Latest News
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
Week 47/2025 slot games releases
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming
Spinomenal has expanded its successful Mythology series with the launch of Mega Zeus Hold & Hit 3×3. Set among the golden columns of Mount Olympus, Mega Zeus transports players to the realm of the mighty god of thunder.

Galaxsys proudly announces the launch of its latest slot game, Guardians of Glory, an action-packed game that combines medieval warfare, innovative slot mechanics, and massive win potential for players worldwide. Blending classic slot mechanics with high-octane action, Guardians of Glory is a 5-reel, 3-row cascading line slot designed to keep players on the edge of their seats.

Evoplay has launched Imperial Relics: Three Pots, a vibrant new slot inspired by the grandeur, treasures, and mysticism of Imperial China. Players are transported to a golden city overseen by a wise emperor, where sacred relics and intricate symbols adorn the reels.

Relax Gaming has enhanced a fan-favourite with the launch of Snake Arena 2: Kinesis Unleashed. The futuristic, feature-packed 6×4 ways slot pits Slayers against Snake in an entertaining game experience that offers huge win potential with a maximum prize of 50,000x bet.

Get ready for the slot event of the year, from Booming Games, in Black Friday Cart Craze, where every spin feels like a mega sale! Load up your carts to trigger the Coin Craze collect feature or the Super Sale Spins, where everything must go. Eliminate Minor symbols and upgrade Major symbols to increase your shopping spree haul!

In Nolimit City’s latest release, Bizarre, peek into the window of Dr. Bizarre’s wild experiments. This slot falls under the eccentric category of Nolimit City slots such as Munchies, Outsourced and Ugliest Catch. The farm has been… busy. Bizarre plays out on a 4-4-4-4-4 layout across 5 reels, with a number of variations of xSplit®.

Push Gaming has launched its latest seafaring adventure, Sea of Spirits, a highly anticipated slot developed in collaboration with CasinoGrounds, one of the industry’s most influential community-driven streaming platforms. Set in a haunting underwater realm where ghostly captains guard the treasures of the deep, Sea of Spirits immerses players in a world of mystery, risk, and reward.


Play’n GO’s Stadium of Riches captures the raw energy of the world’s favourite sport, placing players at the heart of the action in this high-stakes football showdown. Stadium of Riches doesn’t just replicate the spirit of football – it elevates it.

Blueprint Gaming
is kicking off the festive season with the launch of Saint Nicked 3 Present Tense, the first of three Christmas-themed releases that see some of its most iconic series reimagined with charming festive visuals, enriched graphics and immersive seasonal experiences designed to delight operator player bases worldwide.

BGaming invites players to wrap up warm and explore an icy kingdom in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. Watch the wins snowball in this Olympus-genre pay-anywhere game. Divine Queen: Heart of Ice pulls inspiration from the iconic Bonanza gameplay mechanics, repackaging them in a winter retro style.

This holiday season, Santa’s traded in his sleigh for a private jet and touched down on the Vegas Strip! Santa in Vegas delivers festive fun and flashy riches in a vibrant 5×4 slot packed with luxurious symbols, glittering lights and that famous Booming Games excitement.

Get ready to gather the family around the table and celebrate the harvest season in style in Extra Win X Thanksgiving – the new holiday-themed twist on Swintt’s classic retro slot formula where landing full table wins can lead to massively multiplied payouts.

TaDa Gaming has released Clover Ladybug, a vibrant slot where expanding Wilds, playful multipliers and the lucky ladybug herself lead the way to exciting 1500x wins. Set on a 5×3 grid with 20 paylines, Clover Ladybug transforms the simple joy of nature into a lively slot experience.

The post Week 47/2025 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
European Gaming Media
HIPTHER’s European Gaming Media Joins Forces with Frank Gaming in a Strategic Media Partnership
Reading Time: 2 minutes
HIPTHER’s flagship media outlet, European Gaming Media, is delighted to announce a new Media Partnership with Frank Gaming – the strategic nexus connecting game providers, casino operators, and industry leaders worldwide.
This collaboration marks a shared mission to accelerate partnerships, amplify exposure, and empower sustainable growth within the global iGaming ecosystem. Through this agreement, Frank Gaming will feature HIPTHER’s renowned international events across its platform, providing its expansive network with direct access to some of the industry’s most influential conferences.
In exchange, European Gaming Media will provide ongoing editorial and social media coverage for Frank Gaming’s key announcements, while Frank Gaming representatives will receive complimentary passes to attend HIPTHER’s premium events, including the Prague Gaming & TECH Summit, European Gaming Congress (HIPTHER Warsaw Summit), and the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit.
A Partnership Built on Shared Vision and Reach
Frank Gaming serves as a powerful connector within the iGaming ecosystem, driving measurable results through strategic networking, exclusive events, and actionable industry intelligence. Their ecosystem features over 500 verified suppliers, 250 active operators, 1,200 successful connections, and 50+ exclusive events – all designed to foster collaboration and growth.
The platform’s comprehensive toolkit includes a Supplier Directory, Strategic Networking, Industry Intelligence, Exclusive Events, Custom Marketing, and Strategic Advisory services, making it a go-to destination for gaming businesses seeking to scale with purpose.
As a leading media voice reaching over 300,000 monthly readers, European Gaming Media delivers trusted news, interviews, and insights across gaming, betting, esports, and tech innovation. The partnership strengthens both brands’ commitment to building bridges and driving excellence across the gaming value chain.
Statements from the Partners
Zoltán Tűndik, Co-founder of HIPTHER, commented: Our collaboration with Frank Gaming is a natural fit, rooted in a shared commitment to strengthening the core of the iGaming industry. We are focused on delivering crucial insights, and Frank Gaming excels at creating actionable connections. With a joint effort we can offer immense value, ensuring that the critical discussions taking place at our HIPTHER events are amplified across their robust network of suppliers and operators.
Julian Arabadjiyski, Frank Gaming strategic advisor added: Partnering with HIPTHER is a strategic step forward in our mission to connect innovation with opportunity across the global iGaming landscape. HIPTHER brings industry-shaping insights and global reach through their events and media, while Frank Gaming empowers suppliers and operators to turn those insights into growth. Together, we’re bridging knowledge and execution ensuring the right voices are heard and the right connections are made.
About Frank Gaming
Frank Gaming is the strategic nexus connecting game providers, casino operators, and industry leaders across the global iGaming ecosystem. With over 500 verified suppliers, 250 operators, and 1,200 successful connections, the platform accelerates partnerships and drives growth through strategic networking, exclusive events, and targeted intelligence.
About European Gaming Media
Part of HIPTHER, European Gaming Media (EuropeanGaming.eu) is one of the most trusted publications in the iGaming and gambling sector, reaching more than 300,000 readers monthly. The outlet delivers daily news, in-depth interviews, regulatory updates, and event coverage, shaping the future of gaming and betting across Europe.
About HIPTHER
HIPTHER is a global brand dedicated to connecting people and businesses through innovative media, PR, and events. With leading conferences and media outlets spanning Gaming, Tech, and Fintech, HIPTHER empowers industries through connection, collaboration, and creativity.
The post HIPTHER’s European Gaming Media Joins Forces with Frank Gaming in a Strategic Media Partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
N1 Partners at Affiliate World Asia 2025: The Place Where Top Deals Come True
N1 Partners is heading to Bangkok to talk about growth, partnerships, and high-converting products. The team will be present not only at the main conference — Affiliate World Asia 2025 on December 3–4 — but also across the key side events, including Affiliate Drinks Meetup Bangkok 2025 and partner activities at Fridman Palace.
“Affiliate World Bangkok is one of the most valuable events of the year. We’re excited to meet partners, showcase what we’ve built, and exchange insights that drive the industry forward. N1 Partners enters 2026 stronger than ever — with new brands, new achievements, and big plans ahead.”
— Alexa Bond, Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners
Meet N1 Partners at Affiliate Drinks Meetup Bangkok 2025
The Affiliate Drinks Meetup Bangkok 2025 by Conversion Club is an evening of targeted networking during Affiliate World Asia week — a “drinks & deals” format built for quick, meaningful introductions and real partnerships between affiliates, advertisers, agencies, and tech partners in a relaxed setting off the expo floor.
N1 Partners joins Affiliate Drinks Meetup as a supporting partner and active participant, bringing our affiliate managers to meet decision-makers, discuss new traffic opportunities, and strengthen relationships with existing and future partners.
- Location: Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok
- Date & time: 3 December 2025, 20:00–23:00
Affiliate Space Awards 2025
The Affiliate Space Awards 2025 by Conversion Club is an annual gala that celebrates standout brands, companies, and personalities in affiliate marketing across key verticals — including iGaming, finance, dating and more — with live voting and winners announced at a gala dinner in Bangkok.
N1 Partners is shortlisted in three major categories at the Affiliate Space Awards 2025:
- The Best Gambling / Betting Affiliate Program
- The Best Brand of the Year
- The Best Online Casino Operator of the Year.
Together, these nominations recognize N1 Partners’ position as a top-performing affiliate program and operator with guaranteed and fast payouts, flexible deal models, a VIP approach and strong support for partners, consistently high-converting Tier-1 brands, a strong and consistent brand image (boosted in 2025 by the buzz around the N1 Puzzle Promo), and a data-driven approach to player value, retention, LTV, and long-term partner results.
- Location: Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok
- Date & time: 4 December 2025, 20:00–23:00
Fridman Palace – where N1 Partners meets industry leaders
You can also find N1 Partners at Fridman Palace in Bangkok — a premium business and lifestyle space where market leaders meet, share real cases, and talk openly beyond the conference schedule.
FridmanTower offers a curated environment with private meeting areas and networking zones tailored for meaningful conversations and high-level deal-making.
N1 Partners is the sponsor of a smoking lounge for relaxation and networking, giving partners a comfortable, premium space to meet our affiliate managers, talk strategy, and plan next steps throughout Affiliate World week.
- Location: FridmanTower, Bangkok
- Dates: 1–5 December 2025
Book a Meeting with Our Affiliate Managers
Maximize your time in Bangkok — book a meeting with N1 Partners in advance, whether at Affiliate World Asia, Affiliate Drinks Meetup, Affiliate Space Awards, or Fridman Palace.
Meet the N1 Partners affiliate team in Bangkok:
- Aleksei Gusarov – Team Lead of Affiliates
- Viktoriia Sokolenko – Affiliate Manager
- Roman Tsyganov – Affiliate Manager
- Batikhan Omarbayev – Affiliate Manager
- Pavel Sysoev – Account Manager
Book your slot — let’s talk business, growth, and opportunities with N1 Partners.
About N1 Partners
N1 Partners is a multi-brand affiliate program and direct advertiser, uniting 14+ casino and betting brands. The company has a strong presence in 10+ Tier-1 GEOs, Reg2Dep rates of up to 70%, and a trusted network of 10,000+ affiliates worldwide. N1 Partners delivers competitive deals for top partners: CPA up to €700 and RevShare up to 45% to ensure partners always are number one!
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