Cricket 19 Announced For PS4, Xbox One, Switch, And PC

Melbourne-based developer Big Ant Studios has announced its next game. "Cricket 19 - The Official Game of the Ashes" is coming later this year to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Developed in conjunction with the official England and Wales Cricket Board, the game promises to be a faithful representation of the cricket series. It'll feature men's and women's teams, as well as all of the host venues that you'd see on TV or in person.

On the gameplay side, Big Ant is also promising "deep enhancements" to the franchise's AI engine that promises to deliver AI players that are "more realistic than ever before."

"When bowling, the AI will suss out your player and team's weaknesses, and target that with a concentrated bowling strategy. When batting, the AI will rotate the strike to protect weaker players, and actively look for gaps in the field," reads a line from the game's press release.

As for other new features, Cricket 19 introduces a "scenario" mode that lets you virtually re-live memorable cricket moments from history. The Career mode has also been updated with further improvements to "build a story around your player." Specifically, Big Ant said in-game news headlines will affect your player's career path.

This year's Cricket 19 is the first entry for Nintendo Switch, and Big Ant talked about the benefit of being able to play on-the-go.

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"We have the most active and passionate community. Many of our players logged thousands of hours with our previous cricket titles, and Cricket 19 is very much built on the experience of those players," Big Ant CEO Ross Symons said in a statement. "Whether you're looking to enjoy a 20-year cricket career that takes you from the club level to captaining the national team, re-create an ODI or IT20 series or take part in the Ashes, or just bash some balls around with friends, Cricket 19 has you covered."

Big Ant is collaborating with Maximum Games from the UK on the development of Cricket 19. Maximum Games boss Steve Powell said in a statement that Cricket 19 is the "most detailed simulation of the event that we've ever seen."

The PC edition of Cricket 19, which will be released on Steam, is coming "shortly after" the release of the game for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in May. More details about Cricket 19's gameplay and features will be announced in the time ahead.