Rumors about a "Dragonball Xenoverse 2" have been appearing since last year. With the current game enjoying a stable status as part of a long-running popular franchise, will publisher Bandai Namco release a direct sequel?

According to Crossmap, an alleged leak of the loading screen image for "Dragonball Xenoverse 2" appeared online, prompting rumors that there may be a direct sequel launching sometime soon. The image has a "June 2016" release period showcased in it. However, some fans are not too keen on the supposed leak.

Firstly, the screenshot was taken off-screen, which makes it a "non-official" document from Bandai Namco. In addition, some eagle-eyed fans pointed out that although the screenshot appeared first in late 2015, the supposed leak still used the old PlayStation logo, which had apparently been changed to the current one at that time. Meanwhile, the release date placeholder itself was called into question since there is a comma in the date, an uncommon format in dated documents.

However, although the supposed "Dragonball Xenoverse 2" leak may only be a fan-made material, it doesn't mean that Bandai Namco is not thinking of a direct sequel. The original "Dragonball Xenoverse" is known to follow closely the events in the franchise, even coming out with expansion content to commemorate recently released "Dragonball Z" films. Since the franchise continues with "Dragonball Super," where Goku and the rest of the Z warriors continue to battle and defend Earth and their universe, a "Dragonball Xenoverse 2" is highly plausible.

The direct sequel may follow the events of the ongoing manga and anime adaptation of "Dragonball Super," where Goku and Vegeta already achieved their SSGSS forms. A direct "Xenoverse" sequel will also bridge the gap between the franchise adaptations, bringing new characters from both Universe 6 and 7 into the game.