"Ace Combat 8" Gets a Live-Action Prequel Starring "Lost"'s Josh Holloway

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A live-action prequel, not a game trailer

Bandai Namco announced "Hour Zero" on September 10, 2026, a 4-episode live-action prequel to its upcoming flight-action game "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve." The series stars Josh Holloway ("Lost"), Brandon Routh, and Tamlyn Tomita.

Hour Zero follows three strangers during the opening days of the Republic of Sotoa's invasion of the Federation of Central Usea — Holloway plays a stranded pilot, Routh a doctor who saved his enemy, and Tomita a news anchor silenced for telling the truth. The four short episodes tell their stories in reverse, moving back toward the moment the war begins.

Free, and timed to the game's launch

Episode 1 releases free on IGN.com and the IGN YouTube channel on September 15, 2026, with new episodes releasing every few days — each one runs roughly six to eleven minutes. The series is scheduled to conclude just before "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve" itself launches on October 2, 2026.

What To Know

A Hollywood-cast, free-to-watch live-action tie-in to a major Japanese flight-combat franchise is an unusually direct bridge between a Japanese game studio and an international audience, and having episode 1 free and ready to watch in just two days gives fans an immediate, no-cost way to jump in.

Ace Combat has built its international fanbase largely through its games rather than adaptations, so a dedicated Western-cast live-action series — rather than an anime tie-in, the more typical route for a Japanese franchise — is a notable strategic choice for reaching audiences outside Japan.

What Fans Are Saying

Original Japanese

Easy Japanese

バンダイナムコの新しいゲーム『エースコンバット8』の実写ドラマ「Hour Zero」が発表されました。「LOST」のジョシュ・ホロウェイさんが出演し、第1話は9月15日に無料で配信されます。