Dragon Ball FighterZ Finally Announces Rollback Netcode Beta

Dragon Ball FighterZ has been out for nearly six years, but the developers at Arc Systems Works continue to improve and add to the hit fighting game. Fans have gotten several roster additions over the years and we know that a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S port is on the horizon. However, the most requested feature for most is rollback netcode. The Dragon Ball FighterZ developers confirmed it was in the works back at Evo 2022, but the feature has been delayed a few times. Fortunately, the team has announced today that the rollback netcode beta is coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ in a few short days.

Dragon Ball FighterZ kicks off its rollback netcode beta on November 30. It will only be available for PC players via Steam, but the feature should eventually come to other platforms once it's ready for primetime. The beta runs through December 10 at 7 PM PT. All you need to do to download the update is go into the DBFZ Properties menu on Steam and download the public beta test once it's available. There's no need to sign up or wait for publisher Bandai Namco to send you a code. This is open to everyone. 

Of course, with it being a beta, gameplay will likely be spotty at times. Bandai Namco warns that players might run into various maintenance issues and bugs while playing. That's to be expected from something that's still currently in development, but this is an important milestone for Dragon Ball FighterZ to cross. Hopefully, this beta goes off with minimal issues and we get the feature across every platform in the near future.

What is Rollback Netcode?

Without getting too deep into the weeds, rollback netcode is something many fighting games use to keep online matches buttery smooth, even if one or more of the fighters is on a bad internet connection. The goal is to make each match feel like the two players are in the same room, regardless of internet speed. Essentially, a game with rollback netcode allows the player with a bad connection to catch back up to speed with the inputs of their opponent, even if their connection lags.

Essentially, what the code is doing is predicting inputs and then adjusts if what's predicted doesn't happen. When it's working well, you don't even notice a delay in your opponent's movement, making for a smooth, seamless experience. However, some AAA games struggle to implement it because of how expensive it can be when done over a massive audience. That doesn't make it impossible (as Dragon Ball FighterZ is proving), but it is part of the reaosn it's taken so long for Arc System Works to implement it.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is available now on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC. The rollback netcode beta goes live on November 29 (PC only), and PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players are hoping DBFZ will come to those consoles soon after rollback becomes a full feature.