Anime Fans Are Freaking Out Over Dragon Ball FighterZ

The surprise may have been spoiled prematurely online, but E3 didn't care to pump the breaks on its Dragon Ball hype today. Not long ago, the gaming conference officially announced a new fighting game would be added to Dragon Ball's extensive lineup - and anime fans are freaking out.

During Microsoft's E3 conference, news broke that Dragon Ball FighterZ would be making its debut in early 2018. The 2D fighter will return to the series' original game roots and forego any awkward 3D translations. Dragon Ball FighterZ will allow players to pick a team, fight against opponents in close quarters, and even do 3v3 battles.

E3 debuted a full gameplay trailer for Dragon Ball FighterZ, and its familiar faces got fans riled up. The video began with Freeza but other villains like Cell and Majin Buu could be seen. Even an anti-hero like Vegeta makes an appearance. And, of course, Goku and his son Gohan could be seen throughout the clip.

Earlier this week, the Dragon Ball fandom was tipped off about the game's existence when stills of the new game leaked online. Anime fans began speculating what kind of of relation - if any - Dragon Ball FighterZ may have with Dragon Ball Super. The known character roster for the game does not appear to feature any new warriors such as Beerus or Hit. Still, there is plenty of time for those details to emerge.

For now, Dragon Ball fans are content with sharing their excitement over the new game with friends online. You can check out some of the best responses to the Dragon Ball FighterZ announcement below:

The synopsis of Dragon Ball Super's current saga can be read here:

"According to an invitation that Goku gets, Zen-Oh (Omni King) is starting a martial arts tournament between all the universes called "Chikara no Taikai" (Tournament of Power). But it is the beginning of universal destruction. Something awaits the winners and losers of this tournament. What will become of this fierce team battle between each universe's elite warriors?"

Dragon Ball Super's "Universal Survival" saga is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.