When to Expect News on Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4

Little is currently known about Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4, and it's also unclear whether that will change very soon or stay for a while.

Among the announcements at the 2023 Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour, one title stood above the rest. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 was finally revealed to be a reality after the Budokai Tenkaichi series had laid dormant for over a decade. These arena fighters are some of the most celebrated games in the Dragon Ball community thanks to their enormous rosters and interesting story modes. Not only are there recreations of canon events, but dream scenarios as well. It's unknown what Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 will bring to the table, but the fandom is excited about it regardless.

Unfortunately, the announcement of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 was little more than that, and the confirmation that the Super Saiyan Blue forms would appear in it. No other information exists on Budokai Tenkaichi 4, and the only hints of when more news could come are rumors. As summer's gaming conference season is beginning, fans could hear more about this exciting Dragon Ball title very soon, but there's also a chance that they may have to wait longer than they'd like.

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Back in March 2023, a Reddit user called Drillucidator posted that a Bandai Namco employee visited a GameStop they worked at. The employee allegedly told them that Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 would release in September. Which September wasn't specified, and the lack of a firm source casts doubt on the information. Budokai Tenkaichi 4 might be out as early as the end of 2023, but with no other details available, a 2024 launch is a safer bet.

If Budokai Tenkaichi 4 intends to come out in 2023, or even early 2024, then seeing it this June is all but guaranteed. Bandai Namco does not currently have its own show announced but has been confirmed as a participant in the 2023 Summer Game Fest, which holds its opening Showcase on June 8. There is a precedent for shows being announced right before E3 or SGF, meaning there's still some time for Bandai Namco to sneak in a mid-June presentation. Namco games like Jump Force have also been known to appear at Microsoft E3 events, so a June 11 showing at the Xbox Games Showcase is possible.

All of that is based on the optimistic assumption that Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is coming very soon, which probably isn't the case. Without a feature list, developer, or even a fraction of Budokai Tenkaichi 4's likely-massive roster, it doesn't feel close. However, there are still some upcoming events that could bring more news on the game. June's events can't be counted out, but if they don't have anything, then the next major suspects are Gamescom in August and Tokyo Game Show in September. While smaller than Summer Game Fest, they are still large industry showcases, and TGS tends to feature more licensed Japanese games thanks to its location.

Closing out the 2023 possibilities, the next Game Awards show is a great place for a Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 trailer. If the game is playable by then but doesn't have much content finalized, Bandai Namco may hold it back for a potential Jump Festa 2024 panel. This would also come with opportunities for the developers to discuss Budokai Tenkaichi 4, and even demo kiosks and early match footage could surface. Whether Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is shown during the summer months of 2023 will say a lot about when it will be ready, so fans will have to brace themselves for either a surprise announcement soon or another long wait.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is in development.

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Liam is a Features writer for Game Rant. He has been a passionate game enthusiast since a young age, and graduated from Brock University with a BA in Interactive Arts and Sciences. He has a preference for melee-focused action games, and loves to analyze mechanics. He combines that with his interest in writing, and uses his broad industry knowledge to talk about a wide variety of games.