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From CEO to Final Summoning, look back at a year of Dragon Ball FighterZ
From SonicFox and GO1's historic rivalry to Kazunoko's unquestionable domination, Dragon Ball FighterZ saw an explosive year of intense competition that ended in a jaw-dropping conclusion.
Although Dragon Ball FighterZ is only a little over a year old, the game has already seen a slew of top-tier competition and intense rivalries. Dominique 'SonicFox' McLean and Goichi 'GO1' Kishida's slew of battles over the past twelve months showcase exactly that.
With the conclusion of Dragon Ball FighterZ's very first World Tour, it's time to relive the glory that followed its release, as well as its explosive finale at the Red Bull Final Summoning. Join us as we look back over the last twelve months, and chronicle everything that's led up to this moment.
Super Saiyan showdown
Back in January 2018, Dragon Ball FighterZ launched with a Super Saiyan showdown between two of the series' most prolific voice actors. Chris Sabat, the voice of Vegeta, and Sean Schemmel, the voice of Goku, each received coaching from two powerhouses of the fighting game community, Justin Wong and Carl 'Perfect Legend' White, who helped the Saiyan seiyuus learn the necessary skills to properly throw down.
After beefing back and forth on Twitter, the two actors settled their differences outside of the recording booth and inside the game, with Sabat hoping to take the set against Schemmel 5–0. After a few intense coaching sessions, the rivals finally brought their spat to the main stage, with Sabat ultimately winning the showdown 4–1.
GO1 vs. the God Slayer
The official Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour kicked off with a bang at Daytona Beach's very first (Community Effort Orlando) CEO, where the best of the best competition went head-to-head to secure the first Dragon Ball out of seven. Amongst the top competitors were Goichi 'GO1' Kishida and William 'Leffen' Hjelte, two fighting game players with an array of titles under their belt, who faced off in one of the game's most intense sets to date.
The two butted heads in Top 48, where it appeared that 'Leffen' had the upper hand during the first game. However, 'GO1' quickly brought it back with Super Saiyan Vegeta, and even summoned Shenron to gain extra sparking. While 'Leffen' managed to take the second game, 'GO1' ended up winning the set 2–1, despite being beaten down to a single character against a full team of 'Leffen' fighters. Neither would take the Dragon Ball however, as 'GO1' would eventually fall to Ryota 'Kazunok' Inoue in the finals.
Rivalry of the century
'Leffen' wasn't the only player 'GO1' butted heads with, either. He also shared an intense rivalry with Dominique 'SonicFox' McLean, a player noted throughout the community for his prowess across multiple fighting games despite being just 20-years-old. 'GO1' called out the youngster ahead of Final Round 2018, where the two played in a first to 10 exhibition match, which 'GO1' ended up taking in a 10–4 wash.
The players went back and forth across multiple tournaments leading up to the Evolution Championship Series, where they met once more in DBFZ's Grand Finals. Following 'GO1's dominating 3–0 bracket reset, 'SonicFox' called for a coin toss in an attempt at a side-switch. This prompted a hilarious reaction from 'GO1', which was then used throughout the community to express exasperation and unamusement.
'SonicFox' went on to take the championship in a stunning 3–0 run, further cementing his rivalry against his Japanese competitor.
Kazunoko, the king of Dragon Ball FighterZ
'Kazunoko' dominated the World Tour
© Carlo Cruz/Red Bull Content Pool
Of course, one can't discuss competitive Dragon Ball FighterZ without mentioning the legendary player Ryota 'Kazunoko' Inoue. 'Kazunoko' secured four of the seven Dragon Balls in the Tour, taking CEO, SEA Major, the Japan Round, and even the CouchWarriors Crossup Saga events to become the circuit's most decorated competitor. Due to his success, the Tour's last-chance qualifier had to be amended, splitting into four separate, single-elimination tournaments to determine the final four qualifiers.
Although America fought hard, these LCQ spots were all secured by Japanese players, with Ryo 'Dogura' Nozaki, Yosuke 'Kindevu' Ito, 'BNBBN', and Shoji 'Fenritti' Sho taking the last slots in the Top 8 bracket. Such was the trend with Top 8, as well, while both 'SonicFox' and Eduardo 'HookGangGod' Deno made impressive showings. The Grand Finals pitted final LCQ winner 'Fenritti' and Tour mainstay 'Kazunoko' against each other for an explosive final showdown.
Starting a new season
'Fenritti' managed to reset the bracket in a convincing 3–1 run, after stating that he would share a haiku he'd made, should he end up taking the Finals. Alas, this wasn't to be. Despite 'Fenritti'’s previous momentum, 'Kazunoko' quickly adjusted and ran it back, ultimately taking the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour Championship 3–1 over the LCQ qualifier.
'Kazunoko' took home the Shenron trophy
© Carlo Cruz/Red Bull Content Pool
That emotional win for 'Kazunoko' was followed up by a slew of character announcements for the Season 2 pass, with the likes of Jiren, Videl (accompanied by 'Saiyaman' Gohan), SSGSS Gogeta, and DBS Broly set to join the fight. That wasn't all, because the World Tour will experience a second iteration for 2019, following Jiren and Videl's addition to the game on January 31.
Despite Dragon Ball FighterZ's relatively rushed integration into the fighting game community, the 3v3 title has received widespread praise from players across the globe, seeing top competition worthy of the FGC hall of fame. With 'Kazunoko''s unquestionable dominance, and one of the community's most intense rivalries to date, there's no telling how the game will shape up for its next competitive season. The game has already gotten off to an explosive start, so what could possibly be next for one of the FGC's youngest titles?
