This past weekend, fans of all ages gathered to celebrate the legacy of the late Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga series at DRAGON BALL Games Battle Hour 2026. The event took place from April 18th to April 19th at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California. It was my first time attending a DRAGON BALL Games Battle Hour event, so I wasn’t sure what to expect — aside from thousands of people I knew would show up.
DRAGON BALL Games Battle Hour Is For The Fans
Hosted by Bandai Namco, DRAGON BALL Games Battle Hour 2026 mainly focused on the franchise’s games, but the event also featured the anime and manga series. DRAGON BALL Games Battle Hour was designed to cater to fans and celebrate the franchise as a whole, so the event was planned with them in mind. Unless you were competing in a tournament, tickets were free for attendees, as fans only needed to register in advance, making the event accessible to fans who wanted to attend.
I heard a lot of excitement from attendees and was told that Battle Hour has only grown bigger since it started in 2021. In fact, on the first day of the event, so many people showed up that the venue had to temporarily stop people from entering or restrict access because of the sheer volume of attendees. At first, I was really surprised, but after seeing how packed the space was, I thought it made sense.
The event was filled with activities. There were tournaments where players could challenge past video game champions, a dedicated space to purchase Dragon Ball merchandise, and several areas for photo ops. The second floor of the venue was reserved for the TCG games, complete with their own tournament space. Bandai Namco also organized a stamp rally for the fans to encourage them to explore what the venue had to offer. I couldn’t help but take pictures at the photo ops, especially when they involved riding the flying cloud, Nimbus. I even created my very own Kamehameha pose with one, but my personal favorite was the photo op where I could power up into a Super Saiyan like the characters in the series.
Special Panel and Battle Hour Times
The Dragon Ball Super Special Panel and Battle Hour Times segment captured the fans’ excitement and tension at its peak. The seats were packed to the point that fans were sitting on the floor just to watch the special panel, and they cheered and counted down to the start together.
During the Dragon Ball Special Panel, video messages and a new trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Beerus were revealed. The video messages were from Masako Nozawa (Son Goku), Koichi Yamadera (Beerus), Jason Douglas (English voice of Beerus, and Akio Iyoku (executive producer of the Dragon Ball franchise) while the new trailer showed an enhanced version of the fight between Goku and Beerus and teased the resurrection of Frieza in the end. Fans cheered to hear video messages from Nozawa, Yamadera, Douglas, and Iyoku, but when the new SUPER GEKITOU trailer dropped, fans cheered loudly, shouting “Kamehameha!” with Goku and even chanting Frieza’s name in the end.
The biggest surprise of the event was the reveal of the newest Dragon Ball game, previously referred to as the “AGE 1000 project.” During Battle Hour Times, the title was officially announced as Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 with new information and an animated trailer. The trailer showcased new characters that players would meet in the game. They also provided information about the new character and the player’s character, as shown in a previous trailer. The crowd’s reaction was explosive as they cheered in awe and surprise. I was just as surprised, and it made me want to play the Dragon Ball Xenoverse series.
Celebrating the Dragon Ball Franchise
At its core, DRAGON BALL Games Battle Hour 2026 was an event catered to fans around the world to celebrate the franchise. With its plethora of activities catered to fans and announcements of the latest updates about the anime and games within the Dragon Ball franchise, the event had something for everyone. As my first DRAGON BALL GamesBattle Hour event experience, it was amazing to see so many Dragon Ball fans of all ages come together in one place to celebrate. And it’s clear that this event will continue to grow in the years to come.