Sports Anime Meets Match-3 Combat in Latest Collab
Puzzle & Dragons is back with another crossover, this time pulling in characters from Haikyu!!, the volleyball anime that mixes underdog drama with high-energy teamwork. The collab is now live, and as usual, it drops a batch of limited-time units, themed dungeons, and event rewards tied to the featured series.
These collaborations have become a rhythm for the game, blending pop culture into its core match-3 mechanics. What makes the Haikyu!! pairing stand out is how a sports-themed anime gets reinterpreted inside a combat-driven system.
Haikyu!! Units Translate Athleticism Into Combat Skills
The featured characters, including Shoyo Hinata, Tobio Kageyama, and other members of Karasuno, are reimagined as combat units with volleyball-flavored abilities. Instead of spiking balls, they’re triggering orb movement boosts, support buffs, and team-based skill chains.
The skills lean into synergy. Many units get bonuses when paired with teammates from the same roster, reflecting the anime’s focus on coordination and timing. Visually, the characters keep their original style, but with added elemental flair and animated skill cut-ins that feel more RPG than sports sim.
Event Dungeons and Clear Bonuses Add Replay Hooks
Alongside the units, the event introduces limited dungeons themed around Haikyu!! story arcs. These aren’t deep narrative experiences, but they use familiar set pieces from the anime to create wave-based combat challenges. Bosses include rivals from other schools, now acting as stage enders with themed mechanics.
Clear bonuses include exclusive evolution materials, currency, and sometimes bonus rolls in the collab gacha. As with most Puzzle & Dragons events, farming is part of the loop. The dungeons rotate over the course of the event, keeping pace with login rewards and score-based missions.
Collaboration Gacha Runs the Length of the Event
The event includes a special collab egg machine featuring all Haikyu!! characters, with multiple rarity tiers. Some top-tier units have alternate evolutions that unlock after collecting specific materials from event dungeons. The drop rates follow the standard format, lower for featured leads, with filler options rounding out the pool.
For collectors, there are also non-combat cosmetic additions like collab-themed monsters and assist evolutions. These units won’t shape the meta but do add flavor to box builds, especially for longtime fans of the series.
Part of Puzzle & Dragons’ Long-Running Crossover Strategy
Puzzle & Dragons has built much of its long-term retention around IP partnerships like this. The Haikyu!! event sits alongside past collabs with anime, gaming, and pop culture properties, each wrapped into the same match-and-fight framework.
What’s consistent is the formula, recognizable characters, adapted mechanics, and event structure that rewards both daily logins and deeper grind. For fans of Haikyu!!, it’s a short but structured celebration. For Puzzle & Dragons, it’s another well-mapped crossover that fits cleanly into its ecosystem.
Mobile Game Addict & Casual Gaming Critic
She’s played more mobile games than most people have downloaded. TAPTAPTAP is fast, fierce, and funny — reviewing the latest hypercasual hits, idle clickers, and gacha grinds with real talk and zero fluff.
