Update: We have received confirmation regarding the loot boxes in the game. A Bandai Namco representative confirmed via email that this is how the system works:
1. Within Dragon Ball FighterZ, players can exchange Zenni to obtain Capsules.
2. Zenni can only be earned through gameplay, there is no way to purchase Zenni with real currency.
3. Z Coins are earned when players trade in duplicate items they obtained from Capsules (i.e. avatar clothing/accessories).
The capsules are what’s been construed as loot boxes, and while they have the traits of loot boxes it appears that Bandai Namco aren’t trying to call them that. Regardless of what they’re called, this currency is what’s used to open the capsules which drop random items. The good news is that there is no way to purchase the currency to open these capsules with random rewards.
Orginal Story:
Dragon Ball FighterZ reportedly has loot boxes in the game. An image that comes from someone who claims to have an early copy of the game and a question about where the item came from lead to the reveal of Loot Boxes in Dragon Ball FighterZ.
Over on the Reset Era forums, a user on the site claims to have an early copy of the game and has been fielding questions about their experience with the game so far. When the topic came up about a lobby avatar, they revealed that the game features a loot box system for certain unlockables.
It’s unclear whether these loot boxes are just items that you earn through playing the game or if there is a real world money element here. Dragon Ball FighterZ seems to run like many other games with different types of currency.  Zeni is earned by playing the game and can be used to purchase these loot boxes. While Premium Z Coins is another option that you get when you receive duplicate items.
Right now, it’s unclear whether there’s going to be an option to purchase Premium Coins or another type of currency in the game, or whether this is all self-contained with the game itself. The users do point out that there is a link to Xbox Store in the menus, but that could potentially be for downloadable characters or other season pass content.
People are somewhat surprised by Loot Boxes in Dragon Ball FighterZ, but they probably shouldn’t be. The loot box fad seems like it’s going to continue on in 2018, beginning with one of the sleeper hits of the early new year, assuming Bandai Namco can get the online functionality dialed in by launch.
The way that Dragon Ball FighterZ’s loot boxes will be received completely ties to how they are implemented. Right now, it looks like loot boxes will be incorporated to give players unlockable items for customization and there’s no evidence from this game and others from the same developers that there will be a real money element. However, that doesn’t mean to claim that it’s not entirely possible for this to be the case down the line as many games have snuck them in for a post-launch revenue stream… like purchasable Supply Drops in Call of Duty WW2 added after release.
Regardless, Bandai Namco should likely reveal what economy systems are in the game if they want to quell some fears from people who’ve dealt with bad loot box systems over the past year as they’ve become more prevalent and predatory.
Published: Jan 18, 2018 04:11 pm