The excitement surrounding Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero appears to be fading, as the game has reportedly lost a staggering portion of its player base on Steam within less than a month of its release.
Initially launched on October 7 in Early Access, the game attracted impressive attention and quickly became one of the top-selling fighting games. However, recent data from SteamDB highlights a drastic 90% drop in its active player numbers.
Strong Launch Overshadowed by Rapid Decline
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero initially broke records, with 122,554 active players during its launch week, surpassing renowned fighting games like Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 11.
The game’s early success was a significant milestone for the Dragon Ball franchise in the fighting game genre. Yet, only a few weeks after its launch, the game now averages around 15,500 daily players on Steam, reflecting an 87% decrease from its peak numbers.
Possible Reasons Behind the Decline
While the game’s early success shows the strong fan base for Dragon Ball, several factors may be contributing to this swift drop-off:
- Lack of Cross-Platform Play: Currently, players on PC and consoles cannot play together, which limits multiplayer engagement and isolates the player base on each platform.
- Limited Content and Early Access Constraints: As an Early Access release, the game may lack enough content or polished features to retain players long-term.
Can New Updates Restore Interest?
Bandai Namco is reportedly preparing new content for Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, which could potentially bring back some players. Additional features, modes, or new characters may help reignite interest, especially if updates address community feedback and improve gameplay variety.
Conclusion
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero’s steep decline in active players may be reversible if Bandai Namco invests in substantial updates and cross-platform functionality. Until then, the game’s journey from a record-breaking debut to sustaining long-term success remains uncertain.
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