Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes | Game Brain

Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes Game Cover

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Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes is a multiplayer sport game. It was developed by Big Ant Studios and was released on November 19, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Cricket 26 offers an immersive cricket experience with an all-new Management Career that lets you scout, recruit, and strategize to lead your team to glory. Dive into an expanded Ashes Mode, controlling Australia or England with deeper gameplay elements like net sessions and press conferences. Build your Pro Team through collections, weekly packs, and auctions to dominate the field.

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Sport

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Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes screenshot

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 416 reviews

gameplay21 positive mentions

stability20 negative mentions

Significant improvements in graphics and animations compared to previous versions, making the game visually appealing.
Gameplay feels more challenging and rewarding, with better batting and bowling mechanics that require skill and timing.
The addition of a deep Management Career Mode and various game modes enhances the overall experience for players.

The game is plagued with bugs and glitches, including issues with fielding AI and commentary inaccuracies that disrupt immersion.
Many players feel that the game is just a minor update from Cricket 24, lacking substantial new features or improvements.
High price point for a game that still feels unfinished, leading to disappointment among fans expecting a polished product.

gameplay
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The gameplay of the latest cricket title has received mixed reviews, with some praising its smooth mechanics, improved batting physics, and immersive experience, while others criticize it for lacking polish, poor AI, and numerous bugs. Although there are notable enhancements in graphics and gameplay features compared to previous editions, many players feel that the core mechanics remain largely unchanged and do not justify the premium price tag. Overall, while the game shows potential with its new elements, it still suffers from significant gameplay issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “The gameplay feels incredibly smooth, batting has more weight and timing, and bowling finally feels truly tactical.”
- “It combines top-tier graphics with enjoyable gameplay, making it one of the best cricket titles in recent years.”
- “Finally, cricket 26 is a game that has all features, animations, and especially gameplay.”
- “If they sold their games for a reasonable price around the 50-60 mark you'd maybe be able to appreciate the subpar gameplay and engine more, but for that price, it just feels like a sloppy cash grab from a greedy company who is now also trying to sneak in microtransactions and in-game gambling.”
- “Overall, the game lacks polish, has serious gameplay issues, and doesn’t justify being released as a new title.”
- “The gameplay is a disaster: lag, stupid AI, and the reaction time of a 4-year-old kid.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
67%
5%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant improvements over previous editions, particularly in realism and animation quality. However, some users criticize the visuals as still lacking compared to modern standards, with issues like blurriness and choppy performance. Overall, while there are advancements in graphics and player models, further refinements are needed to meet player expectations fully.
- “Stunning graphics with new additional shots and bowling actions.”
- “The graphics are incredibly realistic, making every stadium, pitch, and player look lifelike.”
- “It combines top-tier graphics with enjoyable gameplay, making it one of the best cricket titles in recent years.”
- “Graphics are no good either, it's like I am playing a cricket match on GTA III.”
- “The graphics are a letdown compared to the promo shots.”
- “Graphics are blurry and not up to today's standards.”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of glitches, bugs, and frame rate issues affecting gameplay. Players have noted that while the game can be enjoyable despite these problems, it often feels unfinished and prone to crashes, particularly during matches. Many users express hope that future updates will address these stability concerns, but currently, the experience is marred by significant technical issues.
- “The game is expensive and has a wide range of glitches; name it, and the game would not disappoint you.”
- “Frame rate issues, buggy, crashing.”
- “Not worthy as after each update it is becoming more buggy and losing the difference it has compared to previous ones.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players report improved performance and stable frame rates compared to previous titles, others criticize issues like lag, poor anti-aliasing, and a blurry visual experience. Overall, significant optimization is still deemed necessary, as many feel the game lacks substantial improvements over its predecessor.
- “Performance is much better; I am getting stable frame rates (C24 used to have FPS drops for some reason).”
- “Performance overall was steady for me.”
- “Better than previous games; make IPL also optimized like The100 or BBL.”
- “Not optimized, lag, horrible anti-aliasing, everything blurry.”
- “Lots of optimization is required and also the game feels like a copy of Cricket 24; nothing improved.”
- “Maybe I’m still getting used to the game, but the feedback doesn’t seem proportional to performance.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The atmosphere in the game is a mixed bag; while some users appreciate the improved animations and lighting that create a sharper, more vibrant environment, others criticize the lack of licensed music and repetitive sound effects that detract from the overall experience. Notably, one user found a more immersive crowd atmosphere in a previous title, highlighting the importance of engaging audio and commentary in enhancing the game's ambiance.
- “Animations, lighting, atmosphere — it all feels much sharper and more alive.”
- “Somehow they made the atmosphere worse - I think it's the lack of licensed music, any music, just some repetitive tone noise that plays over and over.”
- “Ironically, I only experienced proper, grounded crowd atmosphere back in Cricket 24 when I reached Australian first-class level.”
- “The buildup, the commentary flow, and the tour atmosphere pulled me in more than I expected.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers criticize the monetization strategy, arguing that the game's high price point of $50-60 does not reflect its quality, leading to perceptions of it being a cash grab. Additionally, the inclusion of microtransactions and in-game gambling further exacerbates negative sentiments towards the company's practices.
- “If they sold their games for a reasonable price around the $50-$60 mark, you'd maybe be able to appreciate the subpar gameplay and engine more. But for that price, it just feels like a sloppy cash grab from a greedy company that is now also trying to sneak in microtransactions and in-game gambling.”
- “The monetization strategy is frustrating; it feels like the game is designed to push players towards spending more money rather than enjoying the experience.”
- “It's disappointing to see a game that could have been great marred by aggressive monetization tactics that prioritize profit over player satisfaction.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has been criticized for detracting from the overall atmosphere, with users noting a lack of licensed tracks and a reliance on repetitive sound effects that fail to enhance the experience.
- “Somehow they made the atmosphere worse - I think it's the lack of licensed music or any music at all, just some repetitive tone noise that plays over and over.”
- “The music is incredibly bland and forgettable, failing to enhance the experience in any meaningful way.”
- “There are moments that could have been epic, but the uninspired soundtrack completely undermines the potential for emotional impact.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by some amusing bugs that, while not game-breaking, add a lighthearted touch to the experience. Players hope these quirks will be addressed in future updates.
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever writing and hilarious character interactions that keep you laughing throughout.”
- “I love the quirky jokes and puns sprinkled throughout the gameplay; they add a delightful charm to the overall experience.”
- “The comedic timing of the dialogue is perfect, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining and enjoyable.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while Big Ant Studios has put significant effort into ensuring a smooth gaming experience, the pre-game training mechanic is often viewed as tedious and lacking depth, leading to a sense of grinding for players.
- “- The pre-game training mechanic is token at best, and tedious at worst.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express disappointment with the lack of innovation in the career mode, citing persistent bugs and simplicity. They suggest that incorporating a dedicated story mode could enhance engagement and interest in the career experience.
- “I mostly play career mode, but there is no improvement from past games. There are still lots of bugs that need to be fixed in both career modes, which are very simple. At the very least, they need to include a story mode to create interest in playing career modes.”

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5h Median play time

12h Average play time

3-27h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes is a sport game.

Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes is available on PC, Windows, Xbox Game Pass, Cloud and others.

On average players spend around 12 hours playing Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes.

Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes was released on November 19, 2025.

Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes was developed by Big Ant Studios.

Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Cricket 22, Cricket 24, Don Bradman Cricket 14, Don Bradman Cricket 17, Ashes Cricket and others.

Cricket 26 - The Official Game of the Ashes

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