- Bandai Namco and Dimps confirm Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, set in the Year 1000 and centered on West City.
- The game will arrive in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, leaving behind the last generation consoles.
- Akira Toriyama has left behind original characters, designs, and ideas that are integrated into the story and the new cast.
- More information will be available in the coming months regarding game modes, the roster of fighters, and its connection to Xenoverse 2.
Bandai Namco has officially confirmed that Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is now a reality after years of rumors, leaks and a mysterious project known as 1000 AgeThe new fighting and action game based on the work of Akira Toriyama was presented during the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour event, where its first trailer was shown and the first glimpses of its universe were revealed.
This third installment will focus heavily on the campaign, with a unexplored future set in the year 1000 as a backdrop. West City transforms into the core of a world that blends classic characters from the series with a cast of entirely new heroes and supporting characters, many of them designed by Toriyama himself before his passing.
The signs had been on the table for some time: a project called Dragon Ball Project: Age 1000, a provisional title shown earlier this yearAnd Xenoverse 2, which, despite being released in 2016, continued to receive expansions. Now it has been confirmed that that mysterious project was, in fact, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, thus concluding a trilogy that has kept the community very much alive for almost a decade.
A long-awaited announcement for the Xenoverse saga
During the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour, a presentation trailer was shown in which the tone of the game, some of its new characters, and the appearance of certain historical figures such as Bulma or Piccolo in this new time frame could be seen for the first time. The announcement was made simultaneously with the latest DLC for Xenoverse 2which will serve as the final chapter of the Future Saga with its Chapter 4.
Bandai Namco and Dimps have emphasized that the sequel follows the trajectory of the second game, which It has far exceeded ten million copies sold and has remained active based on additional content for years. With support for Xenoverse 2 about to end, the natural next step was to greenlight the next big project within this sub-series.
The result is a title that seeks to renew the formula without breaking with it: there will still be spectacular battles and time travel, but now the focus shifts to a a more defined narrative in a single alternate future, instead of linking together scattered timelines.
The announcement trailer already shows some of this approach, with scenes depicting a more developed urban environment and a West City that looks quite different from what Dragon Ball fans are used to seeing in other games and in the anime itself.
Year 1000: A new future created with the vision of Akira Toriyama
One of the key points of the announcement is that Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is set in the year 1000This timeframe is far removed from the main storyline of the series. This decision allows for an entirely new story, with creative freedom and plenty of room to introduce characters and situations never before seen in a video game of the franchise.
According to the official description, we are dealing with a «unexplored future" in which the player decides what kind of hero they want to beThe idea is to recapture the essence of previous Xenoverse games—the creation of a personal avatar that integrates into the Dragon Ball universe—but this time anchoring the adventure in a single historical moment with its own internal coherence, conflicts, and cast of protagonists.
This entire approach bears the direct mark of Akira Toriyama. Despite his passing in 2024, Bandai Namco has explained that the project It has been in development for many years, and the mangaka left designs and concepts prepared. specifically for this installment. Her name is prominently featured in the trailer and promotional material, highlighting the importance of her role in creating this new world.
Among the new additions revealed is Brett, a character destined to play a significant role in the plot. Alongside him, other original faces have been shown—some appearing for only a few seconds on screen—pointing to a... fairly extensive gallery of wrestlers and supporting characters, mixing new characters with already known heroes and villains.
A glimpse has also been offered of what certain classic characters will look like in this future. Bulma, for example, appears with a design adapted to the era and aesthetic of the Year 1000, while Piccolo makes a brief appearance that confirms he will continue to be an important part of the game's universe.
West City as the core of the Great Saiyaman Squad's game and role-playing
One of the biggest new features compared to previous installments is the increased importance of West City. Bandai Namco describes the game as an experience in which Players will be able to explore and discover new stories in this city.Described as a vibrant central world set in the Year 1000, West City thus goes from being a simple background setting to becoming the true nerve center of the adventure.
The city will serve as a base from which the player, embodying their own avatar, will move around to meet illustrious characters, activate missions, participate in battles, and, in general, develop their role within the main plotThe intention is to strengthen the role-playing aspect, combining exploration and progression with action sequences and fast-paced battles.
The protagonist will be part of the Great Saiyaman Squadron, a group tasked with maintaining order and confronting various threats that arise in this alternate future. The game's description reveals that We will fight alongside familiar faces and new allies. as the story progresses, leaving the door open for collaborations between different generations of characters.
Beyond the still-unclear plot details, the role of the city suggests that there will be a clearer structure around this main "hub," with optional activities, NPC encounters, and probably different customization options scattered throughout its streets and buildings.
This urban approach can also lend itself to introducing small subplots, something that would fit with the idea of presenting a future that feels alive, with its own routines and daily conflicts, beyond the major battles that form the central narrative.
A mix of RPG and action with an emphasis on the campaign.
Bandai Namco describes Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 as a title that It combines a role-playing experience with an epic storyIt's conceived as an action-packed journey through this new universe. The structure is reminiscent of Xenoverse and Xenoverse 2, but with a stronger focus on narrative and the development of a specific future.
Although no pure gameplay footage has been shown yet, everything points to the combat system following the established formula of the series: fights in three-dimensional environments, with plenty of movement, spectacular blows, special attacks, and the possibility of customize the created character with different skills and techniquesThe trailer, for its part, does show brief glimpses of fights and characteristic movements.
In parallel, the game is expected to maintain a strong progression component: leveling up, improving attributes, unlocking costumes, accessories, and transformations—something that has already become a hallmark of the Xenoverse series. The key difference would be that these systems They would now be integrated more organically into the history of West City and in the main missions.
From what has been hinted at, the title will also emphasize multiplayer, both cooperative and competitive, although specific modes haven't been revealed yet. It's reasonable to expect online arenas, challenges, and perhaps some kind of regular content, but These aspects have not yet been detailed. in the official information.
Bandai Namco itself has indicated that in the coming months they will be sharing more details about the roster of fighters available at launch, the additional modes, and how Xenoverse 3 will pick up where its predecessors left off, something especially relevant for a community that has been active for so many years.
Platforms, launch window and context for Europe
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is scheduled for release sometime in 2027. A specific date has not yet been set.However, all official communications point to that year as the launch window. The announcement was made with plenty of time, indicating that the project still has a way to go before completion.
As for platforms, the game will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via SteamThere's no mention of previous-generation consoles like the PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch, nor of future Nintendo systems. This reinforces the idea that it's a title designed for current hardware, which may influence the size and complexity of West City and its environments.
For the European market, and by extension the Spanish public, this means that the game will arrive aligned with the console market that has become established in recent years. The Xenoverse saga has traditionally had a strong presence in Spain, both in sales and in online community, so it is expected that Bandai Namco will maintain the custom of including Spanish texts and at least partial dubbing, although the latter has not yet been confirmed.
Another issue to watch closely is the downloadable content policy. Given the expansions for Xenoverse 2, it's reasonable to assume that Xenoverse 3 will have similar content. a plan for DLC or post-launch updatesThis is practically standard in productions of this type, but for now the company has only wanted to focus on the basic advertisement.
The announcement of Xenoverse 3 also coincided with the presentation of new content for other titles in the franchise, such as DLC for Dragon Ball Sparking Zero or the arrival of new forms in Dragon Ball FighterZ, showing that the series' video game ecosystem is growing. He remains very active globally and in Europe.
Relationship with Xenoverse 2 and future of the franchise
The confirmation of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 comes just as Xenoverse 2 prepares to receive its final major DLC. The Future Saga Chapter 4 DLC has been revealed as the definitive conclusion of the expanded story of the second game, thus marking a turning point for the series.
With this move, Bandai Namco establishes a clear transition: Xenoverse 2 concludes its cycle after years of support, and the baton passes to Xenoverse 3, which inherits the playable base and the communityBut it ventures into a different narrative territory with the Year 1000 and the new role of the Great Saiyaman Squadron.
The goal seems to be to maintain the spirit that has made previous installments so popular—dynamic combat, alternate timelines, the possibility of creating your own hero—and, at the same time, to strive for a more cohesive and recognizable world, where players can quickly identify their position and progress.
For European fans, already accustomed to events, online tournaments and a very active scene surrounding Xenoverse 2, the arrival of a third installment represents the opportunity to start again from scratch in a renewed environment, without losing the elements that have captivated them for so long.
While we await further details on the structure of the modes, the size of the character roster, or the post-launch update schedule, one thing is clear: Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is positioned as one of Bandai Namco's strongest projects within the license for the coming years, with special relevance in territories such as Spain, where the Dragon Ball brand maintains a very notable pull.
With everything shown so far, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 presents itself as a proposal that takes the familiar formula but moves it to a different future, relying on the legacy of Akira Toriyama and a West City of the Year 1000 that promises to be interesting both in story and gameplay; a starting point that, if developed well, can consolidate this third installment as the reference of the saga in the current generation.