Gaming
The world’s favourite gaming franchises – Animal Crossing is officially UK’s #1
New research from Casino.org has taken a deep dive into total sales, critic ratings, search volume and Twitch views to discover the world’s – and every country’s – most-loved gaming franchise.
Animal Crossing is officially revealed as the UK’s favourite gaming franchise.
|
Rank |
Franchise |
Average franchise critic score |
Total sales of base games |
Annual Worldwide Franchise Google Search Data |
Franchise Lifetime Peak Viewers on Twitch |
Most Loved Franchise Score /10 |
|
1 |
Super Mario |
88.2% |
299,475,000 |
39,936,900 |
2,926,742 |
8.15 |
|
2 |
Call of Duty |
84.5% |
301,460,000 |
88,361,000 |
1,623,046 |
8.09 |
|
3 |
Grand Theft Auto |
90.1% |
193,500,000 |
31,787,020 |
1,020,005 |
5.84 |
|
4 |
The Legend of Zelda |
89.2% |
93,100,000 |
18,513,800 |
2,431,115 |
5.73 |
|
5 |
Assassin’s Creed |
80.8% |
93,000,000 |
89,036,300 |
721,736 |
5.50 |
|
6 |
Mario Kart |
87.0% |
177,860,000 |
13,322,600 |
1,361,952 |
5.24 |
|
7 |
Pokémon |
85.8% |
187,760,000 |
15,220,200 |
1,257,588 |
5.18 |
|
8 |
The Last of Us |
94.0% |
24,000,000 |
55,619,000 |
631,357 |
5.17 |
|
9 |
Animal Crossing |
84.8% |
62,550,000 |
78,359,700 |
284,906 |
5.00 |
|
10 |
Sonic the Hedgehog |
76.5% |
61,420,000 |
41,571,900 |
1,907,064 |
4.60 |
-
After being around for 35 years, Super Mario is ranked the world’s most loved franchise with nearly 3 million Twitch views and 300 million sales!
-
Starting in 2003, Call of Duty has seen the highest total sales of all the franchises- over 301.46 million games sold, however it just falls behind in Twitch views and average critic score earning it second place in the world’s most loved games.
-
Taking the third spot is Grand Theft Auto with one of the highest critic scores but much lower sales than the top two franchises.
Animal Crossing is the most searched franchise in the UK
While Call Of Duty has been searched for by the most number of countries (29), Animal Crossing emerges as the favourite for 24 countries – including the UK, US and Australia.
|
Most Searched Franchise |
Number of Countries |
|
Call of Duty |
29 |
|
Animal Crossing |
24 |
|
The Witcher |
8 |
|
The Last of Us |
6 |
|
Super Mario |
3 |
|
Sonic the Hedgehog |
3 |
|
Assassin’s Creed |
1 |
|
Diablo |
1 |
You can see the results of the research by clicking here.
Methodology:
Video game franchises were taken from the list of best-selling video game franchises from Wikipedia with spin-offs and remakes excluded.
The critical reception score for each game was sourced from Metacritic, with the exception of some older games which were released prior to Metacritic’s existence, which reflect scores from now-defunct GameRankings (which has since been incorporated into Metacritic).
For the total sales of the base games of each franchise, sales data was taken from the list of best selling game franchises on the Video Game Sales Wiki page.
Google Keyword planner found the number of global searches for each base game from March 2020 to February 2021.
Franchise lifetime peak viewers on Twitch was sourced from each games’ category page on TwitchTracker.
To discover each country’s favorite franchise, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer tool was used to collect the monthly average search volume for the last twelve months for the 75 countries where data was available.
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Casino Content
R. Franco Digital launches Crash Raiders grid-based crash game
R. Franco Digital has launched Crash Raiders, a new crash-style game that uses a grid format instead of traditional reels and paylines.
In Crash Raiders, players move across a grid to uncover prizes while avoiding traps that end the run. Each successful step increases the prize pot, and players can choose to cash out at any point or continue for a higher return.
The game includes four modes. Normal Mode lets players customise grid size, prizes and traps. Turbo Mode uses pre-selected routes for faster play, while Mystery and Mystery Turbo Modes apply full randomness to routes and outcomes.
Crash Raiders also adds an Extra Life mechanic that allows a player to revive once per game after hitting a trap, keeping accumulated winnings in play.
Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital, said: “With Crash Raiders, we set out to create a highly engaging hybrid experience that blends strategy with high volatility gameplay. By giving players control over risk and path selection, we deliver a dynamic format that captures the excitement of every decision.”
The post R. Franco Digital launches Crash Raiders grid-based crash game appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Belgium
Epic Games and BLAST bring 2026 Fortnite Global Championship to Antwerp
Epic Games and BLAST will host the 2026 Fortnite Global Championship in Antwerp, Belgium, on September 26-27, marking the FNCS season finale at Lotto Arena.
Epic and BLAST said the event brings the Fortnite competitive circuit and BLAST to Antwerp for the first time. The announcement was made at the Fortnite Major 1 Summit in Düsseldorf, Germany.
A $2,000,000 USD prize pool will be at stake, alongside the FNCS Global Championship trophy crafted by silverware artisan Thomas Lyte.
Epic and BLAST positioned Antwerp—located in the Benelux region—as a travel-friendly destination for fans coming from Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany. Ticket information is available via the venue listing.
The post Epic Games and BLAST bring 2026 Fortnite Global Championship to Antwerp appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Crash Games
Evoplay launches Caramelo Dog Lucky Run crash game for Brazil
Evoplay has launched Caramelo Dog Lucky Run, a new crash-style instant win game themed around Brazilian street culture and the widely recognised “Caramelo Dog” reference.
The title follows Taco, a dog navigating a neighbourhood filled with obstacles. Players move step by step across roads as the multiplier increases, choosing to cash out or keep going.
Evoplay said the game uses randomised obstacle patterns so each round plays differently. Players can choose between four difficulty settings — Easy, Medium, Hard, and Hardcore — with higher difficulty increasing obstacle intensity and the multiplier.
Caramelo Dog Lucky Run also includes a cash-out function that can be triggered after Taco safely stops, plus customisable autoplay settings for stake preferences and stop conditions.
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: “Caramelo Dog Lucky Run brings a completely fresh personality to our portfolio through its vibrant Brazilian-inspired setting and charming main character.
“Players in Brazil need games that feel familiar, authentic and culturally connected to them. When a player recognises something that reflects their everyday life and online culture, it creates a far deeper level of engagement than entertainment alone, and that is exactly what Caramelo does in this game.”
The post Evoplay launches Caramelo Dog Lucky Run crash game for Brazil appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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