Bandai Namco dropped the first gameplay reveal for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 this week, showcasing one of the game’s missions and new key combat features. While the core beat-’em-up gameplay has been retained from the previous games, it’s the approach to transformations in Xenoverse 3 that has Dragon Ball fans talking, as many believe this signature component has been nerfed for the threequel.
One of the big changes in Xenoverse 3 revolves around how and when players can use their high-powered skills, like beam attacks and area-of-effect ki explosions. Previous Xenoverse games required players to charge up their Ki meter, but Xenoverse 3 has swapped to a cooldown meter for abilities. Ki now functions as a stamina gauge that recharges over time, and transformations aren’t available at the start of a mission. Instead, players have to build up power and charge their “Awakening” transformation, allowing them to change into a Super Saiyan or use the Kaioken boost in battle.
This shift in transformations also has the Dragon Ball Xenoverse subreddit convinced that transformations are also on a timer, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. If you look closely at the icon, the artwork changes from a Super Saiyan design to what appears to be a Super Saiyan 3-inspired illustration with a timer counting down. This suggests that players will need to transform in stages, instead of skipping Super Saiyan forms in battle. We have reached out to Bandai Namco for clarification and will update this post once we hear back.
This hasn’t stopped Dragon Ball fans from complaining about the changes, with many still believing that transformations are limited-time power-ups. “I hope to see the whole community bashing this idea non-stop until they change it, because they won’t do anything if they can pretend it’s only a minority of people,” one of the top-voted comments on the Xenoverse 3 reddit thread reads.
It’s worth pointing out that the Xenoverse 3 gameplay doesn’t have any footage of the player powering down after the timer reaches zero, but being knocked out by one of the major stage bosses doesn’t seem to cancel the transformation. Previous Dragon Ball Xenoverse games allowed you to maintain your transformation for as long as you had Ki energy, and several items allowed you to minimize the drain on your reserves or charge up Ki quickly, making transformations last for the duration of a bout.
Awakenings are one of several new tools available in the game, alongside Soul Assist and Soul Change. Soul Assist allows a player to call upon the powers of a legendary Dragon Ball warrior like Piccolo or Krillin and use their signature powers in battle, while Soul Change lets a player incarnate into that fighter and harness their strength firsthand. Fighters like Trunks and Vegeta don’t just have character-specific powers; they also have quicker cooldown timers for these skills.
Each race has its own unique transformation, and so far, it looks like players can choose from the Saiyan, Human, and Majin races. Set over 300 years after the end of the main Dragon Ball sagas, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 launches in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.