Cricket 22: The Official Game of The Ashes will be released on December 2. The game’s developer, Big Ant Games, was forced to delay its release by a week due to Tim Paine’s shock resignation as Australia captain.

The gloveman was originally set to appear on the game’s front cover, but has now been replaced on the Australian edition of Cricket 22 by the new Aussie skipper, Pat Cummins. Big Ant Games say their latest cricket game will build on the success of their previous release, Cricket 19, and “deliver the most robust, substantial game of cricket that fans have ever seen.”

Big Ant CEO, Ross Symons, said that “the number of cricket fans that have been asking us about our next-generation cricket plans has been overwhelming. We’re incredibly excited by what we’re able to bring to the table with Cricket 22. This is our fifth cricket simulation title, and it really represents the cumulation of everything that we’ve learned on this ten-year (and counting) journey. We have the most passionate fans, and we can’t wait to get this into their hands.”

In addition to The Ashes, which has been the primary feature on Big Ant’s games since Ashes Cricket, the new game will also allow players to compete in the Big Bash, The Hundred and the Caribbean Premier League. It also has fully licensed teams from Australia, England, the West Indies, New Zealand, and Ireland. For all the above competitions, Cricket 22 has licenses for both the men’s and women’s teams, representing Big Ant Games’ “commitment to equality and equal representation”. Another new feature is a narrative-based career mode, which sees players of the game take control of teams on and off the field, with minigames allowing them to boost their skills in the gym and in the nets as they attempt to progress from humble club beginnings to the pinnacle of the world game.

Cricket Australia CEO, Nick Hockley said that “CA is proud to partner once again with Australian game developer Big Ant Studios to bring such a visually realistic video game to our passionate fans”.

The ECB have also stated that they are “hugely excited to be partnering with Big Ant again for the hugely exciting Cricket 22 game”.

Other new features include all-new bowling and fielding controls, a new commentary team featuring the likes of Michael Atherton, Ian Healy, and David Gower, improved graphics, and an overhauled experience for beginners.

Cricket 22 is available to pre-order now, and will be out on December 2 on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. A release on Nintendo Switch is planned for January 2022.