Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra Turns DBZ Into a 4v4 MOBA — Ambitious, Accessible, And Worth Watching

Why this Dragon Ball announcement actually grabbed me

Dragon Ball usually swings between fighters and gacha-heavy mobile titles, so a proper 4v4 MOBA from Bandai Namco and Ganbarion is a curveball I didn’t expect. Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra lands on September 9 as a free-to-play, cross-play, cross-progression brawler-MOBA hybrid on PC, consoles, and mobile. The pitch is clear: fast, accessible team play with a pulled-back camera, 22 launch characters, three objective modes, and cosmetics-only monetization. That mix screams “Pokemon Unite’s tempo with DBZ flair,” and that’s interesting-if the balance and netcode hold.

Key takeaways

• 4v4 objective MOBA with three modes (Dragon Ball Hunt, Land Grab, Finders Keepers) and a distant camera for clarity.
• 22 fighters at launch, cross-play and cross-progression across PC, consoles, and mobile.
• Free-to-play with paid cosmetics; Bandai says it’s built for competitive balance and accessibility.
• Success hinges on matchmaking across input types, server performance, and meaningful depth beyond the Dragon Ball sheen.

Breaking down the announcement

Gekishin Squadra isn’t chasing the classic three-lane creep push. Instead, it leans into objective-centric scraps. Dragon Ball Hunt sounds like orb control with team skirmishes; Land Grab implies zone control and area denial; Finders Keepers reads like rotating mini-objectives that force fights. That’s a smart pivot for DB’s hyper-speed combat-less last-hitting, more coordinated collapses and ult timing. The pulled-back camera is a big call, too. It puts positioning and vision at the forefront and, crucially, makes the chaos readable on a phone screen or a living room TV.

That platform spread is the bet. Cross-play and cross-progression mean your time isn’t locked to a device-great. But it also means Bandai and Ganbarion need to nail input fairness. Controller, touch, and mouse are very different beasts. If the aim assist, ability targeting, and camera panning aren’t tuned per input, matches will tilt in weird ways. Give us input-based matchmaking or at least robust toggles, and this instantly looks healthier for competitive play.

Accessibility vs. depth: the real tension

“Accessible MOBA” usually translates to shorter matches, fewer build rabbit holes, and fewer hard punishments for misplays. That’s not a bad thing—Pokemon Unite carved out an audience with that exact approach. But to keep players past the honeymoon, the depth has to come from hero kits, team synergies, and map macro rather than item spreadsheets. With 22 fighters day one, the roster is large enough for rock-paper-scissors comps (frontline peels, dive cores, objective denial) without becoming a balance nightmare—assuming the devs resist power creep to sell skins.

Cosmetics-only monetization is the right call on paper. Skins, intros, and flair are fine; paid power isn’t. Where live-service games stumble is the battle pass treadmill and FOMO events. If Gekishin Squadra pairs fair cosmetic pricing with consistent balance patches and transparent queues, it can build trust quickly. If it leans into predatory bundles or stat-boosting “limited events,” it’ll lose the competitive crowd overnight.

Ganbarion’s track record matters here

Ganbarion knows anime action. From One Piece: Unlimited World Red to World Seeker and even the cult-fave Pandora’s Tower, they’ve shipped kinetic combat with flashy finishers. The downside: their games sometimes trade tight systems for spectacle. In a MOBA, inputs, hit confirm windows, and ability clarity are non-negotiable. The good news is the mode design suggests they’re optimizing for teamfights and objective clarity over lane minutiae, which plays to their strengths. The question is netcode and server tick rates across cross-play—DB games have had mixed online histories across the board, and a MOBA lives or dies by latency.

Where this fits in the MOBA landscape

Console MOBAs are underserved. Smite has stayed relevant thanks to controller-first design; Pokemon Unite thrives on quick hits and brand power. League of Legends: Wild Rift dominates touch controls but hasn’t pushed hard on consoles. Gekishin Squadra isn’t trying to beat League at its own 5v5, item-heavy game; it’s targeting the gap between fighting-game fans and quick-session squad play. If Bandai keeps matches in the 8-15 minute range, nails onboarding, and gives ranked a clean progression path, this could carve a meaningful niche—especially on PlayStation and Switch-style audiences who want couch-ready squad nights without a 45-minute commitment.

What gamers should watch for at launch

• Matchmaking knobs: Input-based queues or cross-play toggles will decide fairness between mobile, controller, and mouse users.
• Balance cadence: With 22 fighters, expect day-one outliers. Weekly or biweekly balance passes will show if competitive integrity is serious or lip service.
• Objective clarity: Modes like Land Grab need readable telegraphs and scoreboard info. If you can’t parse the win condition at a glance, the casual base will bounce.
• Monetization guardrails: Cosmetics are fine. Watch for stat boosts, energy systems, or event-limited advantages—those would be deal-breakers.

The gamer’s perspective

This caught my eye because it’s the rare Dragon Ball game not chasing the usual 1v1 meta. A 4v4, objective-first brawler could finally marry DB’s bombast with teamwork that isn’t pure chaos. I’m excited for the pick-up-and-play promise and skeptical about the usual live-service traps. If Ganbarion delivers responsive controls across devices, fair monetization, and a ranked ladder that respects your time, Gekishin Squadra could become the go-to “one more match” game for anime fans and MOBA-curious players alike.

TL;DR

Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra launches Sept 9 as a free-to-play 4v4 MOBA on PC, consoles, and mobile with cross-play/progression, 22 fighters, and three objective modes. It looks like a smart, accessible take on the genre—now it needs crisp netcode, input-fair matchmaking, and truly cosmetic monetization to stick the landing.