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Fan Index Reveals: The MOST Popular Gaming Character of ALL TIME
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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BGaming
Meet Some Playful Piggies and Win Big in BGaming’s Piggy Bank Hold & Win
BGaming, a popular iGaming content provider, has unveiled its latest #Entertainment slot, Piggy Bank Hold & Win, inviting players to join a lively cast of colourful piggies in a playful new release.
The game puts a fresh spin on the well-known Hold and Win mechanic, unfolding across a compact 3×3 grid enhanced by vibrant, casual-style visuals and upbeat audio.
Players aim to activate the Hold and Win bonus by landing three symbols on the middle horizontal reel. Above the reels sit three piggy characters—Green, Pink, and Blue—each capable of triggering unique features during the bonus round. As the game progresses, the piggies collect coins that land on the grid, steadily building anticipation with every spin.
Each piggy introduces a distinct mechanic: the Green Piggy can reset remaining spins back to three, the Pink Piggy applies multipliers of up to x8 to total winnings, and the Blue Piggy expands the grid to 3×5, unlocking greater win potential.
Additional features include Mystery and Collect symbols, alongside five available jackpots, with the top Royal Jackpot offering a payout of up to 2,000x the bet.
A playful detail sees a pig snout appear at the side of the grid, giving players access to Buy Bonus options. This allows instant entry into a randomised bonus round or enhanced versions with extra features.
Alex Baliukonis, Game Producer at BGaming, said, “The Hold and Win gameplay mechanic is one of the most consistently popular with players right now, and with Piggy Bank Hold and Win, we have added plenty of personality to the format.
The game’s playful design perfectly matches the fast-paced features, showing that you can add something fresh to a well-known formula without overcomplicating it, and we look forward to seeing how players engage with Piggy Bank Hold & Win.”
The post Meet Some Playful Piggies and Win Big in BGaming’s Piggy Bank Hold & Win appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Easter
Evoplay expands seasonal portfolio with a duo of new Easter games
Evoplay, the award-winning game developer, is marking the Easter season with the release of two vibrant new titles — Uncrossable Rush Eggster and 3 Bunny Pots Bonanza — combining high-energy gameplay with feature-rich mechanics.
Leading the seasonal rollout is Uncrossable Rush Eggster, the newest entry in the studio’s popular crash-style series. Players once again follow Eggwina the hen as she navigates a hectic 24-lane highway, choosing after each successful move whether to cash out or continue for bigger multipliers.
The game offers four difficulty levels, from Easy to Hardcore, alongside fully customisable autoplay settings. With unpredictable traffic patterns shaping every round, the experience delivers a dynamic risk-reward balance where no two sessions feel the same. Fast-paced gameplay and rising multipliers make it particularly appealing for players seeking quick, high-intensity sessions with a seasonal twist.
Joining the release is 3 Bunny Pots Bonanza, a slot set inside a treasure-filled bunny vault, where players spin for vibrant coins, glittering gems, and golden rewards.
At its core are Bonus Coin symbols that unlock a feature packed with multipliers, extra spins, and expanding reels through three distinct boosters. With multiple gameplay combinations and the potential to trigger the Grand Jackpot, the title offers a highly engaging experience with strong replay value and multiple paths to big wins.
Together, the two launches highlight Evoplay’s ability to blend seasonal themes with varied gameplay formats, catering to a wide spectrum of player preferences during one of the year’s most active content periods.
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: “Easter is a great opportunity for us to explore more playful themes across different game formats.
“With Uncrossable Rush Eggster, we’ve added a seasonal twist to one of our most recognisable series, while 3 Bunny Pots Bonanza delivers a feature-rich slot packed with colour and rewarding mechanics. Together, they offer players two distinct but equally engaging ways to celebrate the season.”
The post Evoplay expands seasonal portfolio with a duo of new Easter games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Kate Romanenko Commercial Director at Kendoo
Kendoo Accelerates with Jackpot-Driven Locomotoro
Exciting Loco Free Spins, engaging Toro Bonus, and the exhilarating VIP Express jackpot conclusion.
Kendoo, the rapidly expanding slot developer, has accelerated the launch of Locomotoro, an exciting 5×3 slot where thunderous engines and a fierce Toro drive each spin on a progression-focused adventure.
Designed to cater to every player, from casual to high-stakes, Locomotoro embodies Kendoo’s player-centric philosophy in game development. Centered on dynamic visuals, the game employs gratifying mechanics and a captivating rhythm that heightens excitement before presenting substantial wins in the VIP Express.
Central to the experience is the Toro Bonus, a Hold and Win feature that enlarges the grid from 5×3 to 5×6 when players reveal extra rows with Green Light symbols. Every Green Light unlocks a secured row and turns into a Bonus or Collect symbol, instantly enhancing the board’s worth.
When Bonus, Bonus Jackpot, and Collect symbols appear, respins are reset, and Collect symbols accumulate all active values and remain fixed, progressively leading to substantial payouts.
After all rows are freed, the following Green Light opens the Golden Gate, subsequently triggering the VIP Express at the conclusion of the feature.
In the VIP Express feature, a golden train comes in with cars loaded with rewards determined by the overall bet amount. Prizes consist of the Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand jackpots, with the Grand providing 1000x.
All VIP Express rewards are incorporated straight into the Toro Bonus amount. Moreover, gathering 30 symbols of any kind during the Toro Bonus triggers a Full Board Multiplier, which doubles the total payout of the feature.
Loco Spins introduce additional diversity, activated by three Scatter symbols to grant five Free Spins, with chances for retriggering during the round.
For players looking to access premium gameplay instantly, the Buy Feature option allows entry into the Toro Bonus for 75x the bet or the enhanced VIP Toro Bonus for 150x, with higher chances at triggering the VIP Express
Locomotoro is now available for demo and real play across all Kendoo partner platforms.
Kate Romanenko, Commercial Director at Kendoo, said: “Locomotoro is built around momentum and structured payoff. Players can feel the progression as they unlock rows, open the Golden Gate and ultimately trigger the VIP Express.
“It delivers a strong bonus climax combined with clear win progression, which makes the overall experience both satisfying and highly engaging.”
The post Kendoo Accelerates with Jackpot-Driven Locomotoro appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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