Recent years have seen the release of some of the best games in the Dragon Ball franchise to date, with Dragon Ball Xenoverse and FighterZ coming out as some of the strongest contenders in the series. However, while the Xenoverse series had a strong opening, with two games releasing over two years, some fans have found it strange that Bandai Namco never moved forward with a Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3.
At this point, it's looking worse and worse for the chances of actually getting a new entry in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse series as Bandai begins focusing on newer titles including the characters like Jump Force and FighterZ. Granted, considering the success of the series and where the last game ended before the additional content, there is plenty of room for a new game to cover more of the Dragon Ball animated and manga series, namely with Super.
Aside from dipping into Dragon Ball Super, a Xenoverse 3 could also expand into areas that previous DLC campaigns tiptoed into, such as introducing a proper Dragon Ball GT game. So, with so much of Dragon Ball still on the table, it only makes sense for developer Dimps and publisher Bandai Namco to push the brand forward and complete the set with all of the extended material the previous games haven't quite touched on yet. It's clear that those in charge are still ready to make new content for Xenoverse as well, seeing as the series continues to receive updates even four years after the last titles release.
Alternate Timeline Dragon Ball GT
The recent introduction of Super Baby 2 in Dragon Ball FighterZ, has really opened the door for more Dragon Ball GT content to finally get some representation within newer titles in the franchise. A DLC pack did come out for the first Dragon Ball Xenoverse that introduced some of GT's characters and storylines, but it was minimal at best, as is often the case with the non-canon series. Much of the criticism that GT faced when released in both Japan and to the West is likely the reason that the series really hasn't seen as many adaptations as any other arc.
Of course, it's been quite some time since Dragon Ball GT first premiered, and while many of the critiques still hold water, the perception of the series has certainly aged to be better than the initial response. Players are now excited to see Super Baby 2 and now Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta in Dragon Ball FighterZ, thanks in part to the incredible designs that appeared in the series. Similarly, the nature of the Xenoverse games' storylines also means that much of the filler that plagued GT and the inconsistent storylines can be trimmed to give the Black Star Dragon Ball and Shadow Dragon sagas a more concise adaptation.
Continue into Super
Now, as much as some subset of the fanbase would like to see Dragon Ball GT get a fair shake, the real star power that Bandai Namco could bring to Xenoverse 3 would come from Dragon Ball Super. The second game in the series released in time to maximize on the first to movies that would eventually go on to become the opening story arcs of Super, but the series has greatly expanded since then. Every new game in the series is now obligated to include some of the new transformations at the very least, with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot adding Super Saiyan God form recently, even though it didn't originally go beyond the events of Majin Buu.
Even Dragon Ball FighterZ, the game that delves into Dragon Ball Super the most, doesn't actually touch on the new stories presented in the anime or manga. Instead FighterZ created it's own story that acts as a completely separate arc from any of the ones found in the main series that could theoretically be slotted into place like many of the early Dragon Ball Z movies had been. So while Super characters and forms appear in FighterZ, the actual story arcs haven't really seen much representation in a way that a Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 could.
Create New Parallel Quests with the Latest Arcs
One of the biggest draws to Dragon Ball Xenoverse isn't actually the retreading over older storylines from Dragon Ball Z, but instead from the original material that comes as a result of the timeline getting fiddled with. These Parallel Quests become the backbone of some of the most interesting moments in the Xenoverse series as some villains are killed early, allowed to live, or even win their fights against Goku and his friends. It sets up for impossible fights that never happened in the original game, and as a result, could lead to encounters like Super Saiyan Gods fighting Super Saiyan Blues, or whatever other twist the creators can put onto the narrative.
Additionally, with Dragon Ball Super introducing the Multiverse alongside Xenoverse's alternate timelines, this could open the doors for even more character creation opportunities and even crazier Parallel Quest options. These "what if" scenarios could elaborate on what happens if the fight against Freeza on earth doesn't go quite right, or if Goku Black kills Future Trunks before he can get Goku's help. Some of what Xenoverse has shown about the alternate routes the timeline can take have upped the stakes of some major fights before, and it can do the same with Super, and GT for that matter.
Development on Xenoverse 2 Never Stopped
There are still new updates coming to Xenoverse 2, bringing in some fan-favorite characters like Pikkon into the game, four years after the game released and other series have essentially taken up the mantle to fill the game's role as a Dragon Ball inspired fighter. Bandai Namco clearly sees that there is at least some worth in continuing to put effort into the title, even after all of this time in its crowded genre. So, it wouldn't really be going too far to say that the producer has absolutely no intention of testing how far the Xenoverse brand can go.
Additionally, with massive successes with the Dragon Ball IP like FighterZ, showing off one of the best ways that the series can be adapted into a game, there is all sorts of new inspirations to fuel a Xenoverse 3. Most importantly, with every other AAA title in the world boasting impressive customization as a major selling point, now is the best time for Xenoverse to enhance what had already been its primary focus. This is especially true when considering the ways Next-Gen consoles and PC tech can push the fights and customization to a whole new level if Bandai Namco gives Dimps the freedom to explore it.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.