Dragon Ball FighterZ – Tournament Support, Character Selection and More

With Dragon Ball FighterZ making a big splash at E3 2017 and Evolution 2017, many fans have been asking a ton of questions about the new game. We took the opportunity to ask Tomoko Hiroki, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. Producer for Dragon Ball FighterZ a few questions about the upcoming title. Read on to find out about potential Dragon Ball FighterZ tournament support, character selection, how development began, and more!

If you’re just now catching up on Dragon Ball FighterZ news, be sure to check out the Trunks reveal, some snippets on what to expect from Krillin and Piccolo, information on the beta, and more in our FighterZ game hub!

Prima Games: Has the final roster been decided or is there still time for fan input?

Tomoko Hiroki: We have to keep some surprises for the coming months and we move closer to launch so we can’t go into details regarding the development/implementation status of the characters, but we assure you that we are doing our best to create a roster that will please the fans.

PG: Should fans expect characters from every Dragon Ball series, or are there restrictions on which characters can appear in the game? For example, is it possible for characters from Dragon Ball, DBZ, DBGT, DB Super and characters from the movies?

TH: We have received many questions and comments about character selection in the game. While we can’t go into the details just now, we’re aware of how important it is to have an awesome character roster for players to select from, so please look forward to further information soon.

PG: Other Dragon Ball games have featured multiple versions of characters (for example, Teen Gohan, Adult Gohan and Great Saiyaman). Is it possible we may see multiple versions of characters in this game?

TH: When developing this game, we are focusing on making the fighting characteristics of each character really stand out and deliver a variety of gameplay. With that said, we don’t intend to include too many characters who fight alike. 

PG: Is there a chance more obscure Dragon Ball characters will see some representation in the game (even as DLC), or will the roster focus exclusively on the more popular characters?

TH: Popularity of a character is of course an important factor as well, but since DRAGON BALL FighterZ is a Fighting Game, we are also choosing characters based on whether or not the characters can fight uniquely and deliver the excitement we want to display in the game.

PG: There aren’t a lot of strong females in the Dragon Ball universe (Chi Chi, Bulma, Android 18, etc.), but a few have been introduced recently in Dragon Ball Super (Caulifla, Kale). What kind of female representation can fans expect to see in the final roster?

TH: Nice try but our lips are sealed. Please look forward to further information regarding playable characters in DRAGON BALL FighterZ soon.

PG: The E3 build only had one assist and one tag-in super move per character. Will there be multiple assists and tag-in super moves to choose from in the final game?

TH: We didn’t want to make the mechanics too complicated, so rather than having multiple assist / tag-in attacks for each character, we are focusing on making the Assist individual for each of the characters.

PG: Do you hope to support the tournament scene, or are there any plans to support the competitive tournament community after the game releases?

TH: Nothing is set in stone at this point of time, but we are strongly considering this. We are hoping that with the power of the Dragon Ball franchise, an anime series loved throughout the world, we hope to attract players who may not necessarily be into e-sports, interested as well. 

PG: When can we expect more information on the Beta?

TH: Registration for the Closed Beta will begin on July 26thon the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.Players will be able to select from 9 different characters to play in the beta.

PG: Will the Beta be similar to what was demoed at E3 or offer something new?

TH: We’re definitely delivering more features to be experienced in the closed beta beyond what was shown in our E3 demo. We’re excited to see what players think of the closed beta. 

PG: How did development begin? Did Bandai Namco approach Arc System Works or did Arc approach Namco?

TH: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment approached Arc System Works to create a genuine Dragon Ball Fighting Game like never before.  We couldn’t think of any other partner but Arc System Works to create this super high-end anime fighting game experience. And as we saw at E3, I think we’re on the right path.

Thank you!