The arrival of Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero on Steam has already entered the history of fighting games. Even before the official launch of the Standard edition, scheduled for October 11th, Bandai Namco's new title recorded a peak of 91 thousand simultaneous players. Players who pre-ordered the special editions secured early access and, in just three days, helped reach this impressive number.
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The expressive success puts Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero at the top of the platform's most popular fighting games, surpassing heavy titles such as Street Fighter 6 , which has reached 70,000 simultaneous players, and Tekken 8 , with 50,000 on its peak.
Furthermore, the fact that these numbers were only achieved with special edition players reinforces the expectation of growth with the Standard version. This could result in the record set at the start being quickly surpassed.
Waiting and high demand drive the debut of Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero
The performance of Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is not an isolated event. Budokai Tenkaichi series , whose last release took place in 2007, more than a decade ago. Since then, fans have been waiting for a new game that maintains the essence of the series, known for its intense battles and the vast cast of characters from the Dragon Ball .
This prolonged hiatus, coupled with fans' affection for the original series, created a pent-up demand that explains the large number of players at launch. Nostalgia, combined with new content and graphical improvements, has made Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero one of the most anticipated premieres of the year.
Comparison with other titles in the fighting genre
The comparison with other great titles of the genre further highlights the magnitude of Dragon Ball Sparking's success! Zero . Games like Street Fighter 6 , Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat 1 , with large marketing campaigns, were unable to reach the same numbers of simultaneous players. While Street Fighter 6 led with 70 thousand players, Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat 1 registered 50 thousand and 38 thousand, respectively.
This result places the game in a prominent position among fighting games, opening the possibility of a new chapter of success for the franchise in the competitive scene and in the hearts of fans.
More than 180 playable characters
Another aspect that differentiates the game is the number of playable characters available since launch. There are 182 fighters in total, an impressive number that includes all phases of the Dragon Ball universe. From classic characters to more recent additions, such as the protagonists of Dragon Ball Super, and even the new version of Goku that will appear in the next anime, Dragon Ball Daima, scheduled to debut this year.
This diversity of characters not only expands the gaming possibilities, but also attracts different generations of fans of the franchise, from those who followed the first anime sagas to those who became familiar with the series in the more recent phases. Plus, refined gameplay and new combat mechanics make Dragon Ball Sparking! It is a natural evolution of previous titles, offering players an intense and varied fighting experience.
Expectations for the official release of Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero
With the release of the Standard version on October 11th, the expectation is that the number of simultaneous players will increase even further. The arrival of new players, who have not yet had access to the game, will drive this growth, either because they were waiting for a more accessible edition or because they play on other platforms, such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.
