ILCA, the developers of Pokémon Brillant Diamond and Shining Pearl, will be making a new entry to the Ace Combat series in partnership with Bandai Namco. ILCA previously worked with Bandai Namco on environments and cutscenes for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, playing a part in making it the best-selling entry in the series.

Ace Combat combines the breakneck arcade style of After Burner with combat flight simulators to deliver what could be considered one of the best dogfight experiences on the market. The series first hit critical and commercial acclaim in 2001 with its PlayStation 2 debut, Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies, making it a stand-out in an already loaded year for the console. Sadly, despite well-received future entries overall, the series hasn't had a breakout title in many years, making the success of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown particularly exciting. Despite a ten-year gap between numbered entries, reviews for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown found it to be worth the wait.

Related: Ace Combat 7's Bizarre "JPEG Dog" Is A Very Good Boy

According to a publication from Video Game Chronicle (VGC), Bandai Namco has announced a partnership with developer ILCA (I Love Computer Art) to establish a brand new company. The Tokyo-based developer will be known as Bandai Namco Aces, and will commit itself to "next-generation projects using Unreal Engine 5." VGC further reported Takuya Iwasaki, the previous leader of ILCA, will act as president and CEO of Bandai Namco Aces. Iwasaki had this to say about the future of his team and for all involved with Ace Combat: “With the cooperation of Bandai Namco, we would like to pass on the knowledge we have cultivated so far to a new generation in order to further evolve this series that remains in the history of games. The whole team will do their best to give back to Namco, which I have been admiring since I was a child, so I would appreciate your support. Come young, to the sky!” While there aren't any details about the next Ace Combat currently, Bandai Namco going so far as to give the Ace Combat series its own development firm could indicate big things for its player base.

Developer ILCA Has Worked On NieR: Automata & Dragon Quest XI

An aircraft flying through the sky in Ace Combat 7

Even before Pokémon BDSP and Ace Combat, ILCA had a fair share of collaborative projects with successful games like NieR: Automata and Dragon Quest XI. While the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl review roundup were mixed, critics were quick to point out this was mainly due to the remakes being incredibly faithful to a fault. With Bandai Namco investing so much into ILCA's partnership, its faithfulness to an experience could be crucial in preserving the gameplay style Ace Combat fans have come to love.

Because of its blend of arcade action and flight simulation realism, Ace Combat is not an experience easily replicated. Combining these aspects correctly with a cinematic story and good music, the Ace Combat series could be reimagined in a perfect blend of previous mechanics and modern graphics. With ILCA already proving its commitment to artistic integrity with Pokémon Brillant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Ace Combat series may be set to receive an exciting new addition in future years.

Next: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Make Battles Hard Again

Sources: Video Game Chronicle