PUBG Mobile x Dragon Ball Super

PUBG Mobile is a free-to-play battle royale game developed by LightSpeed and Quantum Studio, a division of Tencent Games, released for Android and iOS on March 19, 2018. The game adapts the core PUBG: Battlegrounds formula for mobile hardware, dropping players onto a large map to scavenge for weapons and equipment while the safe zone shrinks over time, eliminating the last survivors outside its boundary. The Dragon Ball Super collaboration launched on July 13, 2023, introducing franchise-specific skins, game modes, and map elements to the existing battle royale structure.

The Dragon Ball Super collaboration adds two dedicated game modes alongside standard cosmetic content. The Shenron mode has players roaming the map to collect Dragon Balls; the first player to gather all seven can summon Shenron and choose between three powerful boons: advanced supply drops, an enhanced Kamehameha ability, or rapid health regeneration. Collecting a Dragon Ball exposes the holder's location to other players, creating a risk-reward tension central to the mode. Dragon Ball-themed power-up items spawn across the map, including the ability to fly, a usable Kamehameha, Senzu Beans for healing, the Dragon Radar, and an air car. The map itself is modified to include Dragon Ball locations such as the World Martial Arts Tournament arena, Kame House, Korin Tower, and Dragon Ball Village.

A second mode, Battle Royal: Dragon Ball Super, limits the roster to players using Dragon Ball character skins and has them fight each other using Ki Blasts and Energy Waves rather than the game's standard firearms. Emperor Pilaf and Korin appear as companion characters that players can equip. The collaboration's character skin selection covers Goku, Vegeta, Ultimate Gohan, Piccolo, and Frieza, with super-tier forms of Goku and Vegeta represented in the outfit variants.

The Dragon Ball Super content package for PUBG Mobile introduces a full suite of thematic additions spanning playable skins, companion characters, map modifications, interactive items, and dedicated game modes. Character skins cover Goku in Base, Super Saiyan, and Super Saiyan Blue; Vegeta in Base, Super Saiyan, and Super Saiyan Blue; Ultimate Gohan; Piccolo; Frieza; and both Vegito forms including Super Saiyan Blue Vegito. Bulma is included as a skin option as well. The weapon skin wraps and outfit accessories accompanying each character set extend the Dragon Ball visual theming across combat equipment.

The Shenron mode's mechanic of making Dragon Ball collection publicly visible on the radar reflects a deliberate game design choice to integrate franchise lore into the tactical structure of the battle royale format. The secret challenge variant of the mode requires a team to collect all seven Dragon Balls, hold the altar, and successfully summon Shenron against active opposition from other players. Frieza's landing animation in the collaboration references a specific moment from Dragon Ball Super chapter 87, indicating a level of source material fidelity unusual for a casual crossover skin release.

The PUBG Mobile and Dragon Ball Super collaboration arrived as the mobile game had surpassed 1.3 billion downloads and over nine billion dollars in gross revenue, placing the partnership within one of the most commercially successful mobile titles ever released. Dragon Ball Super's integration into PUBG Mobile follows a pattern of the franchise pursuing collaborations with leading games across multiple genres and platforms, maintaining brand visibility beyond its dedicated fighting game and RPG releases.

The depth of the collaboration, which goes well beyond simple skin packs to include custom game modes and modified map environments, reflects a substantial investment from both parties in creating a meaningful crossover experience. The decision to base the Shenron gameplay mechanic directly on the narrative logic of gathering Dragon Balls demonstrates a commitment to franchise authenticity that distinguishes this collaboration from more superficial licensed content drops. The July 2023 timing placed the collaboration within Dragon Ball Super's continued active publishing and media presence.