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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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Compliance Updates
Platipus Granted UK B2B Licence
Platipus Gaming has secured a B2B license to function in the United Kingdom. This license permits the company to supply gaming content to operators licensed in the UK and marks an important achievement in Platipus’ continuous emphasis on regulatory compliance, operational uniformity, and responsible product delivery.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is acknowledged worldwide for its comprehensive regulatory structure and exceptional benchmarks in safeguarding players, ensuring technical compliance, and overseeing operations. Obtaining a UK B2B licence verifies that Platipus’ products, operational methods, and development strategies adhere to these criteria, showing that the firm can deliver content in line with rigorous regulatory requirements.
Importance for Operators
Collaborating with a Platipus-licensed provider allows UK-licensed operators to guarantee that content complies with UKGC standards. This minimizes the requirement for extra regulatory evaluations and facilitates more seamless incorporation of third-party content into licensed activities. All products are created and provided with a focus on responsible gambling and player safety, conforming to the technical and operational criteria set by the Commission.
Strategic Significance for Platipus
The UK licence showcases Platipus’ philosophy of compliance by design. Regulatory factors are incorporated early in the development process instead of being treated as a final review point. This method guarantees that products, processes, and operational frameworks are ready for regulated settings from the beginning.
Being regulated by the UKGC also allows Platipus to participate in other markets, where UK standards frequently serve as reference points. The license backs the company’s objective of ensuring steady product quality, dependable operations, and accountable content provision in various regions.
Priscila Ribeiro, Chief Strategic Officer, said: “Obtaining a UK B2B licence confirms that our internal processes, development approach, and products meet the regulatory expectations of one of the most scrutinised iGaming markets globally. It allows us to operate with UK-licensed operators within a clear compliance framework.”
Viktoriia Andreasen, Head of Marketing: “The UK market is highly structured and regulated, with detailed expectations for content providers. Holding this licence allows Platipus to engage with licensed operators while maintaining consistent operational and compliance standards, and ensures our content is designed and delivered responsibly.”
A Milestone for Operational Maturity
With its B2B license in the UK, Platipus Gaming begins a new phase of compliant operations. The license demonstrates the organization’s dedication to enduring operational dependability, adherence to regulations, and accountable product provision. It further verifies that Platipus is capable of providing content in one of the most strictly regulated iGaming markets globally, with all technical, operational, and compliance standards met.
This milestone signifies more than just an expansion in geography. It indicates that Platipus has organized procedures, strong governance, and a development approach centered on compliance, establishing a basis for ongoing regulated activities and sustainable growth across various markets.
The post Platipus Granted UK B2B Licence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
How to Apply for a Finnish iGaming License: Gaming in Finland Webinar on Application Steps and Technical Standards
Starting March 1, 2027, Finland’s gambling authority will begin handling online gambling license requests in anticipation of the iGaming market launch on July 1, 2027.
The necessary secondary legislation and associated technical requirements for effectively submitting an iGaming license application are anticipated to be released soon.
While the precise details remain unclear, it is evident that Finnish regulations will significantly differ from those in other Nordic countries, like Sweden or Denmark.
Due to these developments, Gaming in Finland will host a webinar on Thursday, March 5 at 14:00 CET/15:00 EET, titled “How Finland is different.”
Gaming in Finland founder Willem van Oort commented: “If you are considering entering the Finnish iGaming market, this webinar comes at a most opportune time: one or perhaps two weeks after the publication of the secondary legislation that is necessary to submit your license application. Naturally, we are particularly grateful to our local partners for helping us make sense of the license application process and the associated technical requirements.”
Topics and speakers
The webinar will cover the following topics:
Regulatory update
FAQ: The license application form
Technical requirements & acceptable solutions
At present, the following speakers have been confirmed:
Morten Ronde, Founding Partner, Nordic Legal
Pekka Ilmivalta, Head of Finnish Office, Nordic Legal
Technical expert, Ubetec
Registration
Registration for the Gaming in Finland webinar is now open: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z604czymTd6un1ER7Lu0ng#/registration
The post How to Apply for a Finnish iGaming License: Gaming in Finland Webinar on Application Steps and Technical Standards appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
affiliate platform
Ihor Zarechnyi signs up to the Gamblers Connect Contributors Program
Gamblers Connect, the award‑winning iGaming media and affiliate platform, has welcomed Ihor Zarechnyi, CEO and Founder of NeverEnding, as the latest expert in its Gamblers Connect Contributors Program.
Zarechnyi becomes the second established industry professional to join this curated roster, which prioritizes experienced practitioners over guest bloggers and emphasizes real‑world insight from leaders with “skin in the game.”
As head of NeverEnding, a dynamic iGaming studio built to eliminate bureaucracy and drive innovation, Zarechnyi brings a performance‑driven approach, rooted in his “Games, Growth, and No Excuses” philosophy. In his new role as one of the program’s 12 contributors, he will offer behind‑the‑scenes perspectives on building a game studio from scratch and launching effective global content strategies based on his extensive executive experience.
Gamblers Connect’s Founder, Gjorgje Ristikj, highlighted Zarechnyi’s unique outlook on product development. Ristikj noted that Zarechnyi’s “B2B backed by B2C power” approach focuses on creating games that deliver genuine market traction and strong player engagement — a shift away from superficial visibility toward meaningful industry impact. This aligns with the platform’s goal of delivering high‑value educational content on game mechanics, technological stability, and real operational challenges.
The post Ihor Zarechnyi signs up to the Gamblers Connect Contributors Program appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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