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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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Loud Launches, Quiet Exits Why Partner Culture Outlasts Partner Acquisition

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London is a city built on institutions that never needed to announce themselves. The law firms on Chancery Lane, the private clubs in St. James’s they endure not through attention, but through trust accumulated over decades. Quietly. Consistently. Without a rebrand every two years. Which makes London an interesting backdrop for the affiliate industry’s annual conversation with itself. Because iGaming, by contrast, has mastered the art of attention.Conference floors are fluent in volume: oversized visuals, stacked merchandise, account managers with pitch decks and a practiced sense of urgency. Every programme is premium. Every stand is exclusive. What it rarely produces is what the spreadsheet actually needs: long-term ROI, partner retention, relationships worth more in year three than month one.

The Market Learned to Perform Premium. It Forgot to Practice It.

When an entire market adopts the same vocabulary premium, VIP, exclusive, top-tier the signal stops carrying information. The gifting mechanics follow the same logic: items chosen for the photograph rather than the relationship. With this approach the partner is the audience, not the counterpart.

The structural problem is this: markets that compete on noise attract partners who respond to noise, and lose them the moment a louder offer comes along. Attention is not loyalty. Activation is not retention.

High-performing affiliate partnerships share a different architecture: predictability over promises, honest communication over promotional language, consistency whether a relationship is new or years old. Strong partners don’t leave for marginal CPA improvements when the relationship itself has value they’d be giving up. That dynamic reduces churn, extends LTV, and compounds over time in ways no single activation can replicate.

Manor as Model: The Economics of Restraint

PlayamoPartners’ presence at iGB London stand H-60, 1–2 July  operates on this logic. The Manor concept takes the British manor as its central metaphor: not a venue, but a model of relationships. There is an etiquette, a code, standards that everyone inside understands. Membership implies alignment.

The aesthetic is restraint. The underlying logic is economic. Trust, in this industry, has a measurable ROI that most programmes never stop to calculate because they’re too busy announcing it.

The Code of Honor: Giving the Industry Its Memory Back

At the centre of the Manor experience is a physical book not a lookbook or catalogue, but a Code of Honor: partner feedback, written by partners themselves, accumulated across events and years. A physical record implies that what partners say is worth keeping in a form that persists that the relationship has a history worth preserving.

The iGaming industry has become extremely efficient at forgetting. Campaigns replace campaigns. Account managers cycle through. Programmes pivot quarterly. The Code of Honor is a deliberate counter to that tendency. It treats reputation not as a marketing asset but as something that grows through repeated honest interaction. An archive of trust, built over time.

Recognition Over Raffle

Partners who contribute to the Code of Honor become eligible for recognition items including a MacBook Neo 13, iPhone Air, and iPad Air. Come by on 02.07 at 14 o’clock and collect your prize.

The framing matters. These are not raffle prizes. Recognition is relational: you are who you are, and that is acknowledged. One is a CPA model applied to gifting. The other is how relationships between people who respect each other actually function.

The partners the Manor is designed for are not the ones who show up for a giveaway they’re the ones who show up to engage, to leave something of their own behind, to participate in the ongoing record of what this programme is.

Continuity of Standards

This approach isn’t new for PlayamoPartners. Past recognition has included Samsonite, Hugo Boss, TAG Heuer, Cartier, YSL. At iGB London, partners at H-60 will find Cartier wallets and MacBooks among the acknowledgements.

Premium gifting delivered consistently, to partners aligned with programme standards, across multiple years and conferences, reads differently from a one-time budget line. It signals a stable set of values with no particular need for an audience.

What Remains After the Conference Floor Clears

Rates, tools, tracking platforms are table stakes. Any serious programme can match them within a quarter. What cannot be quickly replicated is culture: honest communication, payments that arrive without chasing, account managers who know your business well enough to have an opinion about it.

Manor of PlayamoPartners arrives at iGB London not as an activation, but as a position. Behind it: a system, a reputation, a code of conduct that predates this event and will outlast it.

Stand H-60 | 1–2 July | iGB London

Contact the team:

The post Loud Launches, Quiet Exits Why Partner Culture Outlasts Partner Acquisition appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Asia

PhilWeb Showcases Technology-Driven Growth Vision at SiGMA Asia 2026

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PhilWeb Corporation has reinforced its position as a technology-driven company at SiGMA Asia 2026, highlighting its continuing transformation through digital innovation, scalable platform solutions and strategic technology investments aligned with the rapidly evolving digital economy in Asia.

As one of the Philippines’ established technology and platform providers, PhilWeb participated in SiGMA Asia 2026 to showcase its long-term vision centered on digital infrastructure, operational scalability, customer engagement technologies and future-ready platform development. The company’s presence at the international event reflects its broader strategy of strengthening its role within the growing technology, digital entertainment and fintech ecosystem in the region.

With more than 25 years of operational experience, PhilWeb continues to evolve alongside changing market demands and technological advancements. Over the years, the company has steadily expanded its capabilities through investments in platform modernization, integrated digital systems, payment technologies and data-driven operational tools designed to support scalable and efficient business operations.

As industries across Asia continue to undergo digital transformation, PhilWeb sees increasing opportunities in technology-enabled ecosystems where connectivity, automation, customer experience and operational efficiency play increasingly important roles in long-term business growth.

At SiGMA Asia 2026, the company highlighted initiatives focused on strengthening its digital ecosystem through improved platform capabilities, enhanced payment integration infrastructure and technology solutions designed to support seamless experiences across both physical and digital customer environments.

PhilWeb also emphasised the growing importance of integrated platforms and scalable digital operations as consumer behaviour continues to shift toward more connected and technology-driven experiences. The company continues to adapt to these evolving trends by exploring innovations that improve accessibility, operational flexibility and customer engagement.

Participation at SiGMA Asia 2026 also provided PhilWeb with opportunities to engage with international technology firms, fintech companies, digital infrastructure providers, payment solutions companies and regional business partners as it continues to strengthen its long-term growth strategy.

Beyond technology expansion, PhilWeb continues to prioritise governance, compliance-driven systems, operational transparency and sustainable business.

The post PhilWeb Showcases Technology-Driven Growth Vision at SiGMA Asia 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Balkans

Strong Customer Response Marks Successful Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 for NOVOMATIC

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NOVOMATIC concluded a highly successful participation at Belgrade Future Gaming 2026, further reinforcing its strong presence in the Southeast European market. Throughout the exhibition, the company welcomed a steady stream of visitors to its stand, providing an excellent platform for strengthening existing partnerships, establishing new business contacts and discussing future opportunities with customers from across the region.

The comprehensive product showcase featured a broad selection of NOVOMATIC’s latest gaming innovations. Among the highlights were Impera PROLINK 2 and the internationally successful XTENSION LINK series, including Volumes 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well as XTENSION LINK Ultimate, all of which attracted strong interest from visitors thanks to their proven performance and engaging feature mechanics. Visitors also explored VISION LINK, NOVOMATIC’s latest multi-feature linked progressive concept, alongside the versatile GAMINATOR X5, renowned for its flexible game mix and customization options.

A particular highlight for the regional market was the Impera Line HD Edition 10 – Balkan Special, which generated significant interest thanks to its carefully selected game mix tailored specifically to local player preferences.

Taking center stage was the award-winning DIAMOND X QUATTRO 1.55J, whose striking design and immersive player experience made it a standout attraction on the show floor. The portfolio was further complemented by a premium V.I.P. X setup, including the V.I.P. X Royal 1.85 and, for the first time at a Balkan trade show, the V.I.P. X Galaxy 2.65, both showcasing NOVOMATIC’s commitment to delivering high-end gaming experiences for modern casino environments.

As in previous years, NOVOMATIC’s successful cooperation with long-standing partner FAZI contributed to a strong exhibition presence, while the popular ADMIRAL Bet Pub catering concept once again provided a welcoming atmosphere that encouraged networking and business discussions in a relaxed setting.

“The positive response we received throughout the show was truly outstanding. Belgrade Future Gaming remains one of the most important industry events in Southeast Europe and provides an excellent opportunity to engage directly with our customers and partners. We were delighted by the strong interest in our product portfolio, particularly the Impera Line™ HD Edition 10 – Balkan Special and the first presentation of the V.I.P. X Galaxy 2.65 in the region. The many valuable conversations and promising business opportunities generated during the event once again demonstrated the strength of the Balkan market and the value of close collaboration with our customers. I would like to sincerely thank all visitors, customers, partners, and our dedicated team for contributing to another successful edition of Belgrade Future Gaming,” said Miloš Pejić, Regional Manager SEE at NOVOMATIC.

With a comprehensive portfolio of internationally proven products, regionally tailored solutions and premium gaming innovations, NOVOMATIC once again demonstrated its ability to meet the diverse requirements of the Balkan market. The successful outcome of Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 further highlighted the company’s strong momentum across Southeast Europe and created a solid basis for future growth and collaboration with customers and partners throughout the region.

The post Strong Customer Response Marks Successful Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 for NOVOMATIC appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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