Bandai Namco's 'Hour Zero' Prequel Launches Before Ace Combat 8 — SkimNews
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- Bandai Namco Entertainment launched "Hour Zero," a first-of-its-kind four-episode live-action short film prequel to "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve," with the first episode debuting Tuesday and three more releasing Sept. 17, Sept. 23, and Sept. 29.
- Josh Holloway stars as a pilot in the prequel alongside Brandon Routh as a doctor who saved his enemy and Tamlyn Tomita as a silenced news anchor, with the story told in reverse and counting down to the Republic of Sotoa's invasion of the Federation of Central Usea.
- "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve" is set for release Oct. 2 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, featuring a campaign mode built on the prequel's narrative foundation.
- Holloway said he was initially hesitant to join because his only prior video game work — voicing a character in 2007's "Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars" — was "kind of on the cheesy side," but he was sold once he saw Bandai Namco's production value.
- The production team brought in an actual fighter pilot to advise on physical authenticity, including how G-forces affect the body during cockpit maneuvers, which Holloway called "really amazing information to have on the layering of the look and the stakes."
Why it matters: Bandai Namco is attempting an unusually ambitious transmedia tie-in — a live-action origin story with a working TV cast, released on a tight four-week rollout — to build emotional stakes for "Ace Combat 8" before its Oct. 2 launch. If it lands, it signals a new playbook for legacy gaming franchises seeking to convert casual players into invested buyers through cinematic backstory.
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