Transformations are a key part of Dragon Ball, so much so that anytime there is a new one, the fandom goes wild, but any changes to Dragon Ball transformations can be a different story. Still, whether it was Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, Ultra Instinct, or so forth, it underlines how important the concept is to the franchise.
Recently, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 introduced a new Goku transformation officially dubbed Ultra Supervillain Quelled (but colloquially referred to as Ultra Superhero). Such an introduction, of course, builds a good deal of hype for the upcoming release of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, but the latest reveal/change has upset many fans.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Limits Super Saiyan (+ More?) Transformations
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 recently revealed some brand-new gameplay, but it seems to controversially introduce a time limit on gameplay transformations. In short, transformations like Super Saiyan (through the Awakening system) now seem to last a limited time instead of remaining active throughout the fight, as has been done before. Some fans believe this is a timer until players can hit the next transformation, which makes more sense, and yet neither developer CyberConnect 2 nor publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment has issued a comment on this change as of this writing.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
It’s worth noting that brand-new Saiyans have always historically struggled to maintain Super Saiyan for long, although weaker forms became easier to maintain the more Saiyans trained or learned stronger transformations. A new Saiyan having this timer makes sense, Goku having it would not, and “sense” does not really matter if it makes the gameplay of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 worse than XV2. After all, much of the core combat from previous games returns, but CyberConnect2 is clearly trying to evolve the formula with several brand-new mechanics that weren’t possible in Xenoverse 2, such as Soul Assist and Soul Switch.
- Soul Assist lets players summon Dragon Ball characters (like Vegeta and Trunks) to help during battle.
- Soul Switch allows players to temporarily take control of their Soul Assist character and use their unique moveset.
Interestingly, none of these additions have generated as much discussion as the Super Saiyan timer, though negative changes always attract more attention than positive or neutral ones. The new trailer seems to show the new default Xenoverse 3 Saiyan protagonist, officially called J-Age and colloquially called John-1000, entering Super Saiyan for 60 seconds before the form expires.
The reaction across the community has been overwhelmingly focused on that single change. Many longtime players argue that maintaining transformations has been one of Xenoverse‘s defining features since the original game, making the new timer feel like a step backward. Others are already hoping Bandai Namco introduces a mastery system (or another progression mechanic) that eventually lets players keep their transformations active indefinitely, preserving both balance and player freedom. Ultimately, that’s likely the biggest takeaway from Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3‘s latest gameplay showcase.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
The good news is that Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2‘s final DLC proves the developer/publisher listens to fans, and with Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 releasing in 2027, some changes may be made before then—if this is truly what the timer depicts.
- Released
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2027
- ESRB
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Rating Pending
