January 20th Patch Notes - Super Counter/Perception/Wildsense Nerf

[Shou]

### Official Links:
https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/dragon-ball/news/update-dragon-ball-sparking-zero-changes-and-adjustments-features-and-battle

Major changes that stand out:
Player Match:
‐ Quick Match has been changed so that you do not enter a room and instead
get immediately matched with an opponent.
‐ We have also added "Quick Room Search" for Quick Match.
Ranked Match: A wait time has been added before matching begins as a penalty based
on the number of times you have disconnected.

- Grand Slash: Hitting an opponent that is falling from a Grand Slash with another
Grand Slash will now cause them to be blown away spinning. - Harder to do leg loop sweeps or impossible now

- Super Counter: Time between being able to perform an input has been increased
after unsuccessfully performing the move.

Perception/Super Perception:
‐A certain amount of Ki will now be consumed upon activation.
‐After finishing the move, the time until the next action is able to be performed has
been increased.

Overall Automatic Avoidance Skills (e.g., Wild Sense): The opponent will no longer
be able to use these skills when performing a combo and continuing the combo with a
Rush-In.
Wild Sense: Attack damage has been reduced.
Kaioken: Skill Count consumed has been reduced (only for Goku (Z - Early)).
Ta-dah!: Skill Count consumed has been reduced.
All I Need Is Five Seconds!: Ki will be fully recovered.

Read the patch notes for full changes

Impact Recovery:
‐When blown back from Lift Strike, holding the button down will activate Impact
Recovery once you hit the ground.
‐Also, when blown back and spinning, holding the button down will activate Impact
Recovery once you hit the ground.

###Old Thread:###
Dragon Ball is all about fast-paced action and a diverse range of fighting styles, Sparking zero needs to accelerate the neutral game, discourage passive play, and make combat feel fast-paced and dynamic, staying true to the series' signature style, the current speed of the game has slowed down since the last patch, one play style is being rewarded heavily vs others

- You can force opponents to drop combos spamming Vanishing Assault (Bug)
- Health bug is still in the game
- Being locked out of vanish wars (Bug)
- A bunch of other bugs I didn't list.

New Proposed changes

Crossplay - Xbox/PC/PS5 for the health and longevity of online

Movement
• Wall/Character Bounces
• Added wall and character bounce mechanics.

Flying Movement
• Default flying movement speed increased by 200%.

Z Burst Dash
• Ki usage for non-giant characters reduced to 0.75 Ki.
• Giant characters still use 2 bars of Ki.

High-Speed Dragon Dash (New Action)
• Now 50% faster than Z Burst Dash.

Dragon Dash
• Speed increased.
• Ki cost significantly reduced.

Short Burst Dash
• Now consumes 0 Ki.
• New Feature: Chain consecutive Short Burst Dashes back-to-back with no Ki use

High-Speed Evasion
• Now works on Charged Ki Blasts.

Combos
• Fixed Rush Attacks dropping at certain angles.
• Grand Slash now ends the combo string unless followed-up upon.

Super Counter
• The input window has been shortened.
• Super Counter will become more difficult to perform if performed consecutively. (Just like Z Counter)

Perception
• Perception will lock the user into a stance upon use unless cancelled by another action.

Grabs
• Grabs are no longer able to be broken during animations.
• Reduced the window for the grab break input.

Revenge Counter
• You will now be able to Revenge Counter while being hit from the back.
• Revenge Counter will now be plus on hit.
• Fixed tracking issues at long range.

Ranked Mode
• Following disconnection changes, ranks have been reset.
• Ranks will now be reset on a seasonal basis, every major update a final leaderboard will be announced and all player ranks will be reset to D5 (with a reward for players in the top 10).
• Players must now play 10 placement matches to determine their initial rankings upon season reset.
• NEW RANK: G (God) - Reserved for the top 100 players.

Bugs
• Fixed characters regenerating to full health after any type of form change or switch.
• Fixed game freezing in character selection if timer runs out in the forms menu.

Previous Thread:
After playing, reading other people feedback and reviewing the patch notes, I’ve been comparing the December patch and have some feedback on what the game still needs post-December 12th update.

### High Priority
1. Full HP at < 60s after character swapping (new bug from December 12th Patch)
- Status: New bug, you gain full health back after swapping characters when timer starts from 60s

2. Fix communication errors preventing online play or disconnecting during online
- Status: Being worked on.

3. Keyboard Controls Bugged can't switch characters
- Playing on Keyboard, the panel shows up but is unresponsive when switching characters.

4. Mouse to move the camera, there is no option to move the camera using keyboard

5. Cross-play and better netcode
- Status: No news.

6. Rage quitters now lose points and can derank, and winners gain points
- Status: Not yet addressed.

7. Input delay issues addressed
- Status: Reportedly fixed

8. Instant queue for casual games (similar to ranked)
- Status: No change.

9. Slower skill stock gain
- Status: You gain fewer skill stocks from vanish wars.

10. Skill gauge punishment for interrupted skills
- Suggestion: Lose skill points if interrupted. Use crowd control or distance to activate skills safely, now you have to really smart about when you choose to use instant sparking / regeneration or you will lose your skill points.

11. Vanish battles (Z Counter): Increased ki cost and speed for subsequent vanishes, with a QTE impact after four consecutive vanishes
- Status: Vanish wars are slightly faster and now cost 0.5 ki bars.
- Desired Change: Increase vanish cost to 1 ki bar, boost speed further, and add QTE after 5 vanishes.

12. More options in the training room (record CPU inputs, playback features)
- Status: No updates.

13. More map variety (DLC)
- Status: Most likely coming in DLC update Q1 2025.

---

### Lower Priority
1. Instant Sparking now causes ki exhaustion
- Status: Cost increased from 3 to 4 skill stocks.

2. Afterimage Strike now has an activation animation and UI display
- Status: Nerfed to 10 seconds; can now be shutdown by perception.

3. Unblockable ultimates can now be blocked
- Status: Blasts and long-range attacks are slower and easier to react to.

4. Saveable team presets and longer time to pick teams in online mode
- Status: Implemented in the new patch.

5. Search bar for custom text in custom battles
- Status: Custom Battles can now be ordered alphabetically.

6. Filter settings remembered when selecting characters
- Status: Implemented in the new patch.

7. Lower DP for certain characters
- Characters like Goku Daima, Dabura, Base Future Gohan, Goku Base Mid, Goku Base Z End, Android 17 (DBS/DBZ), should have had their DP reduced.

8. 2v2/3v3/all filter for DP battles
- Status: Giants heavily nerfed, DP Battle winner is based on team total hp/damage dealt this heavily nerfs stall teams you can technically win 1v5 but it will extremely hard

9. Full voiceovers and cinematic cutscenes for every story mode, including "What If" scenarios
- Status: Single-player content still lacking.

---

### Optional
1. Perception vs Beams
- Perfect Perception deflects beams for free; non-perfect costs skill points.
- Status: Optional.

2. More transformations
- Requested forms: Cell to Super Perfect Cell, Mid Vegeta to Majin Vegeta, Adult Gohan to Utlimate Gohan

3. More 1 DP characters added
- Examples: Mai, Cheelai, Chi-Chi, Pilaf, Oolong, Frog Ginyu, General Blue, Mech Suit Bulma, etc.

4. Buff beam clash mechanics
- Suggestion: Add incentives for beam clashes over blocking or vanishing.
- Status: Not a priority.

5. Cleaner UI for easier navigation
- Status: No change.

The new patch had alot of changes from the community feedback form so the devs and game director are listening, but also introduces new problems. The next patch will improve the game further, bringing it to the quality it should have had at launch this why buying games at launch is a scam, you get a better quality game with more content for cheaper if you just wait months/years

### Official Links:
-December 20th Hotfix:
https://x.com/DBSparkingNews/status/1869698972346101897
https://dbsz.bn-ent.net/information/?p=40
- December 12 Patch Notes:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1790600/view/535461877640069156?l=english
- Sparking Zero Survey https://survey.bandainamcoent.co.jp/jfe/form/SV_5i5uAvdupwjgTHM
- Community Feedback Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SXB_nb2YPdrREtRosgiMqb5vIAqYuJqHbVTAjfoZOpE/edit?tab=t.0
---

[Shoebsy]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Revenant:

I can tell you dont read alot, but find me a GOOD game that has lost 90%+ of its playerbase in 1 month.......... ill be waiting. You also managed to completely ignore every point i brought up. Its ok to say the game sucks by the way. I am not personally going to make up a copium excuse for sparking zero. Im going to treat it like a game....... and match it against other games; SAME GENRE or not...... the numbers show the story.

You can't even ask me this question and not read what i said, but whatever dude, no hair off my back for you to dislike the game you're still playing right now.

Also you only played 14 online battles, SMH, keep proving my points.

[Revenant]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Shoebsy:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Revenant:

I can tell you dont read alot, but find me a GOOD game that has lost 90%+ of its playerbase in 1 month.......... ill be waiting. You also managed to completely ignore every point i brought up. Its ok to say the game sucks by the way. I am not personally going to make up a copium excuse for sparking zero. Im going to treat it like a game....... and match it against other games; SAME GENRE or not...... the numbers show the story.

You can't even ask me this question and not read what i said, but whatever dude, no hair off my back for you to dislike the game you're still playing right now.

Also you only played 14 online battles, SMH, keep proving my points.

I ONLY PLAYED 14 online battles because i have a communication ERROR..... LMAOOOO bro is so dumb.

[Revenant]

bro did all this investigative work just to be slapped.

[モModoド]

What they need is to give you an option to surrender mid-fight OR fix all the cheese.
They also should do it with the new DLC.
If they fail that, the future of this game is not looking good.

[Shoebsy]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Revenant:

bro did all this investigative work just to be slapped.

Can you read? if you've 37+ hours and only 14 matches, than you're playing single player. you're proving my point. Whatever tho, I don't care if you like the game or not.

[Revenant]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Shoebsy:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Revenant:

bro did all this investigative work just to be slapped.

Can you read? if you've 37+ hours and only 14 matches, than you're playing single player. you're proving my point. Whatever tho, I don't care if you like the game or not.

are you actually goofy or what......... I played 28 hours in the first week learning the game,, to FIND OUT I CANT play online because bandai / spike make garbage games....... yup thats 3x in a row you can't read. My god go back to school.

and before BRO SPEAKS up and yaps some more, the only way i played online was with a completely different computer that does not belong to me. Both computers are above the recommended settings by a long shot. BUT HE PROBABLY wont read this one either.

[Shoebsy]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Revenant:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Shoebsy:

Can you read? if you've 37+ hours and only 14 matches, than you're playing single player. you're proving my point. Whatever tho, I don't care if you like the game or not.

are you actually goofy or what......... I played 28 hours in the first week learning the game,, to FIND OUT I CANT play online because bandai / spike make garbage games....... yup thats 3x in a row you can't read. My god go back to school.

and before BRO SPEAKS up and yaps some more, the only way i played online was with a completely different computer that does not belong to me. Both computers are above the recommended settings by a long shot. BUT HE PROBABLY wont read this one either.

And your girlfriend goes to a different school. we know bro, we know. you're the best. Sparking Zero sucks.

[Revenant]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Shoebsy:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Revenant:

are you actually goofy or what......... I played 28 hours in the first week learning the game,, to FIND OUT I CANT play online because bandai / spike make garbage games....... yup thats 3x in a row you can't read. My god go back to school.

and before BRO SPEAKS up and yaps some more, the only way i played online was with a completely different computer that does not belong to me. Both computers are above the recommended settings by a long shot. BUT HE PROBABLY wont read this one either.

And your girlfriend goes to a different school. we know bro, we know. you're the best. Sparking Zero sucks.

so now when you look dumb, you mention completely unrelated talking points for what reason exactly?

[Joker]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von nxt:

Bandai announced a competitive tournament and a patch for mechanics in december
https://x.com/dragonballgames/status/1854886795051216926?s=46

huge

[naynym]

Literally just fix the netcode and make Player Match matchmaking like Ranked, that's like 90% of the issues with this game.

[Revenant]

game is dead by december

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Joker:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von nxt:

Bandai announced a competitive tournament and a patch for mechanics in december
https://x.com/dragonballgames/status/1854886795051216926?s=46

huge

[bo'o of wa'ath]

After-Image-Strike up to 5 SP instead of 3 or reduce the time on it (from 15s to 7s or something).

This mechanic was so broken since ever. Still don't understand why they force it in for every DB BT/RB/SZ type of game iteration, it's cancerous.

[AsuraBoomKiller]

Hello, if the game is going to receive an update in December, explain to me why it's so complicated for the developers to add a menu at game startup to display news, announcements, events, patch notes and acknowledge online communication problems, bugs and gameplay in the game that spoil the gaming experience.

A SIMPLE MENU TEXT WITH INFORMATIONS.

This could be an announcement in English if they're too lazy to translate into multiple languages.

It's not even about changing animations or adding a new character or mechanics.

Give me one more excuse to defend this game and the developers Spike Chunsoft for not communicating properly.

I wouldn't put the blame on Bandai Namco, because a little €10 game like Death Note Evil Within, which was released 4 days ago, already features a news menu, communicates about rage quits in the middle of a game and has a function that lets you check the last people you played with, so you can report or block players.

1 month after the release of Sparking Zero, do you have any such functions (news and block user) or good communications that would show an interest in allowing everyone to play peacefully online with the minimum of inconvenience?

For a game like SZ, which was to be released without a local 1vs1 battle mode, online options are very limited. And don't tell me this is a purely single-player game, or one with a lot of offline content. Once the episode mode is over, and for those who aren't interested in the custom battle mode, without 1vs1 local, you'd only be playing against the CPU/IA or watching the CPU take on another CPU.

No, and I'm not talking about meta or abuse. Just a simple function that might be a little more useful than just saying: December mechanics patch without knowing what it's going to be.

It'll still be a patch sent out randomly with no notification, no patch note where you'll have to inspect/check through the game to find out vaguely what they've changed.

There's not even a summary in their patch note, so you'll discover things later and realize that you didn't expect the devs to spend time on useless or low-priority things and bring new bugs.

[SuperSonicStudent]

"20 new maps"

we got 12 defualt maps and you think they gonna give 20 more in a free update? lol.

i can promise you that NO NEW MAP will be added not even as a DLC. you guys have too many hopes regarding DLC'S. trust me. your not gonna get much like you think your gonna get.

[Joker]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von SuperSonicStudent:

"20 new maps"

we got 12 defualt maps and you think they gonna give 20 more in a free update? lol.

i can promise you that NO NEW MAP will be added not even as a DLC. you guys have too many hopes regarding DLC'S. trust me. your not gonna get much like you think your gonna get.

how you reach this conclusion?