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Fan Index Reveals: The MOST Popular Gaming Character of ALL TIME

Published

5 years ago

February 4, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The most popular gaming character is Mario, receiving a whopping 451 points from the fan index
In second place is Sonic the Hedgehog with 394 points, receiving a staggering 59,700,700 Google searches in the last year
Legend of Zelda’s Link lands third place with 377 points, holding the largest number of Reddit mentions
The least popular gaming character is Jack from BioShock with just 48 points!

We’ve spent a lot of time at home, getting to know our favourite video games more than ever before, falling even more in love with a whole range of gaming characters. However, there is plenty of debate about which characters are the nations’ favourite!

With this in mind, experts at Stashbird.com wanted to discover the most popular gaming characters of all time from the best-selling video game franchises*. To thoroughly investigate, Stashbird.com created a gaming fans’ index by analysing the following factors:

Sales of the franchise
Average worldwide searches over the past year
Number of hashtags on Instagram
Number of Reddit mentions
Gamers’ popularity score (survey)

The top 10 most popular characters

Stashbird.com can reveal that in first place, and crowned the most popular gaming character, is Mario with a massive 451 fan index points!

Mario ranked first for franchise sales with a staggering 653,000,000 worldwide copies of Mario games sold, bagging him an easy 100 points. The fun-loving character also ranked sixth for average worldwide searches with 4,606,547 (86 points) in the past year alone! Despite these results, Mario only ranked 10th for popularity, with 45% of gamers choosing him as their ultimate favourite.

Not far behind in second place is Sonic the Hedgehog with 394 points. The extraterrestrial hedgehog ranked second for worldwide searches (59,700,000), giving him 97 points! He was voted the favourite by only 21% of gamers surveyed, however bagged himself 91 points for his 94,300 Reddit mentions.

Link from The Legend of Zelda places third, accumulating 377 points! It is no surprise as the star of the Nintendo series to have ranked top for Reddit mentions (3,920,000) and popularity score (74%), receiving 100 points for both! Interestingly, he ranked lower down for search volumes, with 1,196,200 average searches over the past year.

At number four is Donkey Kong with 354 points, scoring high with 3,930,000 yearly average searches (83 points), 570,000 Instagram hashtags (77 points) and 26,400 Reddit mentions (80 points).

To complete the 10 most popular gaming characters, the results are as follows:
5. Master Chief (Halo) 323 points, Crash (Crash Bandicoot) 323 points, Sora (Kingdom Hearts) 323 points
6. Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy) 314 points
7. Pac-Man (Pac-Man) 308 points
8. Kirby (Kirby) 306 points
9. Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) 294 points

Closing the top 10 is Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, star of four of the Assassin’s Creed games, with 291 points!

Just making the bottom 10 is Joel Miller, ranking 25th out of a possible 34 places, from the Last of Us. This is not surprising as the franchise only scored 14 points for its 24 million sales. He also scored low on Reddit searches, receiving just 29 points for his 1,670 mentions.

John Marston from Red Dead Redemption and Simon Belmont from Castlevania were both among the least popular with 94 and 74 points, respectively.

Bioshock’s Jack rounds off the bottom 10 list with measly 48 points – a staggering 403 points less than first place contender Mario.

Methodology
1. *Stashbird.com analysed the list of best-selling video game franchises that have sold at least 20 million copies and pulled the most popular/recognised character from each to compile the list of 36 most popular gaming characters of all time.
2. The team then created an index looking at several factors, including sales of the franchise, search volumes using SemRush, the number of Instagram hashtags per character and the number of mentions on Reddit.
3. Finally, to complete the index Stashbird.com surveyed 4,567 gamers worldwide to ask them to vote for their favourite from the list to give each character a popularity score.
4. Games where there is no playable main character were excluded from the list.
5. Stashbird normalised the data by using the PERCENTRANK.INC function in Excel. This function returns the rank of a value in a data set as a percentage of the data set between 0 and 1. These values were then multiplied by 100 to make the range between 0 and 100. The maximum score a character could receive was 500.This enabled the team to rank the 36 characters from most to least popular based on their total points. The data was collected on 29/02/2021 and is correct as of then.

B2B iGaming

Logifuture Joins Forces with BetConstruct AI to Expand Virtual Sports

Published

8 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

logifuture-joins-forces-with-betconstruct-ai-to-expand-virtual-sports

Logifuture, a leading B2B provider of virtual sports and instant gaming solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with BetConstruct AI, a global iGaming platform powering hundreds of operators worldwide. This collaboration integrates Logifuture’s flagship products, Zoom Sports and Simulate, into BetConstruct AI’s platform, significantly expanding access to innovative engagement tools for operators.

Expanding Global Reach

The partnership enables operators to offer next-generation virtual sports and instant betting solutions, enhancing player activity and generating incremental revenue.

Zoom Sports delivers ultra-realistic virtual football and tennis events in both full-length and turbo formats, offering thousands of daily betting opportunities.
Simulate allows players to instantly simulate the outcome of betslips, removing waiting times and creating immediate engagement.

These tools extend player retention, increase betting activity beyond live events, and create cross-sell opportunities across the BetConstruct AI network.

Innovation at the Core

Both Logifuture and BetConstruct AI prioritize innovation and product differentiation, helping operators stand out in a highly competitive market.

Niccolò Cassettari, Chief Business Development Officer at Logifuture, commented:
“Partnering with BetConstruct AI is a major step forward. Their global reach makes them the ideal partner to scale Zoom Sports and Simulate worldwide. This collaboration is just the beginning of a long-term partnership to deliver new experiences and stronger operator performance.”

Looking Ahead

The partnership will focus on expanding distribution, delivering new gaming experiences, and introducing innovative products to keep players engaged while helping operators grow revenue worldwide.

The post Logifuture Joins Forces with BetConstruct AI to Expand Virtual Sports appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

automated payouts

Infingame Launches Enhanced Tournaments and Challenges for Player Retention

Published

8 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

infingame-launches-enhanced-tournaments-and-challenges-for-player-retention

Infingame, a leading game aggregator, has rolled out major upgrades to its Tournaments and Challenges promotional tools, offering operators advanced ways to engage and retain players.

Instead of introducing new products, Infingame focused on refining its most popular gamification features, enhancing flexibility, performance, and campaign management. These improvements cater to operators increasingly prioritizing long-term player engagement over acquisition.

Enhanced Competitive Tournaments

Infingame’s Tournaments tool transforms regular gameplay into competitive experiences, boosting interaction through real-time progression. Optimized for web and mobile, the tool now allows operators to:

Customize tournaments with brand-specific banners
Segment players for whitelist participation
Add timed promotions like Happy Hours
Select from five tournament formats: bet race, win race, multiplier race, highest multiplier, and highest win

The updated reward system supports monetary and non-monetary prizes, free spins, optional wagering requirements, and automated payouts, reducing operational workload while maintaining campaign flexibility.

Challenges for Mission-Based Engagement

The Challenges tool guides player activity with structured tasks and rewards, creating mission-based engagement journeys. The upgrade enhances flexibility and precision, supporting:

Short-term promotional boosts
Recurring engagement strategies
Daily and long-term challenges for consistent player activity

This approach helps operators sustain engagement across the entire player lifecycle, creating meaningful, repeatable experiences.

Operator-Driven Development

Jana Filagina, Head of Commercial at Infingame, commented:
“The goal wasn’t to reinvent Tournaments and Challenges but to make them more powerful and user-friendly. Operators need tools that drive engagement continuously while keeping operational complexity low.”

Fully integrated into Infingame’s aggregation platform, the updated tools can be deployed instantly across thousands of games via a single API, enabling a unified ecosystem where content, analytics, and engagement mechanics work seamlessly together.

The upgrades reflect a broader industry trend toward gamified, retention-focused strategies, helping operators maximize player activity while simplifying management.

The post Infingame Launches Enhanced Tournaments and Challenges for Player Retention appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Canadian iGaming market

Hugo Casino Teams Up with CasinoCanada to Expand in Canada

Published

9 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

hugo-casino-teams-up-with-casinocanada-to-expand-in-canada

Hugo Casino, a popular online gaming platform operated by Kawaii Partners, has officially partnered with CasinoCanada.com to strengthen its presence in the Canadian market. The collaboration will focus on editorial coverage, analytical reviews, and SEO-optimized content tailored for Canadian players.

Under this partnership, CasinoCanada will produce detailed reviews, comparison guides, and data-driven insights, aimed at delivering transparent, research-based evaluations of Hugo Casino’s platform. The content strategy is designed to attract high-quality, search-driven traffic, helping players make informed decisions while enhancing Hugo Casino’s digital visibility.

Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at SEOBROTHERS, which operates CasinoCanada, commented:
“Partnering with Hugo Casino aligns with our strategy of working with operators who prioritize compliance, security, and quality user experiences. Hugo Casino has a strong operational foundation and clear product vision. Our goal is to provide objective, data-driven content that drives sustainable long-term traffic and measurable results.”

Hugo Casino operates under a Curacao license and offers a wide portfolio of online entertainment, including slots, table games, and a fully immersive Live Casino. Security is a priority, with advanced encryption safeguarding players’ personal and financial information. Customer support is available 24/7 via Live Chat and email.

Players can access over 10,000 casino games, featuring top titles from leading providers such as Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, and Yggdrasil. Hugo Casino supports 10 fiat payment options and 12 cryptocurrencies, making deposits and withdrawals simple and convenient.

Kawaii Partners, launched in 2023, also operates Spinzen Casino, expanding its portfolio in the online gaming and affiliate marketing space.

This partnership with CasinoCanada highlights Hugo Casino’s commitment to transparency, high-quality content, and a growing Canadian audience.

The post Hugo Casino Teams Up with CasinoCanada to Expand in Canada appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.