Bandai Namco released a trailer for the Ace Combat series celebrating its 30th anniversary. The franchise’s first title, known as Air Combat in the West, launched for PlayStation on June 30, 1995 in Japan.
Additionally, Ace Combat Brand Director Kazutoki Kono shared a message on the series’ newly launched portal, Aces Web:
To all the fans who continue to support the Ace Combat series,
Since the first title’s release in 1995, thanks to your unwavering support, the Ace Combat series has reached a remarkable milestone: its 30th anniversary in 2025.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our fans and everyone involved who has supported the series over the years. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. This moment is our chance to repay thirty years of gratitude to you.
I believe sustaining a legacy over three decades means far more than simply the passage of time. I’ve always shared this message with everyone involved in the series:
“To deliver emotionally impactful, high-quality experiences that exceed expectations, to spark excitement for what comes next—and then meet that expectation with even greater ambition. By continuing this cycle, we build a bond of trust with our players, and that bond is the truest expression of our gratitude.”
Over the last thirty years, times have changed. Values have changed, technologies have evolved. Our company and our team have continuously transformed to navigate these tides. In one word: we embraced change.
There were times when we may not have fully met your expectations. But I also believe there were moments when we exceeded them—when we soared higher than anyone imagined.
Namco founder Masaya Nakamura once said: ‘Only those who can adapt to change will survive.’ I joined Namco in 1994. Back then, I understood those words intellectually—but not yet through experience.
Now, I truly understand.
After three incredible decades of adapting to change, we’ve built an enduring bond of trust with all of you. This connection is the force that has sustained the Ace Combat series and propelled it into the future. I can now feel this truth in every fiber of my being. And I’m proud—proud that our ongoing commitment to delivering value and earning your trust has brought us to this 30th anniversary.
And now, we’re ready. Everything is set. It’s time to take flight once more—toward even greater heights.
June 30, 2025
Kazutoki Kono
Ace Combat Series Brand Director
As announced in August 2021, development of the next Ace Combat game is underway as a joint production between Bandai Namco and ILCA. Subsequently, the two companies established Bandai Namco Aces to leverage both companies’ expertise and deliver “deep, enduring, high-quality content.”
