In the long tradition of sport finding its mirror in simulation, Big Ant Studios brings cricket into the next-generation console era with Cricket 22, a title that has already been shaped by forces beyond the boundary — a technical delay, a captain's disgrace, and a quiet reckoning with how the women's game deserves equal standing. Releasing December 2 across most major platforms, the game arrives timed to the Ashes, carrying new faces on its cover and new ambitions in its code. It is, in its way, a small record of where cricket — and the culture around it — stands at the close of 2021.
Cricket 22 Delayed to December 2, Launches Across Next-Gen Consoles
Built from the ground up with next-generation hardware in mind
Mark
Why did Big Ant push the release back a week? That's unusual this close to launch.
Mimi
They needed a critical patch ready for day one—something players would need to experience the full game. Ross Symons, the CEO, was direct about it. Both physical and digital copies got delayed together.
Luke
Do we know what the patch actually fixes? That's vague language.
Mimi
The source doesn't specify. We know it was critical enough to justify the delay, but the actual technical issue isn't detailed.
Mark
And the Tim Paine situation—how much did that complicate things?
Mimi
It forced them to redo the cover art, other visuals, and team rosters. Paine was the original cover athlete until he resigned after those 2017 messages came to light.
Luke
So the delay was partly about the patch, partly about redoing assets. Those are two separate problems.
Mimi
Right. The patch was the stated reason for the week's delay, but the Paine situation meant they were already doing significant rework.
Mark
What makes this game different from previous Cricket titles?
Mimi
It's the first on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. They've rebuilt the bowling and fielding controls, added a story-driven career mode, brought in new commentators including women's voices, and improved tutorials for new players.
Luke
But we won't know how well any of that actually works until reviews come out on December 2.
Mimi
Correct. There's no review embargo, so we'll see the critical response when the game launches.
Le Pouls
- A last-minute critical patch forced Big Ant to push the release from November 25 to December 2, briefly pulling the game from storefronts and disrupting pre-orders worldwide.
- The cover art had to be scrapped and rebuilt after Tim Paine resigned as Australia's men's captain amid a sexting scandal, replacing him with Pat Cummins and Meg Lanning.
- The studio is staking its reputation on next-gen hardware for the first time, promising enhanced graphics, overhauled controls, and a story-driven career mode built from player feedback.
- Women's cricket receives dedicated commentary and equal gameplay depth — a deliberate statement of parity that the studio is actively emphasizing as a feature, not an afterthought.
- Indian players can pre-order at Rs. 3,999, with Steam offering early access at Rs. 2,999, though that version is explicitly flagged as incomplete — a tension between access and readiness.
In the long tradition of sport finding its mirror in simulation, Big Ant Studios brings cricket into the next-generation console era with Cricket 22, a title that has already been shaped by forces beyond the boundary — a technical delay, a captain's disgrace, and a quiet reckoning with how the women's game deserves equal standing. Releasing December 2 across most major platforms, the game arrives timed to the Ashes, carrying new faces on its cover and new ambitions in its code. It is, in its way, a small record of where cricket — and the culture around it — stands at the close of 2021.
Big Ant Studios is bringing cricket simulation to next-generation consoles for the first time with Cricket 22, though the road to release has been anything but smooth. Originally set for November 25, the game was pushed to December 2 after a critical day-one patch proved necessary for the full experience to function as intended — a delay that temporarily removed it from the PlayStation Store and affected pre-orders across multiple platforms. The Nintendo Switch version won't arrive until January 2022.
The game's cover tells its own story. Tim Paine, Australia's men's captain at the time of development, was removed from the artwork after he resigned following revelations of explicit messages sent to a female colleague in 2017. Big Ant had to rebuild the cover, visuals, and rosters around new captains Pat Cummins and Meg Lanning — a disruption that added pressure to an already complicated launch.
The title carries the official Ashes branding, timed to the biennial Australia-England test series. Gameplay improvements draw directly from player feedback on Cricket 19, with refined bowling and fielding controls, a story-driven career mode covering training, injuries, and press conferences, and an expanded commentary team that includes dedicated women's cricket voices in Mel Jones and Alison Mitchell. The studio has been explicit that the women's game receives the same depth of treatment as the men's.
In India, the game is priced at Rs. 3,999, with Steam pre-orders available at Rs. 2,999 for early access — though that version is noted as incomplete. Pre-orders include training mini-games and online leaderboard access. No review embargo has been announced, meaning critical coverage should emerge around the December 2 launch date.
Big Ant Studios is bringing its cricket simulation franchise to next-generation consoles for the first time with Cricket 22, a game that has already weathered one significant delay and a cover art overhaul before it even reaches players' hands.
Originally scheduled to launch on November 25, the game will now arrive on December 2 at 12:01 a.m. in your local time zone across PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and X, and Nintendo Switch—though the Switch version won't arrive until January 2022. Big Ant CEO Ross Symons explained the postponement plainly: a critical day-one patch was necessary for players to experience the full game as intended, and both physical and digital copies needed the extra time. The delay affected pre-orders across multiple storefronts, including the PlayStation Store, where the game was temporarily delisted.
The timing aligns with cricket's Ashes series, the biennial test competition between Australia and England scheduled for Australia this year, which is why the game carries the official title Cricket 22: The Official Game of The Ashes. The cover features Pat Cummins and Meg Lanning, captains of Australia's men's and women's teams respectively. This wasn't the original plan. Tim Paine, the former men's captain, was replaced after he resigned from his position following revelations that he had sent explicit messages to a female colleague in 2017. Big Ant Studios had to redevelop the cover art, accompanying visuals, and team rosters as a result.
The studio describes Cricket 22 as its most detailed cricket simulation to date, built from the ground up with next-generation hardware in mind. The gameplay improvements reflect direct feedback from the franchise's existing player base. New bowling and fielding controls refine what fans experienced in Cricket 19. A story-driven career mode gives players authority over training decisions, injury management, press conferences, and other off-field elements. The commentary team has been expanded to include Michael Atherton, Ian Healy, Mel Jones, Alison Mitchell, and David Gower, with Jones and Mitchell anchoring dedicated women's cricket commentary—a parity the studio emphasizes extends to the women's game receiving the same depth of treatment as the men's.
Accessibility has been prioritized through revamped tutorials designed to welcome first-time cricket players. The Nintendo Switch version will feature adjusted gameplay to account for the handheld's different capabilities, while PS5 and Xbox Series S/X versions are expected to showcase enhanced graphics befitting the newer hardware. PC players will need at least an AMD Ryzen 3 or Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 45GB of storage space for minimum specs; the recommended setup calls for a Ryzen 5 or Core i5, 16GB of RAM, and a more powerful GPU.
In India, Cricket 22 is priced at Rs. 3,999 across platforms, with international pricing set at AUD 99.95 (approximately Rs. 5,350). Pre-orders come with Cricket 22 Nets Training, batting and bowling mini-games, and access to online leaderboards. Steam offers early access through pre-order at Rs. 2,999, though the early access version carries a note that it remains incomplete. Physical copies can be pre-ordered in India through Game Loot, Games The Shop, and Prepaid Game Card. Only Xbox has announced preload availability so far, though preloading won't grant early access to the game itself.
Big Ant Studios has not announced a review embargo, meaning critical assessments should begin appearing around the December 2 release date. The game's arrival marks a significant moment for cricket gaming on current-generation consoles, particularly for the Switch, where major sports titles remain relatively scarce.
Citations marquantes
There was a critical day one patch that players will need to enjoy the full Cricket 22 experience that has consequently needed to be revoked.— Ross Symons, Big Ant Studios CEO, on the delay
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur Gadgets 360 ↗
Media & Entertainment