Weird Dragon Ball FighterZ Tournament Rule Sets Up Incredible Comeback

The top players in Dragon Ball FighterZ are still discovering new tech and strategies, but last night’s tournament showed the potential the game has for competition. In a set between two players with two quite different backgrounds, Kizzie Kay and Chris G. put on an anime-as-hell bout.

Kizzie hails from the anime fighting game scene, competing in DBFZ developer Arc System Works’ previous games like BlazBlue and Guilty Gear. Christopher Gonzalez is a long-time player of Marvel Vs. Capcom, holding Evo titles in the three-on-three fighting game.

When they met in the top side of the winner’s bracket at Dragon Brawl last night, it quickly became a set to remember.

The two clashed back and forth, poking and prodding for openings to turn into longer combos. Since assist wait times are a bit longer in DBFZ than most Vs. games, the focus was often on the fighter in play rather than the team. But in some moments, like a round-ending finisher from Chris G., the whole lineup got to shine.

The set was close, as both players tested each other’s mettle well. Kizzie eventually found the advantage and pushed for the win, using a two-on-one advantage (can we call it a power play?) to eliminate Chris G. from the winner’s bracket. Or so he thought.

Dragon Brawl had a unique mechanic for winners of the “Path to Dragon Brawl” tournaments that led up to this weekend. Alongside some prize money, a Path winner would get a “wish” that would let them extend a set in the Dragon Brawl tournament. The best-of-3 became a best-of-5, and Chris G. had a two-game hole to climb out of.

While it’s a little odd, this tournament-specific gimmick allowed for Chris G. to come back and tie the set. At 2-2, with only a single fighter in for both players, it came down to slivers of health.

An impressive display of mechanics and creativity, Dragon Ball FighterZ is already looking like a fantastic spectator game. As the road winds down towards larger events like Combo Breaker and eventually Evo, there’s no ceiling in sight yet for this game.