A Saiyan’s Struggle: Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra’s Rough Launch Plagued by Technical Issues

The highly anticipated free-to-play MOBA, Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra, has officially launched on Steam and other platforms, but its grand arrival has been marred by a slew of technical issues that are threatening to cripple its momentum. The game, which was once known as “Project Multi,” promised a unique blend of Pokémon Unite-style team-based combat and the iconic, high-octane action of the Dragon Ball universe. While early player praise for the game’s visuals, team-up attacks, and faithful representation of the source material has been positive, the overall experience has been a frustrating one. The game is currently sitting with a “Mixed” review score on Steam, a direct result of a litany of launch day problems, including widespread crashes, persistent log-in issues, and an unpredictable progression system. This is a classic case of a high-value IP being let down by a buggy launch, a reality that is all too common in the world of online, live-service games.

The Server Struggles: A Battle Return Error and Widespread Crashes

The most pressing issue facing Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra is its instability. Players have been reporting a variety of game-breaking technical problems, including frequent crashes to desktop and, in a particularly frustrating bug, a “Battle Return Error” that prevents players from even getting into a match. According to a variety of user reports on the Steam Community forums, this bug traps players on the title screen, with a message that reads, “Unable to resume battle. Please wait for it to finish.” For many players, this error has lasted for hours, with some even reporting that it has persisted for more than a day. The issue is so widespread that it has led to a torrent of discussion threads from frustrated players, many of whom have tried to fix it by restarting their computers, verifying the integrity of their game files, and even reinstalling the game entirely, all to no avail. The core of the issue appears to be server-sided, with players noting that the game’s servers are either crashing or lagging, leading to a “network error” that kicks them out of the game before their match results can even be recorded. The official Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra Twitter account has acknowledged the issues, but a widespread fix has yet to be implemented. This is a critical blow for a free-to-play title, which relies on a smooth and accessible player experience to attract and retain a large player base.

A Rocky Road to Progression

For the lucky few who are able to get past the crashing and log-in issues, a new set of problems awaits. Players have been reporting that their progress is not being saved properly, with some matches not being recorded and others having their results inexplicably wiped. In a game where progression is tied to leveling up, earning EXP, and unlocking new abilities, a broken progression system is a fatal flaw. The game’s monetization model, which includes a battle pass and in-game cosmetics, is also being affected by these issues, as players are unable to earn the currency and rewards they are rightfully entitled to. This is a major source of frustration for a community that is used to the polished, well-managed systems of other live-service games. The fact that a game with such a beloved IP would launch with such fundamental issues is a stunning miscalculation on the part of Bandai Namco and the developer, GANBARION Co., Ltd. The game’s visuals, which are a clear selling point, are not enough to offset the frustration of a broken core gameplay loop. While the game does have a full-featured online co-op mode and cross-platform compatibility, these features are rendered moot if players are unable to get into a game in the first place.

The launch of Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra is a stark reminder that in the world of video games, a big name and a flashy trailer are not a substitute for a polished, stable, and bug-free product. The community has made its voice heard through its “Mixed” reviews on Steam, and for now, the game will have to work hard to regain the trust of a fanbase that has been let down by its troubled launch. For a franchise that is so beloved, this is a particularly disappointing turn of events, and it is a powerful signal that for a live-service game, the launch is just the beginning of a long and difficult battle to win over an increasingly skeptical audience.