Because of how prevalent and wide-reaching a franchise like Dragon Ball Z is, any and every change is going to be met with tons of skepticism, but the latest has deeply upset many fans. Unfortunately, it does not seem likely that the fan reaction will meet reality, and fans can expect a massive Dragon Ball Z change later this year.
There’s a lot currently going on with Dragon Ball, and most of it is exciting. The Dragon Ball Super anime officially returns in Fall 2026 with an enhanced remake starting with Dragon Ball Super Beerus, followed by an adaptation of the Galactic Patrol (Moro) arc. In its popular video game department, all eyes are on the upcoming release of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 in 2027, and that’s perhaps one of the biggest issues: some Dragon Ball releases just do not get equal attention.
Dragon Ball: Gekishin Squadra is Getting a Massive Overhaul
One year ago, a new Dragon Ball Z game was released to explore the MOBA genre—as arguably should be a DBZ game for every genre focused on combat. The game in question, Dragon Ball: Gekishin Squadra, recently celebrated its first anniversary, but unfortunately, that “celebration” revealed a massive overhaul to the game. It’s essentially a complete makeover, changing basically everything and ensuring it is no longer a MOBA. Many fans online are understandably upset, many of them believe the creator did not want these changes, and many are questioning why they would continue playing it. Unfortunately, the changes are also likely prompted by a dwindling player base that has failed to retain players more consistently.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
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The update is planned for later this year, with one of the biggest changes being a new third-person camera. Not only does this drastically change what it feels like to play this game, but it will make it feel like every other Dragon Ball Z game. MOBA elements are being stripped away to focus on collecting Dragon Balls, its art style is being shifted away from its core style, and many saw the announcement visibly upset lead developer Toshi. Unfortunately, it’s probably a case where these changes are being made to try to build a more reliable player base, as it seems the core MOBA elements just were not strong enough. There was also a skill cap issue, according to developers, that contributed to this struggling retention rate.
Reactions trend heavily toward being upset, although they are scattered, mixed, and seemingly slowly settling. Some franchise fans think this is basically Gekishin Squadra 2, even if they never played the original. Some welcome it. Others are reluctantly accepting because it does better align with the rest of the franchise. Perhaps the most balanced and well-reasoned take comes from Twitter user @ggoselord in response to DbsHype’s post:
“It’s hard to see the game leave behind what made it unique. It’s saddening for sure, but if it was on a track to being killed off totally, I rather it get a chance to become something that stays around, even if for a bit longer.”
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It’s always sad when a game has to radically change what it wants to be. It’s even sadder when a game shuts down, so hopefully this change is able to prevent that from happening. Perhaps, in the future, there will be ways to bring its MOBA game elements back to some degree.
- Released
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September 9, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Ganbarion
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
