Ace Combat 8’s Cinematic Prequel Wraps Up: Hour Zero Miniseries Finale Stars Josh Holloway

On September 29, Bandai Namco released the epilogue of Hour Zero, the cinematic prequel to the aerial combat game Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. The final installment of the four-part short film arrived alongside the start of early access to the game itself for Deluxe Edition buyers. The full release on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S follows on October 2.

According to Bandai Namco’s concept, Hour Zero is designed as a narrative bridge that immerses players in the complex geopolitics of the Strangereal universe before they ever climb into a fighter jet’s cockpit. Produced under the close supervision of developer Project Aces, the project chronicles the first days of the devastating conflict between the Republic of Sotoa and the Central Usean Federation.

A Star-Studded Cast and a Story Told in Reverse

The creators chose an unconventional structure: the miniseries moves backward through time, leading viewers right up to the moment the war begins. The story unfolds through the eyes of three strangers — a military pilot, a doctor and a TV host — who find themselves at the epicenter of the invasion.

For the shoot, the company brought in a well-known Hollywood cast. The lead roles went to Josh Holloway (Lost), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) and Tamlyn Tomita. Such investment in live-action promotional material underscores Ace Combat 8’s status: for Bandai Namco, it is the franchise’s first numbered entry in seven years, and the studio aims to lower the barrier to entry into the story for a new audience.

They came as fans, but they left as heroes. Kind of.

We brought some of ACE COMBAT's biggest fans to the set of HOUR ZERO – The Prelude to ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE. Let's see how that went.

All HOUR ZERO episodes: https://t.co/wQpUrAvhEy pic.twitter.com/vtl5REVrGK

— Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) September 29, 2026

Unreal Engine 5 and Large-Scale Multiplayer

The Hour Zero epilogue was the closing note of the marketing campaign ahead of Wings of Theve’s launch. As noted on the project’s official page, the eighth installment has moved to Unreal Engine 5, allowing the developers to dramatically improve the detail of vehicles and weather effects. The game also offers crossplay across all platforms for the first time in the series, along with the largest multiplayer mode in franchise history.