Edits to the content descriptor for the upcoming fighting title Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO has fans both confused and disappointed. Inspired by the long-running manga and anime series, many expected ample amounts of blood given the original subject matter. Unfortunately, players may want to gear up for a more family-friendly experience.
Although the game’s descriptor–the information the ESRB uses to rate a game–initially listed ‘Blood,’ this has since been removed. Additionally, ‘Suggestive Themes’ has been downgraded to ‘Minor Suggestive Themes.’
This information was first spotted by Sparkingultra on X.
Although the game’s ‘Violence’ label hasn’t been altered, any wounds will likely appear as simple scratches.
To make matters worse, the label now includes ‘In-Game Purchases,’ causing many to suspect that a season pass may be part of the Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO experience. Many other Bandai Namco anime titles have incorporated battle passes or story-inspired DLC, so this isn’t entirely a surprise.
Over 160 characters and forms will appear in the Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, with previously announced characters including Burter, Dyspo, Hit, Jeice, Kakunsa, Master Roshi, Nappa, Super Saiyan Broly, Super Saiyan Kale, Super Trunks, and Toppo.
“Because this game is a genuine sequel and evolution of the series, one of our goals was to preserve the essence of what made the Budokai Tenkaichi series so popular: an enjoyable, dynamic 3D-action battle experience that deeply captures the elements of Dragon Ball,” said producer Jun Furutani in an interview in March.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is in development for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. A release date has not been announced, though the team has previously hinted at a late 2024 or early 2025 release.
