Ace Combat Zero is coming to PC for the first time as a free Ace Combat 8 deluxe pre-order bonus

Bandai Namco slipped a stealth announcement into Sony's State of Play on Tuesday: Ace Combat Zero is coming to PC for the first time. The 20-year-old PS2 game has never received an HD remaster or any kind of PC release, making this a genuine debut — and only the third Ace Combat title to land on the platform.

The catch is that Ace Combat Zero arrives as a free pack-in with the deluxe edition pre-order of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, which launches on PS5 and Steam on October 1. The deluxe edition runs $90 and also grants early access to AC8 starting September 29. Ace Combat Zero doesn't have its own Steam page yet, but Bandai Namco will presumably sell it separately alongside AC8 at some point.

Ace Combat Zero is worth getting excited about on its own merits. The game has a reputation system tied to your in-mission behavior — blow up too many defenseless targets and you earn the Mercenary label; show restraint and you trend toward Knight. That status then determines which enemy factions you face. The whole thing is wrapped in a bizarre and brilliant blend of Norse and Arthurian mythology: your squadron pulls from Nordic lore, the contested territory is nicknamed The Round Table, and the game apparently ends in a one-on-one aerial jousting match. The soundtrack features flamenco guitar. It is completely ridiculous and sounds fantastic.

The $90 deluxe price tag is steep, and early access periods are rarely worth the premium on their own. But getting Ace Combat Zero — a game that has sat locked to PS2 hardware for two decades — thrown in for free makes the bundle considerably more interesting than it would be otherwise.