in

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero player count on Steam breaks records

SSJ4 in Sparking Zero with streaming logo

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has broken player count records for the franchise before its official release.

When Bandai Namco announced Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, fans immediately began counting the days until its release. Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi and its many sequels introduced children of the 2000s to the world of Super Saiyans and charmingly inconsistent power levels before they even saw the anime.

That’s why it came as no surprise that thousands of impatient fans got their hands on early copies of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. What did surprise some was how quickly the player count rose, days before the game’s final release. 

How many players does Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero have on Steam?

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s player count peaked above 91,000 on October 9, 2024.

Although the game’s official release won’t be until October 11, 2024, those who purchased the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions get early access. According to the player count figures on SteamDB, over 91,000 players preordered these special versions to play the game early.

Given the current player count without a full release, many expect the numbers to rise even higher. The player count peak dwarfed those seen in traditional fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, which have all-time highs of 70,540 and 46,139, respectively. The reach of the Dragon Ball fandom and the broad appeal of Budokai Tenkaichi’s combat make it approachable for newbies and nostalgic fans alike. Though some fighting game traditionalists may scoff at the arena fighter, its popularity cannot be denied.

Is Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero worth getting?

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is a love letter to the Budokai Tenkaichi series, and fans have widely praised its gameplay and roster.

Sparking Zero understands what made the iconic arena fighter series so beloved among fans. Even as players complain about issues like the Great Ape Vegeta boss fight, those are often said in excitement rather than anger. Veteran fans will feel the nostalgic sting of getting cheesed by a giant opponent in a Budokai Tenkaichi game.

Plus, Dragon Ball still has a deep well of characters to pull from for DLC.  Many fans noted the absence of iconic OG Dragon Ball characters. Potential DLC and a modernized Budokai Tenkaichi energy could keep Sparking Zero alive for years to come.

Alongside the high player counts, the game has also received broadly strong reviews. It has a review average between 80 and 85%, according to most review aggregators.

Written by Gab Hernandez X Twitter Logo

Gab Hernandez has a particular love for video games that give players control over the narrative direction, such as Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Disco Elysium. Gab spends just as much time playing games as they do gushing about them online to anyone who will listen. Their work has also been seen on TheGamer, Gfinity, and Wargamer, and you can follow them on Twitter / X at @HardlyWorkinGab.

Red Dead Redemption different enhancements for PC.

All Red Dead Redemption PC vs console differences confirmed

dragon ball sparking zero cell

The best ways to farm Zeni in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero