New entry in Dragon Ball During the finals of the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour on Sunday, it was confirmed that a Budokai Tenkaichi series is in development. Bandai Namco released a colorful teaser showing Goku transforming into his Super Saiyan Blue form, hinting that the game will feature one of the long-running hero’s strongest forms.
The Dragon Ball franchise uses new material, as do other popular Japanese franchises, including Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Pokémon, and Naruto. After nearly two decades, one of the most fan-favorite series in Dragon Ball Z history will have a successor that will likely include modern Super Saiyan Blue forms for Goku. In the midst of a revival with a new anime installment and a feature film, the Dragon Ball franchise is on a roll and fans are sure to be pleased.
There is no release date or window for the new Dragon Ball game yet, and a short teaser only confirms that it is currently in early production. The trailer also excited DBZ fans, showing off retro footage and Goku’s transformation into his Super Saiyan Blue form, which was last seen in the Budokai Tenkaichi game 16 years ago. It is not known which platforms this untitled game will be available for. Due to the long wait between releases, fans know little about the involvement of Toei Animation and Bird Studio, the company that owns the rights to the Dragon Ball franchise.
The Budokai Tenkaichi franchise consists of three Dragon Ball games, each of which revolutionized what an anime game could bring to the fighting genre. The last part of the series, which was released 16 years ago, is still considered one of the best Dragon Ball games. Over the years, Bandai Namco has adapted these games into a Tekken-like fighting style, as Budokai Tenkaichi 3 ushered in anime games with a wide variety of playable characters and their transformations.
Many details about Budokai Tenkaichi 4 remain to be revealed, but fans will likely learn more about the game in the near future.