Tru Blu Games has announced Don Bradman Cricket Jr for PC and consoles, bringing chunky cartoon visuals and arcade style action to the sport.
According to IGN, the newly announced title adopts an arcade style approach to the sport, featuring chunky and cartoonish visuals that resemble Roblox. Tru Blu Games has not provided an exact release date yet, stating only that the title is coming soon to PC, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Nintendo eShop. The game will include unlicensed tournaments, a challenge mode, and split screen support for two players.
While Big Ant Studios has maintained a strong presence in the cricket videogame genre for over a decade with simulation titles like Cricket 26, the genre has lacked active competition. IGN notes that Big Ant previously attempted a similar arcade style approach in 2018 with Big Bash Boom, which featured super-deformed licensed squads and celebration dances. However, Big Bash Boom remained a one-off experiment as Big Ant continued to focus on its main simulation series.
Don Bradman Cricket Jr arrives without official team or player licenses, except for the inclusion of Australia's legendary batsman as an unlockable character. Players can apparently unlock the Don by completing a specific in-game challenge, allowing him to join an otherwise generic Australian team. Unlocking him also grants access to a bonus minigame recreating his famous training exercise of hitting a golf ball into a water tank using a stump as a bat. Developers have promised that the batting experience will ensure no two shots are ever truly the same, despite announcement footage showing repeated animation sequences.
Background
IGN reports that Big Ant Studios has held a monopoly on cricket video games for more than a decade through releases like Cricket 26. In 2018, Big Ant launched Big Bash Boom, a pick-up-and-play title featuring licensed BBL and WBBL squads, pyrotechnics, and Fortnite-inspired celebration dances. Although IGN's previous review described Big Bash Boom as a fun and family-friendly experience that was slightly light on features, Big Ant did not pursue further arcade experiments until this new announcement from Tru Blu Games.
Why It Matters
The announcement of Don Bradman Cricket Jr introduces rare competition into a digital sports genre that has been dominated by a single developer for over ten years. By targeting an arcade style approach with split-screen support and a lack of official licenses, the game appears aimed at younger fans and casual players rather than simulation enthusiasts. Without a firm release date from Tru Blu Games, it remains to be seen whether this lighthearted alternative can capture a lasting audience alongside established simulation franchises.
Illustration: AI-generated image, not a photograph of the event.