December update for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has been revealed

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO has quickly become the center of attention in the gaming community, gaining recognition for its highlights but also facing criticism for its flaws. The game’s rising popularity has sparked heated discussions, with many acknowledging it as a solid title despite serious issues—especially with its online mode, which has been widely criticized for significant character imbalances

The official tournament hosted by Bandai for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO turned out to be a disappointment, with many participants exploiting the game’s broken mechanics. The French tournament, in particular, left numerous fans disheartened by the game’s performance. It’s evident that Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO requires significant adjustments. While the recent announcement of increased penalties for quitters is a step in the right direction, it falls short of satisfying players demanding a comprehensive patch to address the game’s balance issues. Fortunately, a major update has been confirmed for release this December, offering hope for substantial improvements.

A new patch
 

In November, Spike Chunsoft announced via their X account an upcoming patch scheduled for December, promising adjustments to some of the game’s battle mechanics. This news has sparked high hopes among players, as the game desperately needs a significant update to address ongoing issues.

While the patch is speculated to drop sometime in mid-to-late December, no official release date has been confirmed. However, an X user, @MetalFreezer300, reportedly uncovered an early build of the patch. Images of this build were captured at a Bandai booth in Barcelona, providing fans with a sneak peek at what might be included in this much-anticipated update.

According to the user, split-screen mode will now allow access to all the stages in the game, lifting the previous limitation to just the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Additionally, the character select screen has been revamped; players will no longer need to navigate through multiple transformations of the same character. Instead, transformations are now consolidated under a single character preset, resembling the streamlined approach seen in Budokai Tenkaichi 3. The user also mentioned alleged changes to character renders and models for some fighters. However, without direct access to the updated build for comparison, these changes remain unconfirmed.

Some balance changes are also evident, with the most noticeable adjustments involving cost adjustments to certain characters and skills:

• Bardock’s Shockwave of Rebellion and Saiyan Spirit now cost 5 and 2 skill counts instead of 4 and 3, respectively.
• Goku UI’s Even Greater Potential and You’ll Never Beat Me now cost 3 and 4 skill counts instead of 2 and 3.
• All instant sparking skills now cost 1 additional skill count.

In addition to these balance tweaks, several quality-of-life (QoL) improvements have been introduced. Players can now see the skill count costs for abilities and transformations, as well as the required Ki for specific Blast skills, directly on the character select screen.

This news has been met with mixed reactions from the player base. On the negative side, many have expressed disappointment that one of the most requested features—Ki Sickness from Budokai Tenkaichi 3—is still absent in this patch. Additionally, some feel the balance changes are insufficient to address the game’s broader issues.

Despite these concerns, the update shows promise. The new changes suggest that Spike Chunsoft is listening to feedback and working to make meaningful improvements. However, since this information is based on an unofficial leak, it’s wise to approach it with caution. There may be more features or adjustments in the patch that have yet to be revealed.

If you haven’t had the chance to try out Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO yet, be sure to use our trusty price compartor to find the best deal for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO. The game is shaping up to be one of the best fighting games out there.