Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has officially confirmed that there will be an offline multiplayer mode, though there is a big catch: fans can only play on one stage if they play locally. Going into Summer Game Fest, there was a ton of hype surrounding Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. Like past entries in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, this game features destructible environments, a ton of playable characters, and over-the-top cinematic attacks. However, some fans were worried about the potential exclusion of offline multiplayer.

Early in 2024, some insiders had claimed that Sparking Zero wouldn't include split-screen multiplayer. Many had felt that a game like Sparking Zero would be incomplete if it didn't have this feature, as many players have nostalgic memories of fighting their friends with their favorite Dragon Ball characters on a couch. Most of those fears were assuaged when an early leak of the PlayStation version of Sparking Zero confirmed the fan favorite feature. However, there is a big caveat about its inclusion.

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Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Release Date and Pre-Order Bonuses Revealed

Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft premiere a new trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, which gives fans a release date and some pre-order incentives.

Shortly after Sparking Zero's latest trailer was dropped at Summer Game Fest, the game's official website was also updated. The official Sparking Zero website goes over some of the features that were briefly touched upon in the last trailer, such as the game's cinematic story mode, which will take place from eight different character perspectives. One thing that immediately stood out was the line regarding its multiplayer mode. It confirms players can battle it out both online and offline, but the biggest drawback to the local multiplayer is that players can only fight exclusively in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

Sparking Zero's Offline Multiplayer Is Restricted to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber Stage

This effectively restricts players to fighting in only one stage, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, eliminating many of the other stages included in Sparking Zero. One of the biggest appeals of Sparking Zero is fighting in an open environment, which can be destroyed or affected by the fighters. As such, players won't be able to fight in locales like Planet Namek, the desert canyons, or other iconic locations in Dragon Ball. This restriction has caused many fans to be disappointed, though some were glad the feature made it in at all after the uncertain rumors.

Bandai Namco also shared some details about a new creation feature in Sparking Zero, specifically how fans could set up their own "dream story" with their favorite characters, and how they could be shared and experienced by others online. While this creation tool isn't to the same extent as Xenoverse or Ultimate Tenkaichi, it appears Bandai Namco will be giving fans to create their own small what-if scenarios.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero

The fourth mainline entry of the Budokai Tenkachi series, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an in-development arena fighter developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco.

Franchise

Dragon Ball

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Developer(s)

Spike Chunsoft

Publisher(s)

Namco Bandai

Genre(s)

Fighting , Action

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