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Few anime and manga franchises have ever enjoyed the sort of success of Dragon Ball. For more than forty years, the iconic franchise has entertained and inspired generations of fans around the world throughout its many eras. From Goku's Weekly Shōnen Jump debut and subsequent domination in Japan, to the delayed and overwhelming popularity of Dragon Ball Z outside of Japan in the early and mid 2000s, to the franchise's 2010s renaissance with Dragon Ball Super, the series has undergone several transformations throughout its many phases.
Alongside its prominence in the anime industry, Dragon Ball has also become a force to be reckoned with in the gaming industry. Since the release of its Budokai series of games in the 2000s, followed by Budokai: Tenkaichi, or Sparking! in Japan, Dragon Ball has consistently released highly acclaimed and highly profitable games. In the mobile gaming space, the series boasts the extremely successful and lasting Dokkan Battle, as well as the 3D fighting gacha game, Dragon Ball Legends.
This month, however, one of its longest-running gaming eras has officially come to an end. On July 8th, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, one of the franchise's most popular entries ever, saw the release of its Future Saga Chapter 4 DLC, the game's final DLC after a decade-long run.
It's the End of a Decade-Long Era for Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2's Run Has Officially Come to an End
In February 2015, Dragon Ball Xenoverse released first in Japan, and later in Europe and North America, and quickly became the defining Dragon Ball game of the 2010s, introducing a unique story compared to the 'series retelling' style prominent in previous video game entries. Just over a year later, its sequel, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, was released and one-upped its predecessor in nearly every way. Since their release, the two titles have sold more than 10 million copies across all platforms.
Now, with the very long-awaited Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 finally slated for release in 2027, Xenoverse 2's run has officially come to its end with the Future Saga DLC 4 release. The DLC brings Fu's experiments with time to a close, and introduces new playable characters Goku (Ultra Supervillain Quelled) and Supreme Kai of Time (Ultra Supervillain) to the game. It became available to players on July 8th, though the reveal that it would be the game's final DLC was made months in advance.
Xenoverse 2 remained the go-to Dragon Ball game for fans for a decade, though there's little reason for players to get overly sentimental with Xenoverse 3 just around the corner. For many, the decade-long wait for the series' next entry has been downright unbearable, and the upcoming release simply cannot come soon enough. Either way, Xenoverse 2 will be remembered as one of Dragon Ball's most successful video games in franchise history.
A New Era Is Beginning for Dragon Ball as a Whole
A new era isn't beginning just for Dragon Ball games, but for the Dragon Ball franchise as a whole. At the same 40th anniversary event during which Xenoverse 3 was announced, it was revealed that Dragon Ball Super would be making its triumphant TV return later this year, with the airing of Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, a remake/remaster of the 2015 anime's opening arc. An official continuation of the anime, titled Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol was also announced as currently in-production.
2026 marks the beginning of Dragon Ball's post-Toriyama era, where the franchise will move forward after the passing of its creator in 2024. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2's final DLC marks the end of the final ongoing project from the previous era. Xenoverse 2 is now free to play for Xbox users until July 19th.
