction of Expo City | Operation Rumbling | Land Piscivore |
| 24 | The Battle of Rocky Island, Day 1 | Operation Coastal Hammer | — |
| 25 | The Battle of Rocky Island, Day 2 | Operation Paint it Blue | Eliminate specific enemy forces |
| 26 | Crossing Fleets | Operation King Tide | — |
| 27 | Fatsia, The Ocean Fortress | Operation Rootbreaker | Large-scale chain reaction of mass enemy units |
| 28 | A Thousand Points of Light | Operation Locust Purge | — |
| 29 | Selene | Operation Lunar Eclipse | — |
| 30 | Song of Wings | Operation Showdown | Intercept all threats to the escort target |
Popular operations, medals & locations (quick jumps)
- Operation Gut Shot — Mission 08 Retaking of Theve II
- Proud Shoulders medal — Mission 05 Retaking of Theve (Operation Long Shot)
- Operation Elder Hand — Mission 04 (medal: Tunnel Specter)
- Operation Frostwave / Purple Magic — Mission 03
- Operation Seabird — Mission 01 Joker’s Wild
- Wings of Wax / Operation Deal Cards — Mission 15
- Operation Broncobuster — Mission 17 Land Battleship No. 3
- Land Aegis / Aegis Penetrator — Mission 09 Land Battleship Blockade · hub: Land Battleship
- Expo City — Mission 23 (Land Piscivore)
- Rocky Island — Mission 24 / Mission 25
- Operation Migration Keeper — Mission 20 Escort Orbiter
- Mission 16 ship locations — Mission 16 Singer
- Mission 29 / 30 — Selene · Song of Wings
Campaign unlocks (after you clear the story)
- Free Mission — replay any campaign sortie for S-ranks, medals, and Assault Records (Free Mission guide).
- Ace difficulty — unlocks after finishing the campaign on Elite (difficulty). Rookie/Pilot/Veteran clears do not unlock Ace.
- Skins / Aircraft Sets editing — post-campaign hangar options; see skins.
- Late aircraft gates — including X-40 Nightmare prerequisites after campaign clear + MRP.
- Assault Records cleanup — named aces / special kills; full checklist: Hidden Aces · All Aces.
- New Game Plus — optional second run with progress carry-over: NG+.
Orange / red targets (score colors)
On radar and HUD scoring, target color roughly tracks point value: white (lower), orange (mid), red (highest). Prioritize orange/red blips when you are hunting S-ranks or MRP — see S-rank guide and walkthrough hub for sortie prep. This is separate from green TGT objective containers.
Campaign medals & Assault Records
Mission medals sit on specific sorties in the table above (Proud Shoulders, Tunnel Specter, Aegis Penetrator, Land Piscivore, and others). Miss one on the first run? Clean it in Free Mission — nothing is permanently locked out.
Assault Records track named enemy aces and special kill conditions. Spawn rules are mission-specific and usually need Veteran or higher. Guides: Hidden Aces · All Aces · trophy roadmap: trophies.
FAQ
How many missions are in Ace Combat 8?
30 numbered campaign missions, plus a Prologue. Counting both = 31 sorties. Online Ace Pass missions are not part of this total.
How many missions does Ace Combat 8 / AC8 have?
Thirty story missions (01–30), ending with Mission 30 Song of Wings / Operation Showdown. Same campaign whether you search “missions,” “mission list,” or “how many missions in ac8.”
Is there a full Ace Combat 8 mission list?
Yes — the table above lists every numbered mission with its operation name and medal column.
How long is the Ace Combat 8 campaign?
About 20 hours for a first story clear. Platinum takes longer because of MRP farming, S-ranks, medals, and Assault Records. More: how long to beat.
How do you unlock Ace difficulty in Ace Combat 8?
Finish the campaign on Elite. Then Ace appears in the difficulty select for campaign / Free Mission. Details: difficulty guide.
What is Operation Gut Shot?
Operation Gut Shot is Mission 08 — Retaking of Theve II, the capital push with heavy Lux Lunae presence.
What is the Proud Shoulders medal?
Proud Shoulders is the Mission 05 medal on Retaking of Theve (Operation Long Shot). See that walkthrough for the medal condition.
What is Operation Broncobuster?
Operation Broncobuster is Mission 17 — Land Battleship No. 3.
What is the Ace Combat 8 Mission 30 passcode?
Story spoilers: the late-campaign backdoor phrase players look up is “Hortus Regis Alti” (also an OST / collab title). It is story dialogue payoff into Mission 30 — not a separate menu cheat code. See Mission 30 and Hortus Regis Alti.
What are Ace Combat 8 Assault Records?
Campaign Assault Records track named enemy aces and special kill conditions. Details and spawn notes: Hidden Aces. Clean them in Free Mission after credits.
Are there campaign medals in Ace Combat 8?
Yes — select missions award their own medal. See the Mission medal column in the table, then jump to that mission guide for the exact condition.
When does Free Mission unlock?
After you finish the campaign credits. Guide: Free Mission.
What do orange targets mean?
Orange (and red) radar targets are higher-value score targets than white ones. Chase them when farming S-ranks or MRP; green containers mark mission TGTs.
Walkthrough trailer
How-to-play topics (360° flight, dogfight loop, sortie prep): walkthrough hub.
Official walkthrough trailer · Watch on YouTube
Hard-mission deepen pack
Full tactics: 09 Land Battleship · 11 Maximum Payload · 18 Moonlight and Shadows · 27 Fatsia · plus 16 / 22 / 28 / 30. MRP farm: MRP guide.
Further reading
Systems hot right now
MRP farm · PSM / post-stall · Drop tanks · New Game Plus · Lux Lunae · Shadow 22 · Moon 11.
Related guides
Walkthrough · S-Rank · Hidden Aces · All Aces · Land Battleship · Trophies · Difficulty · Free Mission · How long to beat · Mission 01
Primary: how many missions in Ace Combat 8 (30 + Prologue). Also: mission list, Operation Gut Shot, Proud Shoulders, Broncobuster, Expo City, Rocky Island, Assault Records, campaign medals, unlock Ace difficulty, Mission 30 passcode. Independent fan guide.