As the arguable breakout hit in the fighting game community in 2018 (andfor games as a whole this year),ÂDragon Ball FighterZdominated the conversation at events such as EVO 2018 this year. However, while the game has built up popularity among fighting game enthusiasts, Toei Animation – the IP-holder toÂDragon Ball– has commented in the building criticisms onwhy the game hasn’t appeared in more fighting game tournaments and events.On the official Toei Animation Twitter account, the company replied that it had “no knowledge about preventing DBFZ tournaments” in response to a fan comment about the apparent “blocking” ofÂDragon Ball FighterZfrom competitive events:
WhileÂDragon Ball FighterZappeared at EVO this past summer, notably the game was left out of EVO Japan’s roster for the tournament coming up in February, alongside the recent newcomerÂSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
This led to speculation thatDragon Ball FighterZ’s lack of appearances at recent fighting game tournaments may be the result of barring from the right holders of theÂDragon Ballfranchise, which is split between a few different entities such as Bandai Namco, Toei Animation, and Shueisha.
Most fingers with the fighting game community were pointed at Toei Animation, the current license holder forÂDragon Ball. This wasn’t a complete shot in the dark – Toei has in the past gotten Japan’s Embassy to request that the Mexican Government
Embassy of Japan in Mexico sent a note to a Mexican governor regarding the public airing of Dragon Ball Super’s last two eps, asking to suspend it if its illegal because of Toei’s author rights.Where were you when Dragon Ball became the subject of a diplomatic note?pic.twitter.com/Gmn6QcYQR4
— Kaleb (@KalebPrime)July 18, 2025
“>block an illegal broadcast ofÂDragon Ball SuperÂfrom being publicly broadcast in Mexico.
While there is always the possibility that Toei Animation’s comment could mostly just be a blanket statement coming from the company’s PR-facing side, hopefully we’ll see some of the situation regardingÂDragon Ball FighterZ’s presence in fighting game events change, given its increasing popularity in the FGC scene.
With both Aksys and Toei theoretically out of the question, why isÂDragon Ball FighterZÂbeing pulled? That is unclear. The best guesses would be related to the game’s developer Arc System Works or publisher Bandai Namco. We have reached out to representatives of both companies for comment on the situation.
Dragon Ball FighterZÂis still listed as an event atÂCombo Breaker, but weâll have to see if that tournament follows the same fate. In the meantime,ÂDragon Ball FighterZÂis currently available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and you can check outÂthe DualShockers review. If you arenât too concerned about the competitive scene, you canÂgrab the game on Amazon now.
