Bandai Namco Entertainment has released Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra, a new cross-platform multiplayer action game developed in partnership with Google Cloud. The game marks the franchise’s first original smartphone title in seven years and is designed to deliver large-scale, team-based battles across multiple platforms.
A global launch across platforms
The game went live worldwide on 10 September and supports nine languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese. It is available on iOS, Android, PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5/4, offering a seamless cross-platform experience.
Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra introduces four-versus-four team battles in which players work together to penetrate enemy territory and secure the Dragon Ball to claim victory. Bandai Namco described it as an “anywhere, with anyone” experience, made possible by modern hardware and Google Cloud’s global infrastructure.
Powered by Google Cloud technology
Bandai Namco selected Google Cloud to support the title, building on the companies’ previous collaboration. The infrastructure is designed to meet the demands of a real-time, global game launch and ensure a smooth experience across regions.
The game uses Agones and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) to simplify server management and scaling, allowing developers to focus on gameplay rather than backend operations. Player data is managed through Google Cloud Spanner, which provides a globally distributed database to ensure cross-progression and consistent syncing of inventories and game states across platforms.
Matchmaking is powered by Memorystore for Redis, helping to reduce latency and improve wait times by connecting players quickly for balanced matches. During testing, Cloud Monitoring was used to optimise performance, while post-launch analytics will be supported by BigQuery and Looker. These tools will help Bandai Namco analyse player behaviour, monitor gameplay trends, and make informed updates to maintain balance and engagement.
Industry perspectives
Toshitaka Tachibana, chief producer at Bandai Namco Entertainment, highlighted the role of Google Cloud in bringing the project to life. “This project required a partner that went beyond a typical vendor relationship, and Google Cloud’s deep collaboration was a key reason this game came to be,” he said. “From the earliest stages, the Google Cloud team operated as true members of our own, sharing our vision for the game. We are incredibly excited for players to experience the result.”
Jack Buser, global director for Games at Google Cloud, said the partnership reflects a shared vision for the future of gaming. “Bandai Namco’s vision for a massive, global, cross-platform title required an infrastructure that could perform flawlessly at scale, and more importantly, a deep sense of trust and shared purpose,” he said. “This partnership is built on mutual storytelling, and we are proud to provide the technology and the collaborative spirit to help bring this exciting new Dragon Ball experience to millions of fans around the world.”
Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra is free to play, with Bandai Namco and Google Cloud aiming to make it accessible to players globally, regardless of platform.
