Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, why did it take 17 years to release a new installment in the Tenkaichi saga?

It’s been a long decade since Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi 3 was released on PS2 and Wii, but the wait is finally over. Dubbed Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, the fourth installment of the saga is about to see the light of day. In a group interview with MeriStation and other media, producer Jun Furutani explained why it took so long to develop an entirely new title in the series. The main reason is that at the time they considered Tenkaichi 3 to be the end of the series, but that perception has changed for these reasons.

“Looking back on the Budokai Tenkaichi saga, the third installment was kind of the conclusion of the series, or at least we felt that way at the time. Then, of course, other Dragon Ball games were released.”

Industry Developments Key to Reviving the Budokai Tenkaichi Saga

The producer acknowledged that there is a large time gap between the release of Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and Sparking! Zero, but “there have been many advances in game platforms, technology, and the gaming community. Therefore, “taking into account all this evolution, it seemed appropriate for us to release a sequel at this time, because, with these new possibilities, we can add more excitement and a deeper immersive experience. It’s something new on a gameplay level, so the decision was made to make Sparking! Zero.

In the interview, he was also asked about the possibility of reviving the Budokai series in the future, but Furutani stressed that he could not comment on other series. What he did emphasize is the idea that the new title is designed to make players feel a part of the Dragon Ball universe by controlling the most iconic fighters from the anime, including new additions from Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Daima, and other products and movies.

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero will be released on October 11 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.