Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Impresses in New Preview

Published on October 22, 2026 11:50 UTC · Updated on October 22, 2026 11:55 UTC

Forbes goes hands-on with Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 at TGS 2026 and finds a sharper look and smoother combat; the Dimps RPG launches in 2027.

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Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 combat in West City — · Photo: Courtesy of Bandai Namco

Forbes published a hands-on preview of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 this Thursday (22), the Dimps-developed action RPG that Bandai Namco will release in 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. The piece by journalist Ollie Barder, based on a gameplay session held days before Tokyo Game Show 2026, argues that the game may be worth the near decade-long wait since Xenoverse 2. The new adventure takes place in AGE 1000, an unexplored future of the franchise set in West City, and is the first major title in the series produced after the death of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama in March 2024.

The article describes a build that is still in development but already playable in co-op missions. It is the widest press access to the project since the official announcement, made in April at the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour in Los Angeles.

What Forbes saw in the Tokyo Game Show 2026 demo

Barder played a few co-op missions alongside other journalists at the Japanese trade show. His takeaway is a responsive combat system that is more fun than Xenoverse 2's, with controls that quickly click for players who had been away from the series. The preview also notes that the leap is not only visual: the game structure, menus and battle pacing have all been reworked.

"Still developed by Dimps, Xenoverse 3 is a big step up from the last game. Both visually and functionally, this is a far slicker and smoother game to play."
— Ollie Barder, Forbes contributor

The text does caution that the version tested was a work-in-progress build and that the netcode still had rough edges. According to the piece, those issues are already known to the team and are planned to be fixed before release. The writer expects extensive post-launch support, including the kind of DLC packs that kept Xenoverse 2 alive for years.

Custom character kicks an enemy during combat in West City in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 — Aerial combat in West City: the build tested by press is still in development. (Photo: Courtesy of Bandai Namco)

Ten years in the making: the road to Xenoverse 3

The first Xenoverse arrived in 2015 and was ambitious for its time, with character creation, online missions and the promise of putting players inside the Dragon Ball universe. Xenoverse 2 followed in 2016, expanded the scope and became one of the franchise's biggest commercial hits, selling more than 10 million copies worldwide according to figures released by Bandai Namco itself.

The market logic suggested a quick sequel. Instead, the publisher kept the second game alive for years with expansions and updates while other titles, such as Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, filled the calendar. The third Xenoverse was only revealed on April 19, 2026, during the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour, after two months of teasers that referred to the project simply as "Age 1000".

The announcement came with a trailer featuring original animation produced by Toei Animation, a sign that the project goes beyond the game. Bandai Namco confirmed at the time a 2027 release on all three platforms, with wishlist pages already live on the PlayStation Store, the Microsoft Store and Steam.

AGE 1000: the West City of the future

The setting is the main differentiator. Rather than revisiting familiar sagas, Xenoverse 3 moves the timeline to AGE 1000, a period in which West City has become a vibrant metropolis with monorails, neon signs and Capsule Corp stores. The official description promises "a brand-new future Dragon Ball universe" populated by original characters brought to life by Akira Toriyama.

In the story, the player is recruited into the ranks of the Great Saiyan Squad and fights alongside familiar allies and new faces as events in the new era begin to unfold. The city works as a hub: players can explore it, meet characters and unlock side stories, a structure the series has always aimed for, now on a larger scale.

The site has already covered the announcement of the AGE 1000 project, which introduced the franchise's new era and the new character designed by Toriyama. The game's fact sheet is available on the Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 3 page.

Combat, customization and Soul Switch

Bandai Namco has been detailing the combat systems since September. The goal is to let each player build a personal fighting style by combining skills, techniques, Soul Assists and other tools. The main features revealed so far are:

Flexible builds: mix skills, combat techniques, Soul Assists and abilities to create a unique fighter;
Awakening: a transformation that pushes your character into a stronger state, whatever the chosen race — Saiyan, Namekian or otherwise;
Soul Switch: temporarily take control of a favorite character from the roster, with access to their specific abilities;
Online co-op: play solo or team up with up to three partners for shared challenges;
Long-term progression: a structure designed for continuous content, with persistent customization.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 character transformed into a Super Saiyan with a golden aura in West City — The Awakening system lets any race reach more powerful forms. (Photo: Courtesy of Bandai Namco)

Thumbnail of the Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 announcement trailer — Official announcement trailer, featuring animation by Toei Animation. Click to watch on YouTube. (Image: Courtesy of Bandai Namco)

Fact sheet and release window

Title	Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3
Developer	Dimps
Publisher	Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre	Action RPG / fighting
Platforms	PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X\|S and PC (Steam)
Release	2027 (exact date not announced)
Setting	AGE 1000, in West City
Announced	April 19, 2026, at Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour

Toriyama's legacy and what to expect until 2027

Akira Toriyama's absence is the project's most delicate subject. The author, who died on March 1, 2024, at the age of 68, left behind the world-building that supports AGE 1000, including original characters featured in the game and in promotional material. Forbes' preview argues that the title pays fitting tribute to that legacy and shows care for the franchise's creative continuity.

For players outside Japan, the 2027 window still leaves open questions: the exact date, pricing, localization and dubbing, and any plans for an open beta or network test. Bandai Namco has confirmed only the year and the platforms. Contacted by the site, the publisher had not disclosed further details by the time of publication.

What is already clear is the game's positioning. Xenoverse 3 is neither a reboot nor a saga compilation: it bets on a new future, with a customizable hero, an explorable city and group combat. If the final version fixes the netcode flagged in the preview and keeps the pace of the demo, the series could reclaim the spotlight it has lost among current-generation releases. More information is expected in the coming months, as the release and the 2027 events season approach.

With information from Forbes, Bandai Namco and Gematsu.