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

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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.

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Basketball Federation of Ukraine

GGBET UA and FBU Host “Media Slam”: A Landmark Open Media Event for Ukrainian Basketball

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In a historic move for Ukrainian sports, the Basketball Federation of Ukraine (FBU) and title sponsor GGBET UA recently hosted Media Slam in Kyiv. This inaugural open media event served as a high-level forum to analyze the regular season results of the GGBET SuperLeague and the recent performances of Ukraine’s men’s and women’s national teams.

Since becoming the league’s title sponsor in January 2026, GGBET UA has prioritized transparency and engagement. The event highlighted a significant milestone: the return of fans to stadiums despite the ongoing challenges of martial law, signaling a resilient recovery for the domestic game.

Highlights and Recognition

The “Media Slam” wasn’t just about statistics; it was a celebration of the sport’s current momentum:

  • MVP Honors: The regular season’s top five players were officially recognized for their outstanding contributions.

  • Kyiv-Basket Victory: The Ukrainian Cup winners received a formal check in honor of their championship win.

  • Market Discussion: Stakeholders engaged in a candid dialogue regarding the increasing competitiveness of the league.

Sergii Mishchenko, CEO of GGBET UA, commented:

“We didn’t get involved in Ukrainian basketball just to have our logo on a banner. This is a systematic approach. We see the increasing interest in basketball and want to be a part of that growth. The tougher the competition, the stronger Ukrainian basketball becomes.”

A Strategic Expansion

Basketball marks a major pillar in GGBET UA’s diversifying sports portfolio. Following high-profile partnerships with FC Dynamo Kyiv, FC Polissya Zhytomyr, and the Usyk vs. Dubois 2 rematch, the brand is now cementing its status as a cornerstone of the Ukrainian basketball ecosystem.

The post GGBET UA and FBU Host “Media Slam”: A Landmark Open Media Event for Ukrainian Basketball appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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BiS Awards 2026

EGT and EGT Digital have been honored with the Best VLT Solution prize at the BiS Awards 2026

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EGT, in collaboration with EGT Digital, has been distinguished for their joint video lottery product for Brazil at the prestigious BiS Awards 2026, highlighting excellence in the country’s rapidly growing gaming and betting industry. The companies took the accolade in the Best VLT Solution category at an official ceremony held on April 7 in Sao Paulo as part of the BiS SiGMA South America event.

The award comes in recognition of the successful debut of VLT terminals in the regulated state of Paraíba, where they had their first large-scale installation at the beginning of this year, generating strong player interest and demonstrating impressive results ever since.

In addition, EGT’s VLT product has been approved in a Proof of Concept (PoC) process under the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery, and will soon be available to the gaming audience in this state as well.

The omnichannel solution, delivered jointly by EGT and EGT Digital, provides a complete Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) ecosystem, featuring land-based equipment, a technological platform, and a rich library of gaming content. Developed according to the international standards, it has been adapted to meet the specific requirements of the Brazilian market and its regulatory framework.

Celina Guedes, Regional Director Brazil at EGT, commented: “It is an honor to us to be acknowledged by the BiS Awards competition, which is a benchmark for outstanding achievements in the sector. Our complete omnichannel VLT solution is designed to perform across different industry segments and is about to unleash its enormous potential in the near future. The prize is proof that we are able to fulfil the ever-increasing demands placed on providers and even set new higher standards in the extremely competitive gaming ecosystem in Brazil and the Latin American region as a whole.”

The post EGT and EGT Digital have been honored with the Best VLT Solution prize at the BiS Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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8bit Binks

S8UL Esports Triumphs in VCSA 2026 Split 1: A Grand Final Masterclass

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In a heart-pounding display of tactical precision and mental fortitude, S8UL Esports has been crowned the VALORANT Challengers South Asia (VCSA) 2026 Split 1 Champions. The victory came after an intense five-map Grand Final against Revenant Xspark, where S8UL emerged victorious with a 3-2 scoreline, solidifying their dominance in the regional VCT ecosystem.

With this win, S8UL takes home the lion’s share of the prize pool—INR ₹9,00,000—and sets a high benchmark for the remainder of the 2026 season.

The Road to the Trophy

S8UL’s journey through Split 1 was a testament to their growth following the 2025 season. Their path to the podium included:

  • League Phase Dominance: Consistent performance against seven of South Asia’s elite teams.

  • Semifinal Sweep: A commanding 2-0 victory over Asterisk, showcasing a roster peaking at the perfect moment.

  • The 5-Map Thriller: A back-and-forth Grand Final against Revenant Xspark that tested the limits of both skill and composure.

Strategic Growth and Leadership

The victory highlights the successful vision of Mithul “8bit Binks” Nayak, the driving force behind this revamped roster. Under the leadership of veteran captain Ganesh “SkRossi” Gangadhar, the team displayed evolved coordination and the ability to clutch out decisive rounds under immense pressure.

“Winning Split 1 gives us confidence, but we know the season is long,” said SkRossi. “I’m proud of how the team stayed focused in the crucial moments.”

Impact on the VCT Ecosystem

VCSA Split 1 serves as the critical pathway for South Asian teams to climb into the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT). By securing the first title of the year, S8UL not only establishes themselves as the team to beat but also positions themselves favorably for international qualification opportunities in Split 2 and beyond.

Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of S8UL, noted: “The team showed incredible composure in a high-pressure final. This result is a testament to the work they’ve been putting in behind the scenes. We’ve always believed in this roster.”

The post S8UL Esports Triumphs in VCSA 2026 Split 1: A Grand Final Masterclass appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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