After years of feeling like Dragon Ball FighterZ had finally closed the book on new roster additions, Bandai Namco is cracking it back open in the loudest way possible: Super Saiyan 4 Goku (DAIMA) is officially launching as DLC on April 22, 2026. The date was revealed during Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026 alongside a gameplay trailer that makes it clear Arc System Works isn’t phoning this in—it’s a full-on, animation-flexing victory lap.
This matters because FighterZ isn’t just “still around.” It’s still a pillar of the fighting game community, and a new character drop—especially one as loaded as a now-canon SSJ4—has the potential to shake up lobbies, brackets, and online discourse overnight.
What’s Coming on April 22: SSJ4 Goku (DAIMA) Joins the Fight
Bandai Namco confirmed that Goku (SS4, DAIMA) will be added to Dragon Ball FighterZ on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The announcement landed at Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026, and it came with a roughly two-minute gameplay trailer that wastes no time showing why this version of SSJ4 is such a big deal: it’s not a nostalgic nod, it’s positioned as a modern, canon-forward interpretation tied to Dragon Ball DAIMA.
It’s also a genuinely surprising moment in the game’s lifecycle. Dragon Ball FighterZ originally launched in 2018, and the last character addition before this new wave was Android 21—a gap that’s been described as four years since the final character was added. In other words: this is not business as usual. This is a deliberate return to the well.
The trailer itself leans hard into spectacle. One standout moment highlighted in the reveal is a “standoff” sequence between SSJ4 Gogeta and SSJ4 Goku (DAIMA)—the kind of fan-service framing that FighterZ does better than almost anyone, because it’s delivered with Arc System Works’ signature visual punch.
The DAIMA DLC Pack: Colors, Stamps, and Lobby Avatars
SSJ4 Goku (DAIMA) isn’t arriving alone. He’s being sold as part of a Daima DLC Pack, and the contents have been outlined pretty clearly:
- A new playable character: Super Saiyan 4 Goku (DAIMA)
- Three types of Z Stamps
- Three new lobby avatars, including Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta
- 12 selectable colors for Goku
Additional details from the event coverage specify some of the themed extras: the stamps include SSJ4 Goku striking a pose, a disgruntled Majin Duu, and a smug Majin Kuu. The lobby avatars include Super Saiyan 4 Goku, Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta, and Panzy.
Pricing, however, is still a question mark. No official cost has been confirmed yet for the Daima DLC Pack. Commentary around previous FighterZ DLC notes that past packs have generally been relatively inexpensive and frequently discounted, but as of now, the only responsible takeaway is simple: Bandai Namco hasn’t announced the price.
Platform-wise, Dragon Ball FighterZ is available across multiple systems, including Nintendo Switch, and it also has PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions with rollback netcode released last year. There’s been no official mention of a Switch 2 edition or upgrade.
Why This SSJ4 Goku Feels Different (and Why Competitive Players Should Pay Attention)
SSJ4 has always been one of Dragon Ball’s most argued-over transformations—beloved, debated, memed, and mythologized. But what makes this addition uniquely combustible is the “DAIMA” label and what it implies: this is not simply a GT throwback. It’s being framed as a now-canon version of Goku’s most popular form, and FighterZ is the stage where that kind of canon energy turns into immediate community obsession.
From what’s been said about the trailer, Arc System Works appears to be chasing authenticity to the DAIMA portrayal. SSJ4 Goku (DAIMA) is described as moving with “monkey-like movements” and a sense of weight behind his hits—exactly the kind of animation-language FighterZ thrives on, where character identity is communicated through motion as much as through special moves.
The trailer reportedly opens with Goku fighting Kid Buu before transforming, and it also showcases signature techniques, including Transcendent Kamehameha. There’s also an implication baked into the trailer’s matchups: SSJ4 Goku (DAIMA) is shown squaring off against SSJ4 Gogeta and holding his own, which naturally invites the kind of power-scaling arguments Dragon Ball fans treat like a second religion.
It’s worth underlining what this means for the meta without pretending we already know the frame data: a new FighterZ character drop can reshape the ecosystem even if they’re not top-tier. New assists, new routes, new matchup knowledge checks—those ripple effects hit everyone from lab monsters to weekend warriors.
And the timing is perfect. FighterZ has never really left the conversation in the FGC, but a high-profile DLC release date gives the community a focal point—streams, tutorials, combo exhibitions, and inevitably the first wave of “is he broken?” discourse.
Battle Hour 2026 Was a Dragon Ball Avalanche — Xenoverse 3, Beerus, and Sparking! ZERO Updates
SSJ4 Goku (DAIMA) might be the headline for FighterZ players, but Battle Hour 2026 was stacked across the franchise.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is Official — and Toriyama Contributed Before His Passing
The event confirmed that the previously teased Project: Age 1000 is officially Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, developed by Dimps and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It’s currently confirmed for Steam (PC), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a 2027 release window.
There’s been some confusion in the wider conversation about timing—one report characterized it as “coming out next year,” while multiple other details and platform announcements point to 2027. The consistent, repeated official window attached to the reveal is 2027.
The biggest emotional hook here is Akira Toriyama’s involvement. It’s been stated that Toriyama creatively contributed to the design of the game’s world and characters before he died in March 2024, and that this will likely be the last video game to feature his artistic contributions. The reveal materials also mention a redesigned, older Bulma, new characters (including one named Brett), and Toriyama-designed male and female player characters.
Xenoverse 3 is also being framed as online-focused, with the custom hero-building role-play structure returning—an explicit nod to what has kept Xenoverse 2 alive for so long.
Meanwhile, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 isn’t done quite yet: its final DLC, Future Saga Chapter 4, is slated for Summer 2026.
Dragon Ball Super: Beerus Remake Trailer Teases More (Including Frieza)
Battle Hour also delivered a new trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, described as a remake of the Battle of Gods arc, with a Fall 2026 Japanese release window reiterated. The trailer teases an updated take on the Goku vs. Beerus conflict—and notably, it also hints at Frieza, with the suggestion that an enhanced “Resurrection of F” could be on the horizon.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Gets “Super Limit Breaking NEO” This Summer
On the games side, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is getting a major content drop titled Super Limit Breaking NEO, launching this summer across platforms the game is available on. The update is positioned as massive: over 30 new characters, new customization items and costumes, five new stages, and a new game mode with a new battle system. A free update will also add new mechanics like Chain Blasts and Sparking! Boosts. There’s also mention of a survival mode update arriving April 21.
It’s a lot—and it’s relevant to FighterZ fans for one simple reason: Bandai Namco is clearly treating Dragon Ball as a multi-front push in 2026 and beyond, not a one-game-at-a-time cadence. FighterZ getting a new character in that context feels less like a random bonus and more like a deliberate strategy to keep every corner of the fandom fed.
What Remains Unknown
Even with a firm release date, there are still some key details that haven’t been confirmed:
- Price of the Daima DLC Pack for Dragon Ball FighterZ
- Whether SSJ4 Goku (DAIMA) can be purchased separately or only via the pack (no official confirmation yet)
- Full gameplay breakdown: moveset details, assists, frame data, and competitive viability (we’ve seen trailer footage, but not the deep-dive)
- Any potential Switch 2-specific plans for FighterZ (no official announcement has been made)
April 22 is close enough that the remaining unknowns—especially pricing and the full character breakdown—should surface quickly. But the core headline is locked in: SSJ4 Goku (DAIMA) is real, he’s imminent, and FighterZ is officially back in the DLC conversation.
