Steam buyers of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve need the full game installed to play preorder bonus Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, while PS5 and Xbox Series X/S owners receive the older game as a standalone app. Eurogamer reports that the change has become a prominent complaint in negative Steam reviews and discussion on the Ace Combat subreddit.

Preordering any version of Ace Combat 8 includes The Belkan War. On Steam, however, the bonus is packaged as a DLC executable rather than a separate product, despite the store listing previously describing it as a standalone application. The date that wording changed is unclear.

A long-awaited re-release with a PC catch

Originally released in 2006, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War had not appeared on a platform other than PlayStation 2. That made its return a notable prospect for longtime fans, particularly those hoping to play the classic without digging out aging hardware.

When Eurogamer reported the dispute in late September, owners of the Ace Combat 8 Deluxe Edition had already begun playing in early access. The bonus applies to any version of the new game, but the way it is delivered differs sharply between PC and console.

Platform How The Belkan War is delivered Access requirement Steam DLC executable under Ace Combat 8 Ace Combat 8 must be installed PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Standalone application No Ace Combat 8 installation requirement reported The install is only part of the problem

The practical mismatch is hard to miss: Steam users must download roughly 135GB of Ace Combat 8 to access a game that takes up less than 4GB. That makes the bonus a less convenient fit for players with limited storage, and a particular letdown for Steam Deck owners who expected to run the older title without installing the demanding modern game.

There is a technical workaround of sorts. The Belkan War has its own folder inside the Ace Combat 8 directory and can be launched by locating its executable, but that does not remove the requirement to install the base game.

The packaging also means The Belkan War has no separate Steam achievements or cloud saves. Play time, screenshots and other profile activity sit under Ace Combat 8 instead, leaving the older game without the distinct Steam profile presence its console release receives.

The Steam listing’s earlier description presented The Belkan War as a standalone application separate from the main game; its current wording says Ace Combat 8 must be installed to use the DLC. Eurogamer also noted that a Reddit user had struggled to find the bonus in their library before launch, adding to the confusion over how the offer would appear on Steam.

The Steam store interface page for the game Celeste. Full release is October 2

Ace Combat 8 is scheduled for its official release on October 2, 2026. At the time of Eurogamer’s report, the game had a Mixed user-review rating on Steam based on more than 1,350 reviews.

Eurogamer said it had contacted Bandai Namco for comment; the report did not include a response. For now, the concrete difference remains: console players get a standalone application, while Steam players need the full modern game installed to reach the 2006 classic.

The post Steam Players Need 135GB To Reach The Belkan War Bonus appeared first on The Escapist.