Fans of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi were given an unexpected gift this past week, with the announcement of the series' first new entry in over 15 years. Announced during the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour Event, the currently unnamed title was confirmed to be in development by Bandai Namco. The Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series was renowned for its enormous roster of characters, spanning nearly the entire franchise. Given the addition of Dragon Ball Super content, the next title will have quite a lot of content to cover, should it attempt to build on the series' legacy. Therefore, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is likely to get the Xenoverse treatment, a constant stream of character DLC that maintains its longevity while introducing content in parallel with the anime series.
The Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series introduced many Western gamers to the franchise’s video game offerings. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai was released for the PS2 in 2002, before evolving into the popular Budokai Tenkaichi series. After receiving two sequels on the PS2 and Wii, Budokai Tenkaichi was replaced by Xenoverse, and, subsequently, Dragon Ball FighterZ. All these years later, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 will attempt to rekindle its former glory. Adapting an approach similar to Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is likely the best way to accomplish this Herculean task.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC is A Blueprint for Budokai Tenkaichi 4's Success
Dragon Ball Xenoverse debuted in 2015, but it's the game's sequel, Xenoverse 2, that cements the series' legacy. Xenoverse 2 has been going strong for over 6 years, largely due to its incredible DLC support, which has introduced new playable characters in a constant stream since release. To the surprise of many, the title is still receiving fresh content in 2023, with the next Xenoverse 2 DLC set to introduce Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero's Orange Piccolo later this year.
By stretching out content and characters over an enormous span of time, DLC has ensured that Xenoverse 2 remains relevant and rewarding for longtime fans. This approach to longevity provides an excellent blueprint from which Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 can hope to rebuild the series' epic roster. The last entry, Budokai Tenkaichi 3, features 42 unique characters spanning the Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT series. Many of these characters have additional transformations, offering players a plethora of options in play style. If Budokai Tenkaichi 4 hopes to follow in its predecessor's footsteps, it will need to include characters spanning Dragon Ball through Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. By tackling this roster with a Xenoverse 2-like approach to DLC, the title could actually succeed in reaching this goal.
Constant DLC Ensures that Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 Can Evolve
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is likely to be a 3D-arena-style fighting game, like its predecessors. This has led some players to question how Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 can coexist with Dragon Ball FighterZ, the immensely popular 2D fighting game. However, the two aren't competitors. Rather, they offer DBZ fans two very different, and uniquely accessible, fighting game options. It is currently unknown how Budokai Tenkaichi 4 plans to modernize the series' formula, but a constant DLC stream ensures that the title can evolve post-release to best support its fan community.
The popularity of Dragon Ball FighterZ will be hard to contend with, and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 has some large expectations placed on its shoulders. Receiving the Xenoverse 2 treatment will allow the title to grow and flourish at its own pace while meeting the expectations placed on its roster. In addition to characters, a steady stream of modes and story content could arrive with each update, allowing Budokai Tenkaichi 4 to keep up with future additions to the anime series. It may be a while before Bandai Namco reveals additional details for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4, but fans are hopeful that more surprise announcements could arrive soon.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is currently in development.