Welcome to Dragon Ball FighterZ, a high-octane 2.5D fighting game from Arc System Works that lets you live out your wildest Dragon Ball fantasies. You’ll be pulling off insane combos, unleashing Kamehamehas, and transforming into Super Saiyan Goku as you battle through iconic story arcs like the Super Warrior Arc and Frieza's schemes. It’s a game that’s easy to pick up but offers deep combo theory and Z-Soul strategies for those who want to master it.
This guide is here to help you navigate everything FighterZ has to offer. We’ll cover the story missions, character introductions, and dive deep into advanced techniques. If you’re struggling to conquer Frieza’s forces, unlock the full potential of your favorite characters, or just want to understand the best Z-Soul setups, you’ve come to the right place.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball FighterZ offers smooth, traditional 3v3 tag fighting game mechanics similar to Marvel VS Capcom, focusing on offline modes due to online issues.
Dragon Ball FighterZ plays more like a traditional fighter in the vein of Marvel VS Capcom, BlazBlue, or Guilty Gear, rather than other Dragon Ball games like Xenoverse or the Budokai series. The game features 3-on-3 gameplay and uses a tag/switch character mechanic similar to the MVC series, with some exceptions detailed later in the guide. Due to persistent online issues with matchmaking and lag since before launch, this guide focuses on the core mechanics and offline/story modes, as these can be translated to online play seamlessly.
- Understand the 3-on-3 tag system to maximize your team's potential.
- Familiarize yourself with the core mechanics in offline modes before venturing online.
- The guide prioritizes offline content due to known online performance issues.
The Controls
Learn the essential button mappings and controls for Dragon Ball FighterZ on PS4 and Xbox One. Master attacks, assists, and movement to dominate the battlefield!
Alright, let's get you familiar with how to actually play Dragon Ball FighterZ! It might seem like a lot at first, but once you know what each button does, you'll be pulling off combos and super moves in no time. Think of this as your cheat sheet for the controller.
Here’s the breakdown for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. We'll cover the basic attacks, assists, movement, and some special maneuvers.
| Action | PS4 | Xbox One |
| Light Attack (L) | Square | X |
| Medium Attack (M) | Triangle | Y |
| Heavy Attack (H) | Circle | B |
| Special Attack (S) | Cross | A |
| Primary Assist | L1 | LB |
| Secondary Assist | L2 | LT |
| Character Tag | Hold L1 or L2 | Hold LB or LT |
| Dragon Rush | Cross + Circle | A + B |
| Ki Charge | Cross + Square | A + X |
| Sparking Blast | Cross + Circle + Square + Triangle | A + B + X + Y |
| Super Dash | Square + Triangle | X + Y |
| Vanish | Triangle + Circle | Y + B |
| Jump | D-Pad / A-Stick Up (in air will perform a second or double jump) | D-Pad / A-Stick Up (in air will perform a second or double jump) |
| Crouch | D-Pad / A-Stick Down | D-Pad / A-Stick Down |
| Block | D-Pad / A-Stick Away from Opponent (crouching block is done by holding down and away from opponent) | D-Pad / A-Stick Away from Opponent (crouching block is done by holding down and away from opponent) |
| Dash | D-Pad / A-Stick Toward the opponent twice rapidly. (hold toward on the second tap) | D-Pad / A-Stick Toward the opponent twice rapidly. (hold toward on the second tap) |
| Snap Back | During a Dragon Rush, press either assist button | During a Dragon Rush, press either assist button |
| Deflect / Parry | D-Pad / A-Stick Away from Opponent + Special button | D-Pad / A-Stick Away from Opponent + Special button |
| Guard Cancel into Tag | While blocking, D-Pad / A-Stick Toward the opponent + Primary or Secondary Assist | While blocking, D-Pad / A-Stick Toward the opponent + Primary or Secondary Assist |
| Anti-Air / Launch | D-Pad / A-Stick Down + Heavy Attack | D-Pad / A-Stick Down + Heavy Attack |
| Overhead Attack | D-Pad / A-Stick Toward the opponent + Medium Attack | D-Pad / A-Stick Toward the opponent + Medium Attack |
- Don't forget you can chain your basic attacks (L, M, H) together for simple combos.
- Assists (L1/LB, L2/LT) are super important for extending combos and controlling space. Practice using them!
- Dragon Rush (A+B or X+Circle) is a great way to start pressure or catch someone blocking too much.
- Getting a handle on the Dash and Vanish will make you much harder to hit.
- Blocking is key! Remember to hold away from your opponent to block high and low.
The Basics
Learn Dragon Ball FighterZ Auto Combos (Light, Heavy) and how to summon Shenron for wishes by collecting Dragon Balls.
- 1Auto Combos: Every character has two types of Auto Combos. Press Light attack four times rapidly (L, L, L, L) for Auto Combo Light. Press Medium attack four times rapidly (M, M, M, M) for Auto Combo Heavy. Auto Combo Heavy may end with a Level 1 Super Move if you have available Ki Meter. These are good for beginners to perform decent combos and can execute unique character-specific moves, keeping opponents guessing.
- 2Dragon Ball Mechanic: Completing an Auto Combo adds a Dragon Ball to the bottom of the screen. Once all 7 Dragon Balls are present, and if a player has a full 7 bars of Ki Meter, performing another Auto Combo summons Shenron.
- 3Shenron's Wishes: Shenron offers a time-sensitive choice of four wishes: Restore My Health (fully restores health), Bring Back My Ally (revives an ally with 50% health), Give Me the Ultimate Power (fills Ki Gauge to all 7 levels), or Make Me Immortal (restores some health and grants auto-regeneration for the Super Meter).
- 4Alternative Dragon Ball Collection: While Auto Combos are the easiest way to collect Dragon Balls, combos with a certain hit-count can also add them.
- 5Combat Goal: The primary objective in Dragon Ball FighterZ combat is to deplete all members of the opposing team's health, typically using the combo system, special moves, and super moves.
- Auto Combos are a great starting point for new players but are not the most optimal combo strategy.
- Each character has a unique move tied to their Auto Combo.
- Collecting all 7 Dragon Balls and having a full Ki Meter is required to summon Shenron.
- Be mindful of the time-sensitive nature of Shenron's wish choices.
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Learn the core mechanics of Dragon Ball FighterZ, a 3-on-3 tag fighter similar to Marvel VS Capcom, focusing on offline and story modes.
Dragon Ball FighterZ plays more like a traditional fighter, similar to Marvel VS Capcom, BlazBlue, or Guilty Gear, rather than other Dragon Ball games like Xenoverse or the Budokai series. The game features 3-on-3 tag battles with a character switching mechanic reminiscent of the MVC series, though with some unique exceptions detailed elsewhere. This guide focuses on the core mechanics, offline content, and story modes, as the game has experienced online issues with matchmaking and lag since before its launch.
- The game's mechanics translate well from offline play to online matches.
- Understand the 3-on-3 tag system to maximize your team's potential.
- Be aware of potential online connectivity issues when playing with others.
Updates:
- April 29, 2018: Added all special Character Interactions for the Enemy Warriors and Android 21 Story Arcs.
- April 25, 2018: Added links to the Full Movies for the 3 story Arcs.
- April 25, 2018: Added all special Character Interactions for the Super Warriors Story Arc.
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