Bandai Namco has unveiled the Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero World Tournament, the inaugural global championship for its newest fighting game. The competition will include online and on-site qualifiers leading to the grand finals at the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour event in Los Angeles on January 19, 2025.

Launched in October 2024, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has swiftly attracted attention in competitive gaming. Players from nine regions — including the United States (East and West), Mexico, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain — will compete on PlayStation 5 to qualify for the finals in Los Angeles. Online qualifiers are set to run from November through December 2024.

The Sparking Zero World Tournament also introduces an exciting twist by having each finalist represent a specific Dragon Ball character in the grand finals. This unique structure emphasizes both character strategy and player skill, with the 16 finalists choosing an additional fighter from a roster of Sparking! ZERO’s 40 secondary characters. The selection includes favorites like Goku (Ultra Instinct), Gogeta (Super Saiyan 4), Golden Frieza, and Ultimate Gohan. In a recent announcement, Producer Jun Furutani revealed that in-game items will be balanced to ensure competitive fairness.

Online qualifiers will narrow down participants through regional tournaments, with each winner securing a place in the finals alongside seven additional competitors selected at the Battle Hour on January 18, 2025. The tournament will follow a best-of-three single-elimination format, with characters limited to a 15 DP cap per team for added strategic depth.