New balance update will likely nerf Android 21 (Lab Coat) in Dragon Ball FighterZ

Amidst talks of banning or limiting the use of Android 21 (Lab Coat) on teams at tournaments, Bandai Namco Esports has confirmed a new balance update is being worked on for Dragon Ball FighterZ. 

This announcement comes over two months after Android 21 (Lab Coat) was added to the game in what many fans viewed as DBFZ’s final update. But unlike most new character releases, there was no balance patch included with the release of Android 21 (Lab Coat).

That wasn’t necessarily a surprise since most players were happy to just be getting a new playable character after almost a year without one, but it did lead to that new fighter taking over the meta. 

Not only does the new version of Android 21 have solid moves all around, but she also has a command grab at level one that will apply a 21-percent damage debuff to opponents when it lands. This takes away a lot of options for characters, potentially leaving other characters alive after long combos that may have taken them out. It essentially makes it so a top-tier character is not only good on their own but can also limit the opponent’s options—turning things into a one-sided fight if the other player doesn’t also use Android 21 (Lab Coat).

Android 21 (Lab Coat) provides such an advantage to players who use her well that multiple tournament organizers have discussed banning her from events. This includes major competitions like Combo Breaker.

This is a big step up from players asking about potential bans, which has been an ongoing discussion since the end of March, which was just public outcry. Escalating conversations could have actually led to a ban at multiple upcoming tournaments if Combo Breaker did decide to limit Android 21’s (Lab Coat) usage. 

Bandai has not shared when this balance update will be released or any details about what it might contain, so there is still a chance at least a few tournaments will go ahead and ban Android 21 (Lab Coat) moving forward. But the chances that this becomes a normal conversation being held before big events are much less likely as this patch should feature key changes to the character since she was mentioned in the post.