Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the most popular anime games currently available, being a traditional 3-on-3 team 2D from Bandai Namco, in collaboration with Arc System Works. Being based on the enduringly popular Dragon Ball IP, it has seen impressive post-launch support and sales, with Dragon Ball FighterZ selling over 8 million copies last year. The game's popularity and gameplay have also seen it make waves in the fighting game community, with an active competitive scene, with FighterZ being a spotlight of various tournaments, such as EVO and Bandai Namco's own World Championship. While the initial plan for the tournament was an in-person event, this is no longer the case.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many events and organizations were forced to change how to handle its operations. Major gaming industry events had to either be scaled down or canceled outright. Some events like E3 2022 will be held online only, while others like the aforementioned EVO will be returning to a live in-person tournament. In the case of Bandai Namco's tournament, the grand finals of this championship will have to be put on hold indefinitely.
This was announced on Bandai Namco’s ESports Twitter account, where the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Championship Finals originally scheduled in February will be postponed indefinitely. The post noted that the organizers had been studying solutions for the event to be held safely for the players and other concerned parties. However, out of concern for everyone's safety, the event will have to be put on hold, with future updates about the tournament being held under consideration.
A message from Dragon Ball FighterZ producer, Tomoko Hiroki, notes that this special event will be held during Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2022, a special event held by Bandai Namco that will give out updates for various games in-development that utilize the IP. While the tournament was originally going to be streamed and broadcasted through this event, the publisher is teasing some news about FighterZ regardless.
Some fans are hoping that the upcoming Battle Hour 2022 event could shed some light on the upcoming Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC, an alternate form of Android 21 in her Lab Coat. The DLC itself has gotten some fans speculating if her addition will be as a standalone character, or a part of a fourth season pass. Some fans hope that if the game is getting another season of DLC, more obscure or fan-favorites from either from the original, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon BallGT, or Dragon Ball Super would be added to the game as well.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
