Bandai Namco and developer Dimps are gearing up for the return of one of the most lucrative franchises born from Akira Toriyama’s legendary manga. Following the previous entry’s milestone of over 10 million units sold, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 aims to evolve the formula with a radical chronological leap, deep RPG customization, and a heavy emphasis on four-player cooperative play. We recently went hands-on with the title during a dedicated preview session at Bandai Namco’s offices in Lyon, France, where the focus was squarely on the game’s online multiplayer mechanics.
A Narrative Leap to Year 1000
The most immediate narrative shift is the setting. Xenoverse 3 catapults the Time Patrollers to the Year 1000âroughly 250 years after the events depicted in Dragon Ball Super. This distant future provides a fresh canvas for the single-player campaign, which is estimated to offer approximately 25 hours of story content. However, the Lyon demo prioritized the multiplayer suite, signaling where the developers see the game’s long-term engagement.
Multiplayer Suite: Co-op PvE and Competitive PvP
The multiplayer offering splits into two distinct pillars:
- PvE Co-op (4 Players): Teams of four must coordinate strategies to defend radar installations, clear corporate facilities of hostile threats, and take down zone bosses. These missions demand synergy, moving beyond simple brawling into objective-based tactical play.
- PvP Versus: Competitive players can engage in traditional 1v1 duels or chaotic 4v4 team battles.
Deep RPG Customization: Races, Skill Trees, and Soul Mechanics
The core of the Xenoverse experience remains the player-created avatar. Users choose from six distinct races, a choice that dictates not only aesthetics but also martial arts style, mobility mechanics (including flight), and the nature of their Awakening transformations (such as the iconic Super Saiyan state).
Progression is handled via a Skill Tree that allows players to extract combat techniques and special abilities directly from the 130-character base roster. This massive roster spans the entire history of the franchise, serving as a library of movesets for the player’s custom character.
Two new “Soul” mechanics add a layer of strategic depth to team composition:
- Soul Assist: Temporarily summons a legendary warrior to execute a support attack or Ultimate technique mid-battle.
- Soul Change: Allows the player to directly embody an iconic hero for a limited time, assuming their complete moveset and power level.
Selecting the right
Source: fayerwayer.com
