This page follows Bandai Namco's official Steam announcement and does not infer settings from earlier ACE COMBAT games. Details not published in that announcement are marked as not officially detailed.
Ace Combat 8 Difficulty Levels at a Glance
| Level | What It Changes | Who It Is For |
|---|---|---|
| Rookie | Focuses play on the story of the war; optional settings can reduce damage when your plane collides with the ground or structures. | Players who want a bit more support while the story unfolds. |
| Pilot | The default difficulty and a balanced challenge for most players. | Players who are new to flying or have not flown in a while. |
| Veteran | Depending on the mission, enemies may have more health or be more aggressive; missile lock-on may be harder to shake; damage recovery depends heavily on your loadout. | Pilots who have logged lots of hours and feel ready to step it up. |
| Elite | A high-challenge mode where split-second decisions determine victory or defeat. | Pilots ready to understand the battlefield, prioritize targets efficiently, fulfil objectives, and survive. |
Rookie
Rookie lets you focus on the story of the war as it unfolds, with optional settings that reduce the damage your plane takes when colliding with the ground or structures for a bit more support if needed.
Pilot
Pilot is the recommended mode for those who are new to flying or have not flown in a while, and it is also the default difficulty setting—a balanced challenge for most players.
Veteran
Veteran is recommended for pilots who have logged lots of hours; depending on the mission, enemies may have more health or be more aggressive, missile lock-on may be harder to shake, and damage recovery will depend heavily on your loadout.
Elite
Elite is a high-challenge mode where split-second decisions determine victory or defeat, requiring you to intimately understand the battlefield and prioritize targets efficiently to fulfil your mission objectives and survive.
You Can Switch Difficulty at Any Time
The official post says you can change your difficulty settings at any time from the settings menu.
Standard vs Expert Controls
Standard
Intuitive turning
Standard mode allows for intuitive control: push the left stick to the left or right to turn. This control scheme might feel more natural to people who are familiar with most first- or third-person gameplay.
Expert
Full-scale control
Expert mode enables full-scale control: roll your craft to the left or right with the left stick, then turn by pitching up and down. This control scheme enables a wider range of aerial maneuvers and more precise aircraft control.
The official post does not publish a separate input chart or additional control-setting details; those details are not officially detailed.
Which Difficulty Should You Choose?
- Rookie: choose it if you want to focus on the story or need a bit more support for collisions with the ground or structures.
- Pilot: choose the default, balanced challenge if you are new to flying or have not flown in a while.
- Veteran: choose it if you have logged lots of hours, feel confident, and are ready to step it up.
- Elite: choose it if you are ready for a high-challenge mode built around split-second decisions, battlefield understanding, and efficient target prioritization.
Numerical damage values, fixed enemy configurations, and achievement requirements are not officially detailed in the official post.
Source: How to choose your difficulty in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE · Steam Community Announcements · September 18, 2026