Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot offers fans of the Dragon Ball franchise one of the best ways to experience its story in game form. Originally released in 2020, it has remained popular, receiving a myriad of updates and DLC. Currently, the game is in its second season of DLC releases, with the 5th DLC pack having been revealed and another expected later this year. Given that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has proven to be a fan favorite, a third season of DLC is expected but unconfirmed, although recent leaks have hinted that it might cover the events of Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's original premise may now become the game's greatest challenge. When the game released, it promised to cover the events of Dragon Ball Z. This leg of the franchise is perhaps the most beloved and cherished by fans, especially in the west. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's fifth DLC marks the title's first diversion from this, covering events from the tail end of the original Dragon Ball series. While this diversion is a welcome one that fits rather easily into the game's premise, abandoning the confines of Dragon Ball Z for the franchise's later series could prove to be more controversial with fans.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Looks To The Future
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot season 3 covering the events of Dragon Ball GT would certainly be a big departure. Dragon Ball GT is the most controversial series in the franchise. Developed as an original anime, the show was conceived and created separate from the series creator Akira Toriyama's manga. Many parts of GT rubbed fans the wrong way, since the series ignored previously established lore, killed off fan favorites, and made unpopular design changes to characters. This makes it risky territory to cover.
On top of a poor reception, Dragon Ball GT is considered by many to be non-canon to the manga. Dragon Ball Super, the current series in the franchise, often retcons the power scaling of GT and shows a general disregard for its events. While there are certainly events in Dragon Ball GT that could make for a fun addition to the game, it could create conflict with other rumored content. At this time, Dragon Ball Super DLC is also rumored for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, which, given its frequent dismissal of lore from GT, could prove to be a strange combination.
Dragon Ball Super Has Strong DLC Potential
Content from Dragon Ball Super could prove to be a more popular DLC choice among fans, but it would still be a big departure for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. While Dragon BallSuper is generally well received in the fandom and is fully canon, it could still prove a messy addition to the game. Super features intense power scaling and could be hard to fit into the confines of an RPG based on the foundations set in Dragon Ball Z. Furthermore, it is huge, and a standalone Dragon Ball Super game might capture its scale better. Including the content of Super in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot makes a sequel dedicated to Super's events seem unlikely.
While fans of Dragon Ball will likely be excited to about more content for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, working in the events of GT and Super, especially together, will be tough for developers to do in a way that feels balanced. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will also likely have to contend with impending competition from Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 which was announced earlier this year. Content for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has released slowly and in bite-sized chunks, so covering less popular content around the release of a new title could also prove to be a challenge. To be successful, the third season of DLC for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will have to choose what content from GT and Super to cover carefully.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
