Bandai Namco has released the first major gameplay trailer for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, offering a glimpse into its new mechanics and setting.
The action RPG is set in "Age 1000," a previously unexplored era in the Dragon Ball timeline that takes place long after the events featuring Goku. Players will create their own avatar, who serves as the central character. The trailer showcases the game's hub area, a customizable apartment serving as a home base, and the basics of combat, which retain familiar elements like light and heavy attacks, boost chases, and special abilities.
Two new mechanics highlighted are Soul Assists and Soul Switch. Soul Assists allow players to summon iconic Dragon Ball characters to aid them in battle, with Trunks and Vegeta making appearances in the trailer. Soul Switch enables the player to temporarily become their summoned assist character, gaining access to their unique moves and faster cooldowns. For instance, the player character transforms into Trunks after activating this ability.
The most contentious addition, however, is the alteration to the Awakening system, which allows characters to enter powered-up states like Super Saiyan. In previous Xenoverse titles, these transformations could be maintained for extended periods. Xenoverse 3, however, limits Awakening to a specific duration; the Super Saiyan state, for example, lasts only 60 seconds for Saiyan characters.
This change has drawn significant criticism from the Dragon Ball community. Many fans expressed their disappointment on platforms like Reddit, with one user stating that maintaining transformations was one of the best aspects of Xenoverse 1 and 2. The sentiment suggests that if timers are to be implemented, they should be tied to a mastery mechanic, allowing players to eventually achieve indefinite transformations, mirroring how characters in the Dragon Ball lore can master Super Saiyan. The current implementation is viewed by many as a step backward.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is slated for a 2027 release on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. While the developers have ample time before launch, the strong fan reaction suggests this is an issue they may consider addressing.