The Dragon Ball franchise marked its 40th anniversary with a large-scale event in Japan that outlined the series’ direction for the coming years. Held at Makuhari Messe, the Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri brought together fans, developers, and voice actors to reflect on the legacy of the series while laying out concrete plans for new anime, games, and downloadable content. The event carried particular weight as it was the first major roadmap presentation since the passing of creator Akira Toriyama in 2024.
The main stage presentation opened with a short discussion between Goku’s longtime Japanese voice actor Masako Nozawa and series executive producer Akio Iyoku, followed by an anniversary video chronicling Dragon Ball’s evolution from manga to global multimedia franchise. The video, scored with newly composed music by Hans Zimmer, concluded with the announcement of a new anime television series, Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol. The series will adapt the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc from the Dragon Ball Super manga, covering chapters 42 through 67, and continues the story after the Universe Survival arc that aired between 2015 and 2018. Production is underway, with a release window currently set for 2027.
Attention then shifted to games, with Bandai Namco revealing a new long-term project currently known as Age 1000. According to producer Masayuki Hirano, development began roughly seven years ago, with Toriyama contributing directly to the game’s worldbuilding and original characters before his death. The teaser trailer introduced a new, grey-haired character associated with Capsule Corp, though details about his role remain undisclosed. The project’s title references the same future era explored in Dragon Ball Online, suggesting a setting well beyond the main timeline. More information is expected at Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026, with the game targeting a 2027 release.
The event also included updates for Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero. Producer Jun Furutani confirmed a substantial DLC release planned for this summer, adding new playable characters such as Super Android 17 and Demon King Piccolo, along with additional stages, costumes, and abilities. A theme song titled Zero, performed by longtime franchise singer Hironobu Kageyama, will accompany the DLC. Ahead of that release, a free update introducing the Mission 100 single-player mode will arrive on January 26 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam, with Switch versions following later.
The final major announcement introduced another anime project, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus. Slated for Fall 2026, the series revisits the opening arc of Dragon Ball Super with revised visuals, new animation cuts, and a narrative structure intended to align more closely with Toriyama’s original manga. The production aims to present Beerus less as a comedic figure and more as the destructive force central to the story’s early conflicts. The series will air on Fuji TV in Japan, with international distribution details to be confirmed.
Together, the announcements reflect a cautious but deliberate effort to extend Dragon Ball beyond its creator while maintaining continuity with his work. Rather than a single reinvention, the 40th anniversary event emphasized incremental expansion across anime, games, and legacy content, setting expectations for a steady flow of releases through 2027.
