Dragon Ball Online is the Dragon Ball MMORPG developed by NTL with Bird Studio and Shueisha, with Akira Toriyama himself designing for it and music by Yuzo Koshiro. It launched in Korea in February 2010 and later in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but it never had an official Western release, and every official server closed in 2013. Its ideas lived on: the Time Patrol concept and the villains Mira and Towa came back in Dragon Ball Xenoverse.

Because the game never came west, fans built English versions of it themselves, and several unlicensed English emulations have been developed over the years. Today, fan-run private servers are the only way to play. This guide covers what the game is and how to judge a server.

Age 1000 and the Dragon Balls

The story is set in Age 1000, more than two centuries after Goku's departure. You pick one of three races, each with two classes. Earthlings can be Martial Artists or Spiritualists, Namekians choose between the Dragon Clan and Warrior paths, and Majin become Wonder Majin or Mighty Majin. A third Earthling class, the Engineer, was announced but never released officially.

Much of the game's appeal comes straight from the series. You hunt for the seven Dragon Balls and make a wish when you have them all - Earthlings can wish for the ability to transform into any Super Saiyan form. Time Machine Quests send you back into famous moments of the story alongside Time Patrol Trunks, and the Tenkaichi Budokai tournament gives you a stage to prove your character against other players.

What to Look For in a Dragon Ball Online Private Server

Translation and Client Quality

The official game was only ever released in Asian languages, so every English version is a fan translation. Quality varies a lot, from rough machine-style text to carefully edited quest lines. Play through the opening quests and see whether the story reads well enough to follow.

Content Completeness

Rebuilding a game from its client is slow work, and fan servers differ in how much of it they have restored. Check the level cap, which zones and dungeons are open, and whether Time Machine Quests and the Budokai actually work. Some servers also add classes or content the official game never shipped.

Transformations and Balance

Super Saiyan forms, Namekian and Majin abilities, and class skills all have to be balanced against each other for PvP. Ask how the server handles transformations and whether it has adjusted classes over time.

Rates and Dragon Ball Hunts

EXP, drop and Dragon Ball rates decide the pace. A server that makes wishes too easy removes one of the game's best goals; one that keeps them rare gives the hunt meaning.

Shop, Stability and Population

Check what the shop sells and whether it includes power. Then look at how stable the server is, how often the team updates it, and whether enough players are online for Budokai matches at your hours.

Getting Started

Pick a server whose translation and content you are happy with, then choose your race carefully - it decides your classes and your transformations. Do the early Time Machine Quests to learn the systems, and join the community to find Dragon Ball hunting partners. If a server earns your time, vote for it. The ranking below lists the Dragon Ball Online servers players vote for here, and it starts again every month.