Big Ant Studios
Big Ant Studios is an Australian video game developer best known for licensed and officially branded sports games, particularly cricket, rugby league, Australian rules football, and tennis titles.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Big Ant Studios is an Australian video game development company headquartered in Melbourne. Founded by Ross Symons around the turn of the millennium, the studio originally operated under the name Bull Ant Studios and worked mainly as an external development provider for publishers including THQ and Konami. It later adopted the Big Ant Studios name and built a more recognizable identity around sports software. The company’s strategic shift toward sports games was based on the recurring nature of sporting competitions. A sport can support successive releases tied to new seasons, competitions, rosters, licenses, and gameplay improvements, giving a developer the possibility of developing long-running franchises rather than relying exclusively on one-off original properties. Big Ant’s first major sports release was Rugby League Live, launched in 2010 for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The studio subsequently expanded across rugby league, Australian rules football, cricket, lacrosse, and tennis. Its portfolio has included the Rugby League Live series, AFL Live and AFL 23, Cricket 22, Cricket 24, Cricket 26, Rugby 25, and Tiebreak: Official Game of the ATP and WTA. These games generally emphasize licensed competitions, sport-specific presentation, team and player authenticity, career or season structures, and console-focused sports gameplay. The company’s work has given it a particularly distinctive position in Australian sports entertainment, where official or locally relevant representations of Australian rules football, cricket, and rugby league have comparatively strong cultural importance. Big Ant was acquired by French publisher Nacon in January 2021 in a transaction reported at €35 million. The acquisition placed the Melbourne developer within a larger international publishing and development group and provided a platform for expanding its sports portfolio. Ross Symons described an ambition to make Big Ant one of the world’s largest developers of sports entertainment software and to increase staffing substantially from the studio’s reported workforce of 66 in 2022. In April 2023, Big Ant opened a second development studio in Adelaide, extending its Australian production footprint. Beyond game development, the company and its chief executive have participated in industry advocacy. Big Ant joined the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association in December 2015, and Symons has spoken publicly about employment conditions, including the need for interns to be properly compensated. He also presented to the Australian government’s Parliamentary Friends of Video Games group on challenges and opportunities in the games sector and joined the IGEA board in 2021. Big Ant has additionally sponsored the women’s team at Carlton Football Club, linking its corporate presence to Australian rules football. The studio remains an active Nacon-owned developer focused primarily on sports games.
History
Big Ant Studios was established in Australia around 2000 by Ross Symons. The company initially traded as Bull Ant Studios, but later changed its name because the original name was frequently mispronounced internationally. In its early period, the studio primarily worked as a developer-for-hire, creating software for publishers such as THQ and Konami rather than concentrating on a single proprietary franchise. The studio subsequently moved toward sports games. Symons has explained that sport offered a renewable commercial structure: leagues and competitions return each year, creating opportunities for sequels, roster updates, new licenses, and seasonal content. Big Ant’s first sports title was Rugby League Live, released in 2010 on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game established a foundation for later rugby league projects and helped define the studio’s long-term specialization. Over time, Big Ant expanded its sports portfolio. Its work came to include Australian rules football, cricket, lacrosse, tennis, and additional rugby-related titles. The company developed or published games associated with major sporting brands and competitions, including AFL Live, AFL 23, Cricket 22, Cricket 24, Cricket 26, Rugby League Live 4, Rugby 25, and Tiebreak: Official Game of the ATP and WTA. This portfolio positioned the developer as one of Australia’s most visible specialists in licensed sports games. In January 2021, Nacon acquired Big Ant Studios. The transaction was reported at €35 million and brought the Australian developer into the French publisher’s international group. The acquisition supported Big Ant’s stated ambition to grow into a major global sports-entertainment software developer. In 2022, the studio was reported to have 66 employees, with plans to increase its workforce significantly. In April 2023, Big Ant opened a second studio in Adelaide, broadening its Australian production network while retaining Melbourne as its headquarters. Big Ant has also taken part in industry and community activities. The company joined IGEA in 2015. Ross Symons advocated for proper compensation of interns in a 2016 Australian Financial Review commentary, addressed the Australian government’s Parliamentary Friends of Video Games group about industry challenges and opportunities, and joined the IGEA board in 2021. Big Ant has sponsored the women’s team at Carlton Football Club, reflecting its connection to Australian rules football. The studio continues to operate as a Nacon-owned developer focused on sports entertainment software.
- 2023
Adelaide studio opened
[1]Big Ant established a second development location in Adelaide.
- 2021
Acquired by Nacon
[1]Nacon acquired Big Ant Studios in a transaction reported at €35 million.
- 2021
CEO appointed to IGEA board
[1]Ross Symons joined the board of the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association.
- 2015
Joined IGEA
[1]Big Ant Studios joined the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association.
- 2010
First sports title released
[1]Rugby League Live became Big Ant’s first major sports game, launching for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
- 2001
Early operation as Bull Ant Studios
[1]The studio is also described in its historical account as having been established in 2001 under the name Bull Ant Studios before adopting the Big Ant name.
- 2000
Studio founded
[1]Ross Symons founded the Australian development studio that became Big Ant Studios.
Products and positioning
A specialist sports-game developer combining Australian sporting expertise with officially licensed international competitions and recurring franchise releases.
Rugby league sports game · 2010
Rugby League Live
Big Ant’s first major sports title, Rugby League Live established the studio’s later specialization in sport. The game was released for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in 2010 and served as the starting point for a broader Rugby League Live series.
Rugby league sports game
Rugby League Live 4
Rugby League Live 4 is part of Big Ant’s continuing rugby league franchise. It extends the developer’s work in representing the sport through licensed teams, competitions, season structures, and sport-specific gameplay.
Australian rules football game
AFL Live
AFL Live is Big Ant’s Australian rules football offering. It represents the developer’s engagement with one of Australia’s most prominent domestic sports and helped establish its profile beyond rugby league.
Australian rules football game
AFL 23
AFL 23 is a later Australian rules football title from Big Ant Studios. Like the company’s other sports products, it is built around an officially branded sporting property and seeks to combine contemporary presentation with season-based gameplay.
Cricket sports game · 2021
Cricket 22
Cricket 22 is part of Big Ant’s cricket portfolio, a major product line that brings licensed or officially branded cricket competitions and teams into a dedicated simulation-oriented game.
Cricket sports game · 2023
Cricket 24
Cricket 24 continues Big Ant’s annualized cricket strategy. It builds on the studio’s established cricket technology and brand relationships while offering a newer season-focused representation of the sport.
Cricket sports game
Cricket 26
Cricket 26 is a later entry in Big Ant Studios’ cricket series and demonstrates the company’s continued investment in recurring sports releases tied to new competition cycles and updated content.
Rugby sports game
Rugby 25
Rugby 25 is a Big Ant rugby title extending the studio’s experience from rugby league into the wider rugby category. It forms part of the company’s broader strategy of producing officially branded sports entertainment software.
Tennis sports game
Tiebreak: Official Game of the ATP and WTA
Tiebreak is Big Ant’s officially branded tennis game associated with the ATP and WTA. It expands the studio’s portfolio into international tennis and demonstrates its focus on recognized sporting organizations and licensed competition identities.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Adelaide studio expansion
Australia
Big Ant opened a second Australian studio in Adelaide to increase its development capacity and broaden its domestic production base.
Outcome. The company operated development sites in Melbourne and Adelaide.
- 2021Nacon acquisition and international growth platform
International
The acquisition by Nacon functioned as a corporate growth initiative, placing Big Ant within an international publisher and supporting ambitions to expand its sports-game output and workforce.
Outcome. Big Ant continued operating as a Nacon-owned studio and later expanded with an Adelaide location.
Brand decisions
2021
Nacon acquisitionM&ABackground
Nacon acquired Big Ant Studios as part of its expansion in game development and sports entertainment.
Action taken
Nacon purchased the studio in January 2021 in a transaction reported at €35 million.
Aftermath
Big Ant became part of Nacon’s international group while continuing its sports-game development activity.
Reported acquisition value. €35 million transaction value (January 2021)
2000
Shift from external development toward sports gamesStrategyBackground
After initially working as a studio-for-hire for publishers, Big Ant sought a more durable specialization. Sports were attractive because competitions recur and can support sequels and seasonal releases.
Action taken
The company developed a portfolio focused on rugby league, Australian rules football, cricket, lacrosse, tennis, and related sports.
Aftermath
Sports became the defining category of Big Ant Studios’ business and public identity.
Recent events
Nacon announces acquisition of Big Ant Studios[2]
Reported:
Nacon announced that it would acquire Melbourne-based Big Ant Studios. The acquisition was stated to have an overall maximum price of €35 million, payable in cash and shares.
Sources3 sources
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