Developer of criticised rugby league video game says unhappy players 'should know better'

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Big Ant will take its facial scanning equipment to Magic Round in Newcastle to capture any additional players not collected and update the game.

The boss of video game developer Big Ant Studios has hit back at criticism of the newly launched Rugby League 26 game, following high-profile players slamming the release.

Some players, including Sydney Roosters prop Millie Elliott and State of Origin star Kennedy Cherrington, have criticised their likeness in the game, while issues with the gameplay and the inability to use players in their real-world positions have also caused backlash.

Issues ranged from retired players being highly rated, to stadiums being in the wrong cities, while gameplay was also highlighted on social media.

Ross Symons, chief executive of Big Ant Studios, hit back at the criticism of likenesses in Rugby League 26.

"The ones that are talking should know better because, frankly, they've made statements that really are reasonably outrageous, because we have gone around the world, even to the north of England, just to scan women in game," he told the ABC.

"Eighty per cent of our sponsorship money goes to women's sport. We take it extraordinarily seriously.

"We actually travelled to capture NRLW players specifically in captures up to Townsville and everywhere.

"They were told, 'Please, please be at the shoot because if you're not at the shoot, you won't look like you'. We were very clear.

Symons said Big Ant Studios would be attending the NRLW Magic Round to conduct more facial scans to add to the game.

"We have offered to capture as many players who would like to sit in the chair. And sitting in the chair takes 45 seconds," he said.

Gameplay issues related to 'server overload'

Rugby League 26 was highly anticipated, as it came eight years after the last iteration, Rugby League Live 4.

Cherrington described the game as "half-finished", while social media was flooded with gamers reporting glitches and errors.

Symons said some of the issues stemmed from a compressed rollout timeline, which required the developers to submit the game for disc printing two months before the launch date.

He also said that despite calls from the public, delaying was "not an option we were given" and that online multiplayer feature issues were temporary.

"Then the product we want people to have is ready with a day one patch, because things change," he said

"Even in sport itself, just the nature of sport where things change, where rosters change, injuries occur, ratings change."

Big Ant was also criticised for its inability to manage demand on its servers, which locked players out for hours.

Symons said the demand for the game was six times higher than expected, and said it had outsold video game franchise members Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Donkey Kong Bananza.

"It is number one by a margin and our servers also had that problem."

Tax incentive allows Australian sport video games to be made

Despite the backlash about Rugby League 26 from users, the fact there is a game for a code played predominantly in just three countries is noteworthy.

A large part of that, and the reason for an eight-year hiatus, was the commercial viability of making a game for a relatively small market.

Big Ant Studios was the recipient of the Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO), introduced in 2023 to encourage local game development studio investment in Australia, which allows companies to claim back 30 per cent of qualified Australian expenditure.

This funding model is similar to other schemes designed to encourage local filmmaking, and Symons says this program "allows us to take risks that we otherwise couldn't take".

"That's where the DGTO really, really does help, it enables to tell Australian stories and in particular, Australian sport because I don't think Australian sport gets a title if it's not for things like the DGTO because it just becomes not commercially viable."

Big Ant Studios also made the AFL and cricket video games, as well as a tennis game based around the Australian Open.

The Sydney Roosters were approached for comment but did not respond before publication.