Learning a card game is hardest before the first match. You can read the rulebook cover to cover, then open your hand and realize none of it stuck. Bandai is attacking exactly that problem for Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World with its first official learn-to-play app.
What is Combat Navigator?
Announced on September 26, 2026, on the official Dragon Ball site, the app is called Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World Combat Navigator. It launches in Japanese in December 2026 and in English in January 2027.
The pitch is simple: you learn Fusion World from your phone, using real cards from five official starter decks. Bandai has not yet locked the full feature list, but the decks are confirmed:
- Starter Deck EX Giblet [FS10]
- Starter Deck EX The Phase of Evolution [FS11]
- Starter Deck EX The Beat of Ki [FS12]
- Starter Deck The Saiyan Raised on Earth [FS13]
- Starter Deck The Prince of Saiyan [FS14]
That line-up is a nice on-ramp on its own. Giblet and the two EX decks give you a taste of the game's flashier, skill-heavy side, while the Saiyan learn the legends of Goku and Vegeta in their most approachable form.
The game you'll be learning
If you are new to Fusion World, here is the shape of it. It is a leader-focused game: you pick one Leader card to represent you, and build a deck of 50 to 60 cards around it. Decks can only use the colours your Leader has.
Energy is the fuel. At the start of each round you take one card from your hand and place it face up in your Energy Area. That card becomes mana for the round. Every Battle Card has a cost in the top-left corner, and some costs are "specified," meaning part of the payment must come from energy of a matching colour. The player going second starts with an extra Energy Marker and attacks first, which Bandai uses to balance the opening.
Fighting is where the fun is. When you attack, the defender can use cards as Combos to boost their Power during the battle. Combos cost nothing in Fusion World, which keeps hands busy and games tense. Then there is Awakening: once you have lost half of your Life, you flip your Leader over and it powers up with a fresh set of skills. That moment is the highlight of most matches.
Why an official app matters
Fusion World already has a digital client that launched alongside the physical game in February 2024, and its built-in tutorial takes about fifteen minutes. But a dedicated learn-to-play app aimed squarely at the paper game is a step further. It means new players can practice the exact starter decks they can buy, on their own phone, before they ever sit down across from a stranger at a local store.
That removes the biggest reason people bounce off a TCG: the fear of wasting an opponent's time while you fumble the basics.
What to watch for
If you want in early, the English version lands in January 2027, with the Japanese release a month or two ahead. Bandai says more info is coming, so expect the app's final feature list and the included tutorial structure to be detailed closer to launch.
For now, if you are curious about Fusion World, grab one of those five starter decks at your local shop and get comfortable with the energy system before the app drops. The single best thing you can do for your first real game is already in your hands.