STACK #254 December 2025

GAMING FEATURE

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GENRE: Sports MULTIPLAYER: Yes

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Summer is here, and amongst many things that signals the return of top-notch cricket to our shores.This year it also means that we have Cricket 26 so that we can play along at home.We chatted with Big Ant CEO Ross Symons to find out more about their summer smash. Words Amy Flower MARVELLOUS!

sessions and tactical shifts come through more clearly. The overall goal was simple - make the Ashes feel bigger, sharper and more alive, while keeping the rivalry at the heart of the experience. Are you confident that anybody from absolute novice to video game cricket tragic can easily pick up and play Cricket 26 ? Yes – and that was one of the biggest design goals from day one. Cricket is a complicated sport, but a cricket video game should not feel complicated to start. For Cricket 26 we rebuilt the control scheme and difficulty curve. Novices need to feel like they can pick up a controller and immediately understand how to bat, bowl, and field. Timing windows, visual cues, shot selection prompts, and AI assistance all scale up or down cleanly, so the game helps you rather than overwhelms you. But also, as the “cricket tragics” need depth, every advanced mechanic – footwork, shot shaping, swing variation, field manipulation, tactical bowling plans - is still there and still rewards mastery, but it’s layered on top rather than forced upfront. The result is that a beginner

After the success of Cricket 24 , what did you most want to improve upon when originally planning and realising Cricket 26 ? We always treat each new Cricket title as an opportunity to raise standards, not recycle them. After Cricket 24 ’s success, the priority for Cricket 26 was improving the feeling of authenticity and control in every moment on the field. That meant tightening gameplay systems from the ground up - bowling, batting, fielding, edges, reactions, AI anticipation - so that matches play out with more nuance and less repetition. We also wanted to deepen the broadcast quality. Better lighting, crowds, cameras, stadium detail and player likenesses were all high on the list from day one. Career Mode and Pro Team were also areas where we felt we could push harder – more personality, more meaningful progression, and a stronger sense of reward. As such, what are the biggest improvements that players will notice in Cricket 26 ? Players will notice three big leaps in Cricket 26 straight away. The first is gameplay. Every core system has been reworked – batting timing, ball physics, edges, keeper reactions, fielding logic, and bowler AI. Matches feel far less scripted and far more like real cricket, with variation and challenge on every ball. The second is presentation. Lighting, stadium detail, crowds, cameras and commentary all received major upgrades. The game simply looks and broadcasts like a higher tier product, with far stronger atmosphere across formats. The third is depth. Career Mode has clearer

progression and more personality, while Pro Team has been rebuilt around better rewards, more meaningful objectives, and a cleaner, faster interface. How has the Ashes component been expanded in Cricket 26 ? The Ashes has always been a cornerstone of our cricket games, but for Cricket 26 we wanted it to feel like a true event rather than just a series you can select from a menu. The entire component has been expanded in two key areas. The first is presentation. We rebuilt the Ashes package with new intros, cutscenes, commentary hooks, squad visuals, and atmosphere tuning so that every Test feels like part of a larger narrative. Crowd behaviour, team walkouts and broadcast elements have been updated to carry a stronger sense of occasion. The second is authenticity. Lineups, conditions, ground detail and match-specific commentary have all been refreshed. We also introduced more definitive moments within a Test so that momentum swings, pressure

can enjoy a match within minutes, while a veteran can push the systems as far as they want without hitting artificial ceilings. Confidence comes from that balance - accessible at the start, demanding at the top end, and smooth for everyone in between.

• Cricket 26 is out now!

10 DECEMBER 2025

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