Ace Combat 7: How to Use Flares

Ready to take to the skies and establish air dominance? Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown offers up all the modern aerial dog fights you could want across a host of missions.

However, surviving any of those sorties requires more than just barrel rolls and machine gun fire. If you want to stay airborne and complete objectives, you’ve got to master quick turns and proper flare deployment to avoid enemy missile fire.

How to Deploy Flares

Unfortunately, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown doesn’t do a very good job of explaining how to use flares, so let’s jump right into it with the exact flare controls broken down by platform.

PS4 Flare Deployment:

• Tap L3 + R3 simultaneously to release flares

Xbox One Flare Deployment:

•  Tap both analog sticks simultaneously to release flares

PC Flare Deployment:

• Unknown at this time, but you’ll likely be able to bind your own key

The PC version of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown doesn’t arrive until January 31, as console players get more than a full week of exclusive access ahead of time. We’ll get this article updated with the controls for using flares via keyboard command when it lands on Steam at the end of the month.

When to Deploy Flares

No matter which platform you are on, wait to deploy your flares until well after you hear the “Missile Lock” audio cue. You will see red icons on the screen indicating proximity, and when they are flashing, because the missile is in close range, deploy flares and either speed up or turn to avoid the explosion.

Note that the flares drop below you rather than directly behind, and you can use the right analog stick to swivel your view to see exactly where a missile is chasing your aircraft before deploying these countermeasures.

Have any other questions on how to fly your plane, avoid missiles, and take out targets in Ace Combat 7? Let us know what you are having trouble with in the comments below, and we’ll find you a solution.