Big Ant Studios and Nacon are happy to announce that their upcoming game, Cricket 24: Official Game of The Ashes, will release in June.
Big Ant Studios, a subsidiary of Nacon, is among the biggest and most well-established game development studios in Australia. Over the years, the studio has created and released numerous sports games for various platforms, including AFL 23, Rugby League Live 4, and AO Tennis 2.
“The passion and excitement shown by our fans at the prospect of another game being released before the upcoming Ashes has been overwhelming,” Big Ant CEO, Ross Symons, said. “We’ve been working incredibly hard with cricket boards all over the world to bring what is the deepest, most realistic video game representation of the sport ever. I believe Cricket 24 will bring something special for cricket fans all over the world, it is the first truly global cricket video game.”
“Cricket Australia is excited to once again partner with Big Ant Studios to bring such an interactive and realistic video game to cricket fans in time for the upcoming Ashes Series in England,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said. “The Ashes is one of world sport’s greatest rivalries and it brilliant that fans will be able to play their own Ashes series through Cricket 24 and emulate their favourite players and teams.”
What is Cricket 24?
Cricket 24 will showcase The Ashes, the biggest rivalry in cricket. Detailed cutscenes will transport the user into the moment as the tour progresses, allowing them to feel like a part of the team by participating in press conferences and team training sessions. Unique commentary will provide a complete immersion into The Ashes, whether playing as a single player or as Australia or England.
The game features over 200 players with full photogrammetry, and official licenses from major cricket nations including Australia, England, West Indies, New Zealand, and Ireland, with more to be announced. It includes the biggest tournaments such as The Ashes, KFC BBL, Weber WBBL, The Hundred, and Caribbean Premier League, as well as “to be announced” professional Indian T20 teams, and more than 50 highly detailed official stadiums.
Cricket 24‘s Career Mode allows players to follow the journey of their character from a club cricketer to the international stage, growing their skills and fan base as they hone their craft and strive to become the next big thing in cricket. Players have more control over their destiny, whether they want to become a short-form hero, focus on the Test team, or balance both on their way to cricketing stardom.
The game boasts a complete overhaul of the fielding system, providing the most realistic and responsive fielding controls ever seen in a cricket video game. It is also fully cross-platform, allowing players to compete online against their friends and the world’s best players regardless of platform. They can create and share custom content such as stadiums, players, and teams with the academy.
Cricket 24‘s Pro Team mode allows players to collect player cards and build their dream team. They can take on weekly challenges in single-player gameplay or compete online against others. They can also join with their friends to compete in team-building through The Auction mode.
Cricket 24 will release on June 2023 for PlayStation and Xbox. Fans that buy the game on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will be able to upgrade for free on next-gen platforms. The game will also release in November 2023 for Nintendo Switch.