Key Takeaways
- Even though Bandai Namco actively discouraged playing Sparking! Zero like an esports title, tournaments are still being held.
- That said, two players were recently disqualified for “flying spam” days after the qualifier was held.
- Allegedly, one of the players asked if the tactic was legal or not, to no avail.
- Flash forward to today, and the tactic was once again utilized in another qualifier, though action hasn’t been taken as of yet.
Controversy has struck Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, Bandai Namco’s well-received spiritual successor to the original Budokai Tenkaichi series.
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While the game does not feature as elaborate a Fighting Game Community as something like Street Fighter or Tekken, there are still tournaments being held. In the most recent tournament, a French qualifier, players stopped engaging in combat, instead opting to fly around the map until time expired. That drew ire from the community, with the tournament’s commentators seemingly giving up on calling the match.
Flash forward to today, and the two players involved have now been disqualified for violating the Code of Conduct. As a result, the third-place finishers have now been invited to compete in a one-off make-up bout. Not only were the performances of the two competitors the subject of controversy, but the tournament’s rules and governing have also been targeted.
Fly Me To The Moon
First and foremost, it’s important to remember that Bandai Namco essentially discouraged thinking of any Sparking Zero as any sort of esports title. In an interview with GamesRadar, producer Jun Furtani said of the anime fighter, it’s “definitely not an esports game like FighterZ.” Still, that hasn’t stopped tournaments like the one mentioned above from taking place.
That said, one of the disqualified players allegedly asked if the strategy they deployed was legal or not. They reportedly did not receive a response, giving them the perceived go-ahead to go on.
Making matters worse, in the Japan qualifier, the same tactics that led to a ban of the original participants were also utilized. As of this writing, the player has not been disqualified, raising further questions about what is or isn’t enforceable in a tournament environment.
It’s unclear what recourse, if any, will be enacted. However, it is clear that if tournaments are to be a thing, then there has to be a lot more clarity, or else gamers will end up in another situation similar to the one that’s currently impacting the community.
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