Bandai Namco has announced Dragon Ball FighterZ, a new 2.5D fighting game for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC developed by Arc System Works and due out worldwide in early 2018.
The game uses a three-versus-three team battle system, allowing players to determine the compatibility between characters and form a team of fighters. It will incorporate the “ultra high speed battles” and “flashy special moves” that the Dragon Ball series is known for.
According to producer Tomoko Hiroki, while Dragon Ball titles of recent years have been 3D, they chose 2.5D this time because there were some things that can only be done in that style. While it looks like 2D animation at first glance, it has a broader range of expression as they can shift camera angles and incorporate a lot of unique production not possible in 2D alone.
It should be noted that the press release for this announcement is dated June 12, meaning that Bandai Namco accidentally shared this information ahead of its official reveal. A backup of the press release is available here. The official Japanese website will be available here when the game is officially announced.
Update 06/10/17: Gematsu has discovered the game’s logo.