Big Ant Studios, in collaboration with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has announced Cricket 19 – The Official Game of the Ashes, which will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in May 2019, with an exact release date still TBC. A PC/Steam version will follow shortly after.
Building on the fan-favourite, Ashes Cricket, Cricket 19 will feature all formats of the international game, both men’s and women’s teams, and all host venues, including the Specsavers Ashes, fully licensed for both England and Australia.
Deep enhancements to the AI engine mean that the opposition is more realistic than ever before. When bowling, the AI will suss out your player and team’s weaknesses, and target that with a concentrated bowling strategy. When batting, the AI will rotate the strike to protect weaker players, and actively look for gaps in the field.
New features to be added to Cricket 19 include a scenario mode, which allows players to recreate the greatest matches in history, and then share them online to challenge other players to achieve difficult run-chases, or play out a draw from a disastrous situation. Enhancements to the career mode build a story around your player; how you look in the news headlines affects your potential career trajectory.
Big Ant CEO, Ross Symons, said:
“We have the most active and passionate community. Many of our players logged thousands of hours with our previous cricket titles, and Cricket 19 is very much built on the experience of those players. Whether you’re looking to enjoy a 20-year cricket career that takes you from the club level to captaining the national team, re-create an ODI or IT20 series or take part in the Ashes, or just bash some balls around with friends, Cricket 19 has you covered.”
