# Cricket 26
**Cricket 26** (full title *Cricket 26 – The Official Game of the Ashes*) is a cricket simulation video game developed by the Australian studio Big Ant Studios and published by Nacon, released on 20 November 2025 for [PlayStation 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-4) and [PlayStation 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-5), [Xbox One](https://www.edgepedia.org/xbox-one) and Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Windows).[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) • [2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) It is the official game of the Ashes and launched a day before the real-world Ashes series began in Perth.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) • [3](https://storymode.info/features/previews/big-ant-studios-cricket-26-first-impressions/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer / publisher | Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd; published by Nacon[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) • [4](https://store.steampowered.com//eula/3468650_eula_0) |
| Release | 20 November 2025, on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) • [2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) |
| Headline modes | All-new Management Career Mode, expanded Ashes Mode with cutscenes, Pro Team with Centurion Multiplayer, The Academy creation suite[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) |
| Licensing | The Ashes, The Hundred, CPL, Cricket Ireland, West Indies, Pakistan and PSL, and fully licensed Indian T20 teams; the BCCI is not licensed, so the default India team uses fictional players[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) • [2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) |
| Content scale | 300+ licensed players (up from 250+ in Cricket 24) and 50+ stadiums (up from 40+)[5](https://cricket26.com/) |
| Launch condition | A 20 GB day-one patch on PS5; four PS5 patches in the first week; crashes at the change of innings reported by reviewers[6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review) • [7](https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/cricket-26-review-013847719.html) |
| Review scores | 4.5/7 (Dawn); 78/100 (NoobFeed)[2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) • [6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review) |
## Gameplay
Cricket 26 is a sports simulation in which players bat, bowl, field, and manage a team.[6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review) Batting is more demanding than in Cricket 24: timing and shot selection must be precise, and reviewers describe the batting as the series' most convincing mechanical success, with 11 new batting styles, each with up to 15 shots.[6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review) • [8](https://gazettely.com/2025/11/games/cricket-26-review/) Bowling offers a range of deliveries across pace and spin, with control over length, placement, and delivery style, though the game lacks a visual bowling adjuster for placing the ball.[2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) • [6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review)
**Fielding** received the bulk of the development attention in this iteration and is markedly better than in Cricket 24: AI-controlled fielders no longer stand idle while the ball rolls past, and catch animations are more skill-based, with a white dot showing where to aim throws.[9](https://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2025/11/review-cricket-26-sony-playstation-5.html) • [6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review) Fielding is largely built on quick-time events, and the game provides tutorials for batting and for pace and spin bowling but no fielding tutorial.[2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game)
Weather and pitch conditions, including wind, rain, pitch cracking, and player tiredness, affect both bowling and batting, and dynamic weather includes rain delays with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method (formula resetting run targets in rain-shortened cricket matches).[6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review) • [5](https://cricket26.com/)
## Modes and licensing
The game's headline addition is an all-new Management Career Mode, in which the player controls squads, finances, and long-term strategy off the pitch.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) The traditional player career mode starts at club level in the created player's hometown, with per-match objectives that determine selection and open the path to international level and leagues such as the PSL.[2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game)
The expanded Ashes Mode adds cutscenes, pre-match press conferences, and between-match management activities and interviews that boost match confidence.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) • [9](https://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2025/11/review-cricket-26-sony-playstation-5.html) Pro Team returns with the Centurion Multiplayer mode, in which a player-created team competes against 99 others to score the most runs, with the 25 lowest-scoring teams eliminated after each over.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) • [2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) The Academy creation tools return for designing players, teams, and stadia.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown)
Licensing covers the Ashes, The Hundred, the [Caribbean Premier League](https://www.edgepedia.org/caribbean-premier-league), Cricket Ireland, the [West Indies](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-indies), Pakistan with the PSL, and fully licensed Indian T20 teams with accurate IPL team names, rosters, and uniforms.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown) • [2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) The Board of Control for Cricket in India is not part of the game, so the default India national team uses fictional character models, uniforms, and names; community-created teams fill the gap.[2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game)
## Technical state and patches
The launch was troubled. Reviewers reported repeated crashes, including a match between the [Mumbai Indians](https://www.edgepedia.org/mumbai-indians) and the [Delhi Capitals](https://www.edgepedia.org/delhi-capitals) that crashed at the change of innings and again on each reload, and a test match that crashed before a ball was bowled.[7](https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/cricket-26-review-013847719.html) Dawn's reviewer encountered a game-breaking bug in which the bowler and several fielders froze in place while the ball moved.[2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) Big Ant shipped a 20 GB day-one patch on PS5 and four PS5 patches in the first week after launch, and continued patching afterward, with a March 2026 update changing stamina, confidence, and animations.[6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review) • [7](https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/cricket-26-review-013847719.html) • [10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcq_oHSOkaI)
## Reception
Critical reception was mixed to positive, with reviewers agreeing that the on-field core is a clear step up from Cricket 24 while the technical state holds the game back. IGN's Tristan Ogilvie, a games reviewer for the outlet, called the core gameplay far ahead of previous entries but found the crashes the biggest problem after 20 hours on PS5.[7](https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/cricket-26-review-013847719.html) • [11](https://www.absolutegeeks.com/reviews/cricket-26-review-the-best-cricket-action-yet-held-back-by-chaos/) Dawn scored it 4.5/7, calling it a solid all-round offering for hardcore cricket fans, with superb player likenesses and top-notch batting and bowling animations offset by poor tutorialisation and immersion-breaking fielding bugs.[2](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game) NoobFeed scored it 78, praising realistic batting, a wide range of bowling choices, and better fielding mechanics, while noting inconsistent IPL player faces.[6](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review)
**Compared with Cricket 24**, opinion among players divides on whether it justifies an upgrade. A feature comparison lists a new Management Career Mode, expanded Ashes Mode with cutscenes, 300+ licensed players, batting with aftertouch, photogrammetry-redesigned player models, and improved context-aware commentary.[5](https://cricket26.com/) Some Steam reviewers called it a continuation of the same gameplay and engine at a price of 4,400 INR, and one comparison site's head-to-head metric gave the win to Cricket 24.[12](https://steamcommunity.com/app/3468650/reviews/?browsefilter=toprated) • [13](https://gamevalio.com/compare/cricket-24-vs-cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes)
## References
1. [Nacon and Big Ant Studios Announce Cricket 26 – The ultimate showdown!, ECB](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4378889/nacon-and-big-ant-studios-announce-cricket-26--the-ultimate-showdown)
2. [Game Review — With the T20 World Cup nearing its end, Cricket 26 is a fun way to stay in the game, Dawn (Mikail Ahmed Shaikh, 27 February 2026)](https://www.dawn.com/news/1975687/game-review-with-the-t20-world-cup-nearing-its-end-cricket-26-is-a-fun-way-to-stay-in-the-game)
3. [Five hours in, Cricket 26 is a buggy affair with tiny sparks of brilliance, Story Mode](https://storymode.info/features/previews/big-ant-studios-cricket-26-first-impressions/)
4. [Cricket 26 EULA, Steam](https://store.steampowered.com//eula/3468650_eula_0)
5. [Cricket 26 vs Cricket 24 comparison, Cricket26.com](https://cricket26.com/)
6. [Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes Review, NoobFeed (Mahi Araf, 21 November 2025)](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes-review)
7. [Cricket 26 Review, IGN via Yahoo Tech (Tristan Ogilvie, 26 November 2025)](https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/cricket-26-review-013847719.html)
8. [Cricket 26 Review: Mechanical Brilliance Undercut by Technical Debt, Gazettely](https://gazettely.com/2025/11/games/cricket-26-review/)
9. [Review: Cricket 26 (Sony PlayStation 5), Digitally Downloaded (Matt S., 24 November 2025)](https://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2025/11/review-cricket-26-sony-playstation-5.html)
10. [Cricket 26 Latest Patch Update – 5 March 2026, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcq_oHSOkaI)
11. [Cricket 26 review: the best cricket action yet, held back by chaos, Absolute Geeks](https://www.absolutegeeks.com/reviews/cricket-26-review-the-best-cricket-action-yet-held-back-by-chaos/)
12. [Cricket 26 Steam community reviews](https://steamcommunity.com/app/3468650/reviews/?browsefilter=toprated)
13. [Cricket 24 vs Cricket 26 comparison, Gamevalio](https://gamevalio.com/compare/cricket-24-vs-cricket-26-the-official-game-of-the-ashes)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual PC and computer-platform game titles › Sports and fighting titles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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