Bandai Namco YouTube Leak Points to Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3

A YouTube playlist mistake by Bandai Namco has all but given away what players have suspected for weeks: Project Age 1000, the mysterious Dragon Ball game announced in January 2026, is Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3.

The slip-up came from the Bandai Namco Entertainment Southeast Asia YouTube channel, which briefly published a playlist titled "Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3." The only video inside it was the official announcement teaser for Project Age 1000, which Bandai Namco first revealed at Japan's Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri event on January 25, 2026.

X user Wario64, a well-known gaming news aggregator, spotted the playlist and shared it before Bandai Namco took it down. By then, screenshots had already spread across social media. Bandai Namco has not commented on the incident, and no official statement has confirmed or denied a connection between Age 1000 and the Xenoverse series. That said, the evidence is difficult to explain away as a random error.

What we know about Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 so far

Project Age 1000 was announced for a 2027 release and has reportedly been in development for six to seven years, with significant creative input from the late Akira Toriyama before his passing in 2024. Toriyama personally designed the game's new protagonist: a slim, white-haired fighter in Capsule Corp clothing who transforms into a Super Saiyan at the end of the reveal trailer. The character's outfit also carries the initials "GS," though their meaning has not been disclosed.

The teaser included visual nods to Goku, Vegeta, and other franchise icons through brief silhouette flashes, though how these characters factor into the actual game remains unknown. Bandai Namco's official messaging promises the game will "introduce even more unique characters as the adventure unfolds."

Fan theories: the Broly and Cheelai connection

One popular theory gaining traction online, first noted by GameRant, suggests the new protagonist could be a descendant of Broly and Cheelai. The character's white hair closely resembles Cheelai's, and the pair's relationship received attention in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2's Future Saga Chapter 3 DLC, released in October 2025, which featured a dedicated Cheelai and Broly friendship scenario.

Lore-focused fans have also pointed out that "Age 1000" is the same era explored in Dragon Ball Online, the now-defunct MMO whose world-building heavily influenced the original Xenoverse games. If Age 1000 does turn out to be Xenoverse 3, the connection to Dragon Ball Online's timeline would make the franchise link explicit.

When to expect the official Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 reveal

Bandai Namco has stayed silent on the YouTube playlist, but a formal announcement window already exists. Details about the game's official title, gameplay mechanics, and Toriyama's protagonist are scheduled for Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026, taking place April 18-19 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

The timing feels right. Xenoverse 2 launched in October 2016 and is approaching its 10th anniversary. Bandai Namco has supported it with DLC for nearly a decade, and the game still holds an active player base. A third entry would cap one of the longest support cycles in fighting game history.

The Dragon Ball franchise itself is stacking 2026 and 2027 with major releases. A Dragon Ball Super: Beerus enhanced anime, described by Toei as a reconstructed version of the Battle of Gods arc with new cuts, re-rendered footage, and freshly recorded dialogue, premieres in Fall 2026. An anime continuation adapting the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc from the manga has also been confirmed, though no release date has been set. Combine that with a probable Xenoverse 3 in 2027, and the franchise is moving on multiple fronts at once.

Whether Bandai Namco sticks to the April reveal schedule or moves things up after the leak remains to be seen. Either way, accidental reveals aside, the wait for an official Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 confirmation is measured in weeks, not months.