ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN: Complete Guide

A guide to ACE COMBAT 7 for new and returning pilots: flight controls and techniques, the weather system, the Aircraft Tree and MRP economy, recommended aircraft and special weapons, campaign and medal tips, multiplayer, and the DLC.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC build, with all DLC released. ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE launches on 2 October 2026. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Why play it now: AC7 has sold over 7 million units (per Wikipedia, as of January 2026) and is the best-selling entry in the series. With ACE COMBAT 8 arriving on 2 October 2026, it's the natural warm-up and still goes on sale regularly.

Quick Start

• Choose your control mode. Standard turns the plane left and right with the stick, like a third-person game. Expert makes you roll and then pitch, like a real aircraft. Expert gives far better dogfighting control, so learn it early if you can.
• Missiles are a numbers game. Standard missiles (MSL) are plentiful. Fire pairs at close range from behind or from the side of a target, not head-on from far away.
• High-G turns win dogfights. Hold the brake (decelerate) and pull up at the same time for a much tighter turn. Watch your speed so you don't stall.
• Use the environment. Clouds cut visibility and break missile locks. Heavy weather can ice your wings, and lightning can scramble your HUD.
• Spend MRP in the Aircraft Tree. MRP is the currency for aircraft, parts and special weapons. It comes from the campaign, Free Missions and multiplayer.
• Special weapons change roles. QAAM for dogfights, LAGM and UGB for ground targets, SAAM for long-range fighters. Match your special weapon to the mission briefing.
• Replay missions for MRP. Free Mission replays with a strong plane are the easiest way to fund the tree.
• Don't ignore the parts slots. Upgrade parts (engine, stability, missile range and more) boost your aircraft a lot. Equip them before hard missions.
• The campaign has 20 missions. Named aces, medals and higher difficulties are where the replay value is.

Flying Fundamentals

Controls and techniques

Technique | How | When

High-G turn | Brake plus pitch up | Tightening a turn to get behind an enemy

Post-stall maneuver | Hold the High-G input at low speed on aircraft that support it | Snap your nose around. Leaves you slow and exposed afterwards

Missile evasion | Turn hard, then break toward the missile at the last moment; dive into clouds | When a missile warning sounds

Speed control | Throttle up to escape, brake to let enemies overshoot | Every fight

Target switching | Cycle targets, prioritising marked TGT enemies | Mission objectives

Gun kills | Close the range and lead the target | Low-HP enemies and saving missiles

Weather and environment

• Clouds lower visibility for both sides and can break enemy locks. Fly through them to shake missiles.
• Icing: staying in some cloud types lets ice build up and slows your aircraft. Climb out to clear it.
• Lightning can hit your aircraft and temporarily disrupt your HUD.
• Wind and turbulence push you around in some missions. Adjust your approach on ground-attack runs.
• Sun glare can blind you if you look toward the sun.

The Aircraft Tree and MRP

The Aircraft Tree is where you buy aircraft, special weapons and upgrade parts with MRP. Branches lead from basic trainers and multirole fighters up to modern stealth planes and Strangereal's fictional super-fighters.

Suggested buying path

You start with the F-16C. The base game has 28 aircraft (Wikipedia), plus DLC planes and the F-4E pre-order bonus; the F-22A, Su-57 and X-02S Strike Wyvern sit at the top of the tree. The middle of this table is a loose, player-style suggestion rather than exact tree positions, so check each plane's MRP cost and prerequisites in the tree before committing.

Stage | Buy | Why

Early | F-16C, then F/A-18F | Reliable multiroles with solid special weapon options

Early–mid | Su-30M2 / Su-30SM | Great manoeuvrability; good dogfight training

Mid | F-15E, A-10C | Ground-attack specialists for strike missions

Mid–late | F-15C, Su-33, F-14D | Air-superiority options with long-range weapons

Late | F-22A, Su-57 | Stealth fighters with top-tier performance

Endgame | X-02S Strike Wyvern, plus fictional planes from the DLC sets | The best all-round performance in the game

Special weapons (common picks)

Weapon | Role

QAAM | Quick-manoeuvre missile for dogfights; tracks very well

SAAM | Semi-active; you keep the target in the seeker cone for high hit rates

4AAM / 6AAM | Multi-target missiles for clearing groups

LAGM | Long-range air-to-ground missile

UGB / GPB | Bombs for ground targets

EML | Electromagnetic launcher. Very powerful, straight-line shot

TLS | Tactical laser. Precise, strong against anything

IEWS / ADMM | Specialist systems for jamming (IEWS) and multi-target bursts (ADMM)

Parts

Each aircraft has a limited number of part slots (body, arms, misc). Upgrade parts boost engine output, mobility, missile power and reload, gun rate and more. Spend on engine and missile parts first, then specialise.

Campaign Tips

• There are 20 campaign missions. You play Trigger, a silent Osean pilot who is sent to Spare Squadron, a penal unit, after being accused of murder. The Lighthouse War between Osea and Erusea unfolds around you, with Mihaly A. Shilage as your ace rival and Dr. Schroeder's drone program in the background.
• Read the briefing and pick your loadout for it. Strike missions want LAGM or UGB. Aerial missions want QAAM or SAAM.
• Mid-mission checkpoints exist, but restarting a mission to use a better plane is often faster.
• Replay for MRP. Once you have a good plane, go back to earlier missions on Normal and farm efficiently.
• Difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard and Ace. The Hardened Vet achievement means clearing every campaign mission on every difficulty.
• Named aircraft: some missions have named enemy aces. Destroying all of them in campaign mode unlocks Bird Of Prey. Look for aircraft with names on your HUD and check a named-aircraft list for the conditions.
• Takeoffs, refuelling and landings: doing all of these in every mission unlocks There And Back Again.

Achievement highlights

Achievement | Requirement

Need A Bigger Wallet / Bank Account / MRP Aplenty | Earn 5,000,000 / 25,000,000 / 40,000,000 MRP in total

Craft Collector / Fighter Fanatic | Own 5 / 20 aircraft

Patron Of The Parts | Own every aircraft, special weapon and upgrade part

Aircraft Annihilator | 3,000 campaign kills

Frequent Flyer | 76,500 km flown in campaign mode

Bird Of Prey | Destroy all named aircraft in campaign mode

Hardened Vet | Clear all campaign missions on all difficulties

Globetrotter | Play every multiplayer map

Multiplayer

• Modes: Team Deathmatch and Battle Royal (the game's own spelling). Everyone earns points by shooting down aircraft against a timer.
• Cost limits: lobbies can cap aircraft costs to keep things fair. Build loadouts for different cost brackets.
• Shared progression: MRP from multiplayer feeds the same Aircraft Tree as the campaign.
• Population: smaller than at launch but still active, especially around sales and the AC8 launch window.

DLC Overview

• Season Pass missions: Unexpected Visitor, Anchorhead Raid and Ten Million Relief Plan, a three-part side story.
• Aircraft packs: DLC aircraft sets added fictional and real planes, special weapons and skins, including the 25th Anniversary content.
• Top Gun: Maverick Aircraft Set (per Wikipedia, released 26 May 2022): aircraft and content from the film.
• VR: the VR missions were a PlayStation VR exclusive and aren't on PC.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Firing missiles head-on from max range. They'll miss. Get behind or beside your target.
• Flying at full throttle all the time. You'll overshoot. Use the brake to control closure speed.
• Stalling with post-stall moves. Use them only when you have altitude and nobody is on your tail.
• Not equipping parts. A plane with no parts is much weaker than it looks.
• Buying every early plane. Save MRP for the planes and special weapons you'll actually use.
• Forgetting about clouds. Use them defensively. They're one of AC7's best tools.

Advanced Tips

• Learn Expert controls. Once rolling and pulling becomes natural, dogfights get dramatically easier.
• Missile pairs: fire two standard missiles back-to-back when a target is close and turning. The second one often hits as the target breaks.
• Energy fighting: climb when you have speed, dive to regain it. Don't get stuck slow and low.
• Ground-attack runs: line up several targets before firing LAGM or UGB so each pass counts.
• MRP farming: a strong strike plane with a multi-target special weapon clears target-rich missions fast.
• Save the hardest aces for Ace difficulty once you have late-game aircraft and fully equipped parts.

FAQ

Should I play Standard or Expert controls? Start with Standard if you're new, but switch to Expert once you're comfortable. It's much better for dogfighting.

What's MRP? The in-game currency for the Aircraft Tree: aircraft, special weapons and parts. Earned in the campaign, Free Missions and multiplayer.

How many missions are in the campaign? 20, plus the DLC missions.

Is multiplayer still active? It's smaller than at launch, but you can still find matches in Team Deathmatch and Battle Royal.

Does the PC version have VR? No. VR was exclusive to PlayStation VR.

Is ACE COMBAT 8 out yet? ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE releases on 2 October 2026.

Sources

• Steam store: ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN
• Steam achievements for ACE COMBAT 7
• Wikipedia: Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
• Steam news: ACE COMBAT 8 Overview Trailer (release 2 Oct 2026)
• Steam store: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE