Dragon Ball Z and all its iterations are as popular as ever, and while there’s never a bad time to be a Dragon Ball fan, the next 18 months look like a particularly good run for the franchise. From the Dragon Ball Super anime to new DBZ game releases, the end of 2026 and the entire year of 2027 look good.
It should be noted that not everything is set in stone and anything could change between now and the end of 2027, but with there roughly being 18 months between now and then, it’s worth taking a look at what Dragon Ball fans can expect over the coming months.
Dragon Ball Super Anime & Manga
- Dragon Ball Super Beerus Remake
- An Anime Adaptation of the Galactic Patrol Arc
- Manga Series Continuation
No matter what, Dragon Ball’s anime and manga remain the heart of the IP. Nothing else would exist without it, and come Fall 2026, fans get to return to the first Dragon Ball Super story arc/DBZ movie about Beerus, fans’ first God of Destruction. A remake is slated to release this fall, while Dragon Ball Super‘s Moro Saga (also known as the Galactic Patrol arc) has an anime adaptation in production. It is expected to release in the near-to-far future.
Finally, of course, the Dragon Ball Super manga has been on an indefinite hiatus since the passing of Akira Toriyama and the conclusion of the Super Hero arc. Artist Toyotaro has confirmed the Dragon Ball Super manga series will continue, even teasing its return, suggesting it’ll also happen in the near-ish future.
Dragon Ball Sparking Zero Gets Neo DLC on July 30
The most immediate release is an exciting one: Dragon Ball Sparking Zero originally released in October 2024 as a continuation of the Budokai Tenkaichi fighting game series. Now, it’s receiving a significant update known as the Super Limit-Breaking DLC on July 30, marking the very next release (as of this writing). It includes, but is not limited to,
- Expanded Roster: 30 New Characters
- New Customization Options
- New Limit Breaker Journey, a single-player feature focused on character progression
- New Extra + Episode Battles
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Releases in 2027
The biggest video game release, however, is Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 in 2027. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 was a seminal release in the entire franchise, but especially among video games, where it received support for a near-decade. Now, a sequel is coming, and fans can expect to learn more throughout Fall 2026 and early 2027. It would not be surprising for Xenoverse 3 to release in early 2027, but fans can expect a continuation of the beloved DBZ game in 2027 no doubt.
Other Major Dragon Ball Game Updates
- Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle
- Dragon Ball Legends
- Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra
Dragon Ball Z has a lively mobile gaming community, and if someone isn’t part of it yet, they should be. It’s as lively, if not more so, than any other anime community in the industry. Fans should expect major releases for each of these games, even if they are a very specific niche within the franchise. Cell Max’s return in DBZ Dokan Battle and the upcoming release of Jiren in Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra set the tone for the next 18 months.
Where’s Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot 2?
Good things come in threes. With three updates to the anime/manga section of the IP and three major mobile games, it’s very noticeable that fans only know about two major game updates (even if Sparking Zero will likely continue to get support all the same afterward). Many fans have expected publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment to announce a proper Dragon Ball Super: Kakarot or some kind of sequel to the open-world RPG of the franchise. After all, that gives players a third major arm, open-world RPG, to join the competitive fighting in Sparking Zero and the unique storytelling/CAC in Xenoverse 3. There’s no confirmation that another DBZ Kakarot game is in development, but truly, it would not be surprising if it were announced, if not released, in the next 18 months.
