Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Sets Its Sights on Age 1000 with a New Akira Toriyama-Designed World
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A Leap Into the Distant Future
The Dragon Ball franchise has always excelled at expanding its mythology through time travel and alternate dimensions, but the latest revelations regarding Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 suggest a pivot toward a more concrete, futuristic vision. Moving away from the immediate echoes of the Z-era, the upcoming title introduces players to “Age 1000,” a timeframe that promises a fundamentally different architectural and social landscape than anything seen in previous entries.
Central to this new era is a heavily developed and vibrant West City. While West City has served as a hub in previous games and anime arcs, the version appearing in Xenoverse 3 is described as a bustling metropolis where players will uncover original stories and encounter a cast of characters designed by the late Akira Toriyama. By grounding the game in a specific, far-future era, Bandai Namco seems to be attempting to solve the “narrative fatigue” that often plagues long-running fighting series, offering a fresh slate for world-building while retaining the core DNA of the series.
The Great Saiyan Squad and Combat Evolution
Gameplay in Xenoverse 3 continues to lean into the action-adventure hybrid model that defined its predecessor. Players will once again be tasked with carving out their own identity in the Dragon Ball universe, but the stakes have shifted. Much of the narrative revolves around the “Great Saiyan Squad,” a specialized unit that players will join to navigate the unfolding events of Age 1000. This suggests a more structured progression system, moving from a solitary time-patroller role toward a team-based military or peacekeeping dynamic.
While the combat remains rooted in high-intensity battles, the emphasis on character customization has been significantly expanded. The goal is to allow players to create a hero that feels organically integrated into the world, rather than just a palette-swapped version of existing archetypes. Given the shift to current-gen hardware—specifically the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC—there is a strong expectation that these customization options will extend beyond cosmetic changes, potentially impacting combat styles and interaction with the environment.
Technical Transition to Current-Gen
The decision to target the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S exclusively marks a clean break from the cross-gen limitations that held back the late-lifecycle updates of Xenoverse 2. For a game centered on a “vibrant” and “bustling” West City, the increased GPU overhead and SSD speeds are critical. The transition allows for more seamless exploration of the city without the loading screens or fragmented zones that plagued earlier titles.
Industry observers note that the move to Age 1000 also allows the developers to experiment with new art styles and creature designs that wouldn’t fit into the traditional Dragon Ball Z or Super timelines. With the influence of Akira Toriyama’s original designs guiding the new characters, the game is positioning itself as an essential extension of the canon, rather than just a spin-off fighting game.
