Hannan Mundia 
New details have emerged on Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO, including when it’s coming out and the arcs it includes, after a surprise interview with the developers.
The Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 successor was revealed in 2023, with extra details about the game trickling in over the weeks since. Now, fans might have gotten even more information on the upcoming title, including its release window and which Dragon Ball series arcs will be adapted. The new information comes from an interview streamers Sofian Le GEEK and Yekais Novachrono reportedly conducted with Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO producer Jun Furutani and series producer Ryo Mito at Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour in Los Angeles.
In addition to the above details, the interview also answered whether the game’s roster will have non-canon characters. This surprise peek at the game gives fans a better idea of what will be in the game, and what might not be.
When does Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO come out?
Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO will come out in late 2024 or in 2025, according to the developers. The team behind the game reportedly wants to take its time while also taking feedback from fans.
According to the interview, the producers claim they want the graphics to be excellent and they’ve changed and improved things from the trailer based on fan response. An example they mentioned is that they’ve worked on the hair physics of the game since fans criticized what they saw in the game’s reveal trailer.
Another reason for the game’s late release is thanks to the Xbox Series S and its hardware limitations. The producers claim that adapting Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO to the Series S is challenging. Those limitations have proven troublesome for other studios as well, with the Xbox release of Baldur’s Gate 3 stalling due to the forced parity between the Series X and the weaker Series S consoles. This was then made worse when Xbox started automatically banning people who played the game.
Microsoft isn’t the only company forcing Bandai Namco to change things, as Furutani and Mito also mentioned that Sparking ZERO won’t have local multiplayer because of Microsoft and Sony’s policies. It’s unclear what the sticking point is in that regard, but it seriously limits the game’s potential as a fighting game.
What arcs are in Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO?
Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO will reportedly have a complete story mode, including arcs from Dragon Ball Super. The producers stated that the story mode will “follow and evolve” from the events of Tenkaichi 3.
Although arcs and characters from Dragon Ball Super are confirmed to be in the story mode, it’s unclear if that only includes the arcs adapted in the Dragon Ball Super anime. Dragon Ball Super has arcs and transformations not adapted in the anime, including Ultra Ego Vegeta and the entire Moro arc, so it’s unknown if the game will cover them.
As for non-canon arcs and characters, Furutani and Mito stated that characters from the Dragon Ball movies will be included in Sparking ZERO, possibly through Beast Gohan, who was present in the latest Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO movie. The game will also have characters from Dragon Ball GT, although it’s unknown if they will be part of the base game or if they will be DLC.
