Pop Art Games and Lynnvander Studios have announced that Dragon Ball Z: The Board Game Saga will launch on Kickstarter on 9 June 2026. The cooperative, campaign-driven experience allows 1-4 players to take control of iconic characters such as Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan to battle through the central story arcs of the classic anime.
The project represents a significant resurrection in the tabletop industry. Originally slated for release years ago under the now-defunct IDW Games, the title vanished from schedules and saw mass pre-order cancellations in 2021. Its return under the Pop Art Games banner marks a strategic recovery of the license by industry veterans Jerry Bennington and Chris Rappley, who have maintained the partnership with the original design team at Lynnvander Studios.
Episodic Combat and Power Levels
Designed by Tommy Gofton and Josh Derksen, the game is structured into individual Episodes that can be played as a continuous campaign or as standalone sessions. The mechanics focus on a Power Level system that determines how many actions a player can take each turn. As combat intensifies, players manage “Stress” to unlock new “Forms” for their fighters, mirroring the escalating stakes of the television series.
The gameplay requires strategic cooperation to prevent classic villains from collecting all seven Dragon Balls. Combat is handled through dice battles influenced by individual Techniques, requiring players to balance aggressive power-ups with tactical movement across the board.
Tommy Gofton, Lead Designer at Lynnvander Studios, said in a statement,
There’s an incredible amount of gameplay for Dragon Ball Z fans to enjoy. The episodic delivery and battle sequencing really connects the anime series to the tabletop for an authentic gaming experience fans will enjoy for years to come.”
A San Diego Connection
While Lynnvander Studios is based in Canada, Pop Art Games is based in San Diego, California. The June launch date is positioned just weeks before San Diego Comic-Con 2026, suggesting a major promotional push at the world’s largest fandom gathering. This timing indicates a shift from the previous, more conservative retail approach under IDW to a high-visibility, “event-driven” marketing strategy.
The game is officially licensed through Toei Animation and Bird Studio/Shueisha, ensuring that the Saga format stays true to the established canon. While the press release focuses on the mechanical Episode structure, further details regarding physical component quality and miniature scale are expected to be unveiled as the Kickstarter countdown begins.
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