Bandai Namco Teases New Dragon Ball Game for Jan 26 — Here’s What Actually Matters

Why This Announcement Actually Matters

Bandai Namco confirming a new Dragon Ball game with a reveal set for January 26 caught my attention for one simple reason: the franchise is at a crossroads. After the spectacle of Sparking! ZERO and the evergreen pull of FighterZ, the next move has to be more than a safe spin-off. If you’ve spent time grinding ranked in FighterZ, messing with Kakarot’s nostalgia trip, or getting sent to the moon in Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (same), you know Dragon Ball games can swing from all-time great to forgettable side project based on a few key decisions.

• We’re getting an announcement on January 26 at the Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri event in Japan.
• No platforms, genre, title, or release window have been confirmed.
• Bandai Namco is still supporting Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO with multiple DLC drops.
• The big question isn’t “what,” it’s “how”-cross-play, netcode, and content model will make or break this.

Breaking Down the Announcement: What We Actually Know

Here’s the reality under the hype: Bandai Namco says a new Dragon Ball game will be unveiled during Genkidamatsuri on January 26 (overnight for those of us outside Japan). That’s it. No scope, no platforms, no genre. The fact they’re not even hinting at platforms tells me this is likely early in the marketing cycle-think a logo, a teaser, maybe a short tone piece. Meanwhile, Sparking! ZERO keeps rolling with DLC, which suggests Bandai wants to maintain momentum for its arena fighter while setting up the next tentpole.

The interesting tension is timing. Bandai doesn’t typically crowd its own franchises. If this were “FighterZ 2, out soon,” we’d probably see signs in the competitive calendar and from Arc System Works. If it were Xenoverse 3, why is Xenoverse 2 still getting love nearly a decade later? That doesn’t rule either out, but it does nudge expectations away from a quick-turn sequel and toward either a longer-term project or a different genre lane.

The Real Possibilities (And What Each Would Mean)

FighterZ-style sequel: The dream for a lot of us. The original is still one of the cleanest anime fighters ever, but the tech and QoL could use a leap-full rollback from day one on all platforms, truly unified cross-play, better lobbies, modern training tools, and spectator features that don’t feel stuck in 2018. If Bandai and ArcSys go here, expect a longer runway and a heavy esports push.

Xenoverse 3: There’s a huge audience for character creation, time-travel fan service, and co-op chaos. The risk is bloat and grind. If this is the pick, the win condition is smarter live-service design: fewer currencies, more meaningful story arcs, less RNG pain, and cross-progression so your grind isn’t handcuffed to a single box.

Kakarot-style action RPG: A fresh saga or a tighter character-focused story could land, especially if it leans into modern open-zone design instead of empty overworlds. Think fewer fetch quests, more combat depth, and boss encounters that actually feel like Dragon Ball’s cinematic duels rather than HP sponges.

Wildcard: a new angle entirely—co-op raid brawler, roguelite spin powered by transformations and team synergies, or even a stylish narrative adventure tying into current anime developments. It’s Dragon Ball; there’s room to experiment if the combat reads fast and the presentation punches hard.

What This Needs to Get Right for Players

Cross-play and rollback netcode aren’t wish-list items anymore; they’re table stakes. Whether it’s an arena fighter, a 2D fighter, or something hybrid, stable online matches and unified player pools will decide the game’s legs after launch. I’ve watched too many DB games split communities with platform silos or delay rollback until the honeymoon is over.

Content model matters. If Bandai wants another years-long platform, then be upfront about the roadmap and keep monetization sane. Cosmetic passes? Fine. Endless character packs while core systems languish? Hard pass. Also, remember PC. A proper PC version with consistent performance, fair anti-cheat, and parity updates goes a long way. Dragon Ball’s mod scene is massive—ignore that at your own peril.

Single-player depth can’t be an afterthought. Even competitive players warm up in story or challenge modes. Give us arcade routes with character-specific flourishes, boss modifiers that emulate beam clashes and dramatic finishes, and training tools that teach neutral and defense, not just combos. If this is an RPG, make the skill expression real—cancels, guard breaks, utility supers—not just stat climbs.

Why the Timing Matters

With Sparking! ZERO still active and the broader Dragon Ball machine humming, this reveal looks like a “set the stage now, deliver later” move. Historically, Bandai’s bigger DB projects land 9-18 months after first tease. That gives them room to hype without cannibalizing current DLC, and us time to figure out if this is worth planning our 2026 gaming calendar around.

Bottom line: the announcement date is locked, but the identity isn’t. That’s okay. What will matter on reveal day is whether we see intent—systems that respect players’ time, online that respects competition, and a vision that’s more than recycled arcs with prettier hair physics.

TL;DR

Bandai Namco will unveil a new Dragon Ball game on January 26 at Genkidamatsuri, but the details are still under wraps. Expect a teaser, not a full info dump, and judge it by the pillars that matter: rollback + cross-play, clear content roadmap, and gameplay depth beyond nostalgia.

If it nails those, we could be looking at the next big DB era. If not, it’s just another power-up animation.