Details on the modes, characters and locations you can play with to get you fighting ready

Hi, my name is Tony. I’m community manager for Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe and I’m happy to talk you through what you should expect from this weekend’s open beta of Dragon Ball FighterZ.

But first, to get those of you who don’t know the series or game up to speed: Dragon Ball FighterZ is the latest instalment of the Dragon Ball franchise. It’s a fast-paced three-vs-three fighting game with a roster of all-mighty characters from across the franchise’s history! You’ll be able to build your dream team and sharpen your skills to master high-speed tag combinations with, of course, incredible anime-like graphics made by ARC System Works.

Let’s get back to the beta and start with the dates, in case you missed them (if that’s even possible):

13th January at 8am GMT/9am CET (if you pre-ordered the game on Playstation Store.)

14th January at 8am GMT/9am CET for everyone.

(Before you ask: yes, you can still place your pre-order to get early access, and show off with your friends by sharing some awesome combos. The magic happens here.)

This Open Beta will be the last opportunity for us to stress test the game’s servers in terms of matchmaking, stability, character balancing, etc., with the ultimate goal of making sure that the game will be perfect for its release on 26th January.

That being said, what is in the open beta?

1. The game modes: practice the moves, fight competitively and watch replays

You will have access to different game modes including the World Match mode where you will compete with the world and the Practice Mode that will let you discover all the basics for each character. You will also have access to a Replay Channel to watch matches, which is another great way to learn from the best. These game modes will be available through the famous and cute lobby of the game where you will get a first glimpse of the Stamps and the Lobby Avatars that will let you have fun interactions with the other players.

2. Try out the 11 fighter-strong roster

You will pick your team of three fighterZ from a roster of 11 characters including Super Saiyan Vegeta, Super Saiyan Goku, Adult Gohan, Cell, Frieza, Android 18, Krillin, Piccolo and three characters that have never been played so far: Beerus, Kid Buu and Nappa.

Each of these three ‘new’ characters are specialized in terms of their gameplay. For instance, you will love to play with Kid Buu if you love to strike fast and harass your opponent from multiple directions. Nappa is much slower, as you might guess, but he can definitively destroy you in a matter of seconds if you’re caught off guard. Beerus is a very technical character to use, and he can be extremely powerful in the hand of a skilled player who can work around his limited reach.

3. Fight your way across seven destructible stages

As the theater of battles to come, the Open Beta of Dragon Ball FighterZ will feature seven stages: Planet Namek, World Tournament Arena, West City, Volcano, Wasteland, Cell Games Arena and Rocky Field. Each has been designed with a insane amount of details and I’d say that the way they are destroyed throughout the fight is probably the most impressive I’ve ever seen in a Dragon Ball video game. And I’ve played a lot of them!

And while we’re talking about destruction, each stage includes specific and crazy scenes when you swap between the stage’s various levels or when you terminate your opponent with an ultimate attack. Earth, Namek and Space are all likely to suffer massive damage and Shenron will have to clean it all… again ;)

4. Try and summon the mighty dragon Shenron…

By the way, do you know that you will be able to summon Shenron, not only in the game, but also in the open beta? Indeed, by triggering long combo chains, you can collect the legendary Dragon Balls. And if you gather them all, you will be able to call the mighty dragon for help, and he can totally change the outcome of a fight by restoring your health or bringing a fallen ally back. Please try it and let us know your opinion of this feature.

5. …and discover two special scenes in the beta

Let’s finish with a secret: the team has hidden two special scenes in the open beta. Their official names are ‘Dramatic Scenes’ but any Dragon Ball fan like me might call them ‘Tribute scenes,’ because they are some of the most unforgettable moments from the original anime rendered within the game engine. These scenes trigger under special conditions and we are challenging you to find them both!

Bandai Namco’s team will be available all throughout the Beta to receive your comments and feedback on the official Facebook page and through the hashtag #DBFighterzBETA so do not hesitate to share anything that could help us to make Dragon Ball FighterZ the best ‘fighting’ Dragon Ball game ever.

Have a good game!