As of May 2025, the game Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero had a daily average of 1,033 players, peaking at 1,891 players online during the month. However, this represents a decline since January, when the game saw a daily average of 2,851 players and reached a peak of 13,811.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero was released on October 11, 2024, and by February 2025, it had sold more than 5 million copies, but the number of active players has been trending downward since the turn of the year.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero General Information
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Developer(s) 985_d63ced-78> |
Spike Chunsoft 985_fef714-78> |
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Publisher(s) 985_af4339-18> |
Bandai Namco Entertainment 985_367522-a5> |
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Series 985_a9b622-80> |
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 985_d60574-e5> |
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Engine 985_cab0ad-1c> |
Unreal Engine 5 985_97c34b-30> |
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Platform(s) 985_0e3a79-de> |
Windows 10 (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S 985_efffa8-28> |
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Release 985_9c7560-ac> |
October 11, 2024 985_5122c4-77> |
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Genre 985_dc22f6-e4> |
Fighting 985_a288b5-08> |
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Mode(s) 985_d1b224-c3> |
Single-player, Multiplayer 985_97df6b-0a> |
What is Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero?
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is the fourth installment in the Budokai Tenkaichi series and a direct sequel to Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (2007). Developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, the game was released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows in October 2024.
The 3D team fighting game is the first in the series since Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team (2010), and an expansion onto earlier parts such as Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Budokai Tenkaichi 2, and Budokai Tenkaichi, in which players can either form a team of five or go alone as Dragon Ball Z characters against another team or character.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Gameplay
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero features a total of 182 playable characters and other new and returning characters, forms, and stages. Players can choose from any of the 100 characters at the beginning of the game and have to unlock the remaining characters using an in-game currency called Zeni, which is earned by participating in combats.
It introduces several new combat systems, such as Skill Count, Revenge Counter, and Vanishing Assaults, while retaining the counter and dash systems from previous iterations. The game launched with 12 stages, each with a distinct atmosphere and story mode.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has a new “Custom” mode, where players can create fight scenarios and share them online with other players. The mode allows players to customize their stages with a variety of tools and difficulty levels.
There is also an “Episode Battles” stage that serves as the game’s story mode and follows the lore of eight playable main characters: Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Future Trunks, Frieza, Goku Black, and Jiren. These episodes are based on the story of Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) and Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018), and players can make narrative decisions at various plot points, resulting in different endings from the original series.
Stages In Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Here are the 12 stages players can choose from to play in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero:
- Planet Namek
- Open Field (Evening and Night)
- Rocky Land (Evening and Night)
- City (Daytime, Evening, and Night)
- World Tournament
- Tournament of Power Arena
- Hyperbolic Time Chamber
- Land of the Kais
- Islands (Evening and Night)
- Cell Games Arena (Evening and Night)
- City Ruins
- Destroyed Planet Namek
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Player Count
As of June 17, 2025, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has a player count of 934 (current players), with a 24-hour peak of 1,028 players. The all-time peak player count for the game was 123,600 from when the game launched in October 2024.
Let’s take a look at the monthly active player statistics for the game since its debut:
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MONTH 985_4cd02c-48> |
DAILY AVERAGE 985_5dab2e-67> |
PEAK 985_484bfd-58> |
GAIN/LOSS% 985_c6f9d5-99> |
|---|---|---|---|
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June 2025 985_b76b33-c8> |
894 985_cb0632-32> |
1,491 985_86e15a-21> |
-13.43% 985_f44400-39> |
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May 2025 985_7905e5-c0> |
1,033 985_b799d9-24> |
1,891 985_abc882-f4> |
-7.86% 985_09fa9e-59> |
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Apr 2025 985_7540ec-24> |
1,121 985_05efd7-e9> |
2,942 985_2f24df-3d> |
-15.57% 985_f930ae-f6> |
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Mar 2025 985_f13b93-b0> |
1,328 985_430c03-f4> |
2,440 985_8d11e3-4a> |
-25.54% 985_e8fa6d-ef> |
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Feb 2025 985_febaf6-e3> |
1,783 985_f0de69-49> |
3,715 985_75f64b-ae> |
-37.44% 985_104fa2-66> |
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Jan 2025 985_b077e1-30> |
2,851 985_97f68c-f7> |
13,811 985_63112f-a1> |
-18.95% 985_f8ea51-f6> |
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Dec 2024 985_98aa88-06> |
3,517 985_7ffe3a-a8> |
6,597 985_8525b9-79> |
-59.48% 985_25c554-71> |
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Nov 2024 985_2938ce-da> |
8,679 985_efd7d3-89> |
23,208 985_6e5b6d-23> |
-78.98% 985_622f5a-b6> |
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Oct 2024 985_4f9f63-85> |
41,281 985_b16fda-6f> |
123,600 985_f2fb19-ca> |
– 985_aa51bc-06> |
Also Read: Heroes of the Storm Live Player Count & Statistics (2025)
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Player Review
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has received generally favorable reviews, with many highlighting its faithful and accurate representation of the Dragon Ball franchise. The game has managed to capture the fighting experience better than previous entries in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, featuring impressive graphics and intense player movements. It also offers both online and offline play.
Critics did point out the imbalance of the game, which is not necessarily a negative, but a reflection of deep reverence for the source material. According to the original story, some characters are not expected to hold their own against powerful counterparts, but the game’s overall quality makes the action enjoyable regardless.
Metacritic gave Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero aggregate scores of 83/100 (PC), 81/100 (PS5), and 83/100 (XBOX), deeming it one of the best games in the franchise since Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 and Dragon Ball: FighterZ.
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Reviewers 985_881986-11> |
Score 985_126ae0-4b> |
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Eurogamer 985_b2372e-2d> |
4/5 (12 Reviews) 985_151cb0-0e> |
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Famitsu 985_038eda-3e> |
34/40 (13 Reviews) 985_38c981-9e> |
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GameSpot 985_5db366-05> |
6/10 (15 Reviews) 985_25ca1b-5c> |
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GamesRadar+ 985_48c5bd-f7> |
3/5 (14 Reviews) 985_50dff7-32> |
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IGN 985_fc6c1f-52> |
7/10 (16 Reviews) 985_5fb90b-f9> |
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PC Gamer (US) 985_1fc959-23> |
80/100 (17 Reviews) 985_0e7acd-d7> |
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VG247 985_7c3cce-63> |
4/5 (18 Reviews) 985_08c3db-2a> |
Also Read: Heroes of the Storm Live Player Count & Statistics (2025)
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Sales
According to Bandai Namco, more than 3 million copies of the game were sold within the first day of release, with about 90% of these sales coming from North America and Europe. In October 2024, it was the third-best-selling game in the United Kingdom and the second-best in the United States.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero went on to become the best-selling Dragon Ball game in the US, and the third best-selling game released by Bandai Namco, trailing only behind the studio’s critically acclaimed Dark Souls III and Elden Ring. By February 2025, more than 5 million copies of the game had been sold.
Furthermore, it was nominated for The Game Awards 2024 under the “Best Fighting Game”, and The Steam Awards’ “Best Game You Suck At” categories. It was also nominated for the “Fighting Game of the Year” category at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards in 2025.
