Bandai Namco has revealed new Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 gameplay focused on character creation and combat customization, confirming that players will be able to choose from six avatar races, including the newly added Android race. The “Fight Your Own Way” trailer also provides a closer look at Fighting Styles, mentor-based abilities and the new systems shaping player builds. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is scheduled to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam in 2027.
The six available races are Earthling, Saiyan, Namekian, Frieza Race, Majin and Android. Players can customize the appearance of their fighter while also inheriting techniques and movement characteristics from established Dragon Ball characters. Bandai Namco says the system is intended to let players shape not only how their avatar looks, but also how they move, transform and fight.
One of the biggest additions is the expanded Mentor system. Players can find items called MistyPix while exploring AGE 1000, then use them through the Fortuneteller Gal to summon characters who can become mentors. Completing quests and missions for those characters increases their Bond level and unlocks additional options through individual Skill Trees.
Those unlocks include Soul Assist, Soul Switch, Fighting Styles and Super or Ultimate Attacks. Soul Assist allows a mentor character to enter a battle temporarily to provide effects such as buffs or additional attacks. Soul Switch goes further by letting the player house a mentor’s Soul inside their avatar, changing the fighter’s appearance and granting access to that character’s techniques.
Players who do not use Soul Switch can instead rely on an Awoken Skill tied to their chosen race. Bandai Namco has changed how these transformations work compared with earlier implementations, removing their fixed time limit and instead connecting them directly to the Ki Gauge. An Awoken form remains active while Ki is available, but the avatar returns to normal if the gauge is depleted or the player enters Ki Break status.
A new Ki Charge action has also been added to the basic controls. It restores both Ki and the Awoken Skill gauge, introducing another resource-management decision during combat. Players therefore need to decide when to transform, when to spend Ki on attacks and when it is safe to recharge rather than simply activating an Awoken form for a predetermined duration.
Fighting Styles provide another major layer of personalization. Instead of changing a single attack or animation, selecting a style based on a Soul character alters an avatar’s wider movement set, including flying, idle animations, stepping, guarding and attack combos. Bandai Namco says players will be able to learn from 130 characters, creating a large pool of recognizable Dragon Ball movements and techniques to incorporate into custom fighters.
Abilities can further modify those builds. They can be attached to Battle Gear, costumes, equipped Souls and avatar races, with some affecting basic statistics and others changing combat behavior more noticeably. Examples given by Bandai Namco include firing additional Ki blasts, extending attack range and improving the distance or effectiveness of evasive actions.
The customization systems feed into Xenoverse 3’s new AGE 1000 setting. West City serves as a central hub where players can explore streets, cafés, plazas, apartments and a university while meeting characters, taking quests and interacting with other players online. Items including coins, boosts, BGM tracks and MistyPix can also be discovered throughout the city.
The story places the player among the Great Saiya Squad in an unexplored future era created as a new Dragon Ball world. Bandai Namco says original stories will unfold throughout West City as mysterious events begin to emerge, with players fighting alongside heroes who previously protected Earth. The publisher has not yet revealed the full plot or the primary threat behind those events.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 launches in 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. With six avatar races, the new Android option, race-specific transformations, Soul Assist, Soul Switch, customizable Fighting Styles and mentor progression, the latest trailer shows that character building will be one of the sequel’s central systems.
