It would be nice to say that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot fans are growing used to the silence, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The game has now been out for over 13 months, yet there hasn't been any news on what the third and final DLC will be about. Fans have gone wild with speculation during this information drought, but without any kind of confirmation from Bandai Namco, nothing is certain. To make matters worse, there are actually more questions now than there were previously, leaving fans so uncertain about the future of the game that many have simply moved on to other things. Even for those that passionately wait for information, there isn't much to do.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot adapted the story of Dragon Ball Z in a way that no other game before it ever has. Its ability to deliver on its promise of a faithful recreation was praised by fans and critics alike, but then it seemed to disappear off the face of the planet. Fans waited three months for the first DLC to release, and then the same thing happened. The wait for DLC 2 was even longer, and fans are hoping that this trend doesn't continue for DLC 3.
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While this wouldn't typically be much of an issue, the problem is the way Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot handled its season pass. Many players purchased the season pass when the game first released back in January of 2020, and some even had it before then thanks to preorders. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot recently celebrated its first anniversary, and those paying customers still have no idea what to expect from the third DLC, much less when to expect it. This doesn't sit well with many fans, as most agree that a little communication can go a long way.
What's more, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's season pass went through some drastic revisions after many fans bought it. Originally, the wording of the first two DLCs implied that fans would receive original story episodes, introducing brand new content created specifically for the game. In a sly move, Bandai Namco Entertainment changed this wording and now refers to these two DLC packs as boss battle episodes. While there are plenty of fans that enjoyed these boss battle episodes for what they were, there are also those that would have preferred some original content. The state of DLC 3 is also uncertain.
Thanks to these kinds of changes being made to the season pass and a general lack of communication about DLC, fans really have no idea what DLC 3 is supposed to be. It's generally agreed upon that this is a new story arc, but translation issues make it unclear whether that means it will be as long as an entire saga from the base game or not. There's also confusion about whether or not this content will be original or a continuation of the story of Dragon Ball Super.
The only real source of information for fans is from credible leakers like Dragon Ball Hype and Japanese publications such as V Jump and the like. At the moment, the running theory is that DLC 3 must be one of four things: It will either pit fans against Hit in the Universe 6 saga, Zamasu in the Future Trunks Saga, Broly from the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie, or tell an entirely original story altogether. To say that each of these options has the same amount of evidence backing it up is completely true, as it is also fair to say that none of them have any hard evidence.
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The answer to which of the above options gets the spotlight for DLC 3 depends largely on whether or not there will be another season pass. Unfortunately, Bandai Namco hasn't made any announcement about its intentions for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot after DLC 3 releases, but fans are worried that this may in fact be its last hurrah. The lack of communication between fans and Bandai Namco seems to paint Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot as an afterthought, with DLC being churned out for the sake of having DLC.
If there is no second season pass, then it would be perfectly logical for DLC 3 to skip the rest of Dragon Ball Super and tell the popular story of Dragon Ball Super: Broly. On the other hand, if Bandai Namco plans on releasing three more DLC packs after the fact, it wouldn't make any sense to gloss over all of this content. It remains unclear what to expect from not just this upcoming DLC but also the future of the game as a whole, and it will likely stay that way until Bandai Namco clears the air.
Though the lack of DLC and communication is certainly frustrating, it is important to remember that the world is suffering through a global pandemic at the moment. It's entirely possible that the COVID-19 epidemic has caused delays in CyberConnect2's scheduled DLC plans and that Bandai Namco isn't sure how to react to the situation. If that is the case, fans would likely be very understanding and want everyone working on the game to focus on their health and safety above all else. Unfortunately, without some line of communication, there's no way to know whether this is the cause or not.
While it is true that fans are frustrated that DLC 3 still isn't here, it's more accurate to say that they are frustrated by the lack of communication. A single tweet could explain the cause of the delays and garner sympathy from the masses, but instead fans are left to wonder and speculate. As always, it's best to err on the side of caution and give Bandai Namco the benefit of the doubt, but hopefully this deafening silence is soon broken and fans can be let out of the dark.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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