Pragmatic Play’s leviathan rises from the deep: Release the Kraken Megaways Description

The ocean roars, the sky turns slate-grey, and a many-tentacled shadow surfaces beneath a wreck-strewn shoreline: Release the Kraken Megaways throws you right into a sea-monster tale with flair. Pragmatic Play revisits its cult saga, following Release the Kraken and Release the Kraken 2, and steers it into the Megaways current with help from Big Time Gaming, creator of the iconic system. The result is a spectacle of colossal reels, cinematic audio, and features that burst like flares in a storm. On the reels, the Megaways engine takes over with 6 reels whose height shifts on every spin, delivering up to 117,649 ways to win. Wins pay left to right, and in a notable twist for the format, there are no cascading reels, making each spin a standalone surge. The math model leans into medium volatility, a well-rounded profile that suits a feature-rich game. The technical backbone is fully stated and confident: RTP sits at 96.08% in its most common configuration, with alternative versions at 95.07% and 94.07%. The hit rate is deliberately modest at 12.15% (around 1 in 8.23 spins), balancing pacing with the power of its bonuses. Stakes are welcoming and expansive, with a minimum bet of €0.20 and a maximum of €300. Chasing the Kraken’s wrath peaks at a tantalizing max win of 10,000x the bet, a feat statistically framed at 1 in 978,569 spins. The slot is slated to surface on October 14, 2024. Usability is modern and considerate, Autoplay, Quickspin, and Battery Saver are available, and interface cues are crystal clear, from the on-screen Megaways counter to the left-side Ante Bet and Bonus Buy controls. It’s a slick, swashbuckling package where the Kraken doubles as both menace and mechanic.

Graphics and Symbols swirling around the wreck and the waves

Design and Atmosphere

The visual punch lands immediately: a towering reel set dominates the scene while a windswept seashore, thick with clouds and haunted by a shipwreck, broods in the distance. The artwork is meticulous: realistic sea monsters and weather-battered ships look like they’ve leapt from a high-budget storyboard, and animations glide with confident weight. The color palette shifts between deep blues and storm greys with flashes of gold from special symbols, giving the game the dramatic contrast you expect from a monster-of-the-deep narrative. It all feels like the moments before a mast snaps: tension, scale, and polish in equal measure.

Symbols

Main symbols

• Shark — the apex payer, awarding 0.50x to 7.50x and uniquely paying for 2-of-a-kind.
• Spiny Puffer Fish — tops out at 4x for 6-of-a-kind.
• Creepy Anglerfish — up to 3x for 6-of-a-kind.
• Eel — up to 2x for 6-of-a-kind.
• Jellyfish — up to 1x for 6-of-a-kind.

Secondary symbols

• A, K, Q, J, 10 — the low-value set, paying from 0.15x to 0.80x for 6-of-a-kind.

Special symbols

• Kraken Wild — lands on all reels except the first and substitutes for all regular symbols.
• Golden Kraken Scatter — can land on all reels and is the key to triggering Free Spins.

Sound Effects and Soundtrack

The audio direction is a highlight: a violin-led, high-pitched score swells with adventurous, sea-faring energy, instantly recalling epic pirate cinema. It’s rich, dramatic, and “big,” pairing perfectly with the megasized grid and the Kraken’s looming presence. The soundtrack earns its stripes as “fantastic,” matching the visual spectacle beat for beat.

Features and Bonuses that churn like a storm at sea

Megaways up to 117,649 ways: no cascades, all impact

Each spin reshapes the grid, with every reel showing 1 to 7 symbols and wins counting left to right. The absence of cascading reels is a deliberate design choice that funnels the action into individual, high-stakes spins and puts extra emphasis on the slot’s modifiers and bonus rounds.

Mystery Symbols (Bombs) in the base game

Mystery bombs can land across multiple positions during the base game. When they explode, they reveal the same paying symbol everywhere they appear, a simple but potent way to create sweeping connections, especially when a Wild joins the party.

Wild Respins with Roaming Wilds

Land 3 or more Wilds in a single round to trigger Wild Respin. All triggering wilds transform into Roaming Wilds, and the reels respin while the wilds change position between respins. The sequence continues as long as at least one new Wild lands; it ends only when no new Wild appears. It’s elegant, kinetic, and capable of building serious screen presence over multiple respins.

Free Spins with chest picks, Minimum Megaways, and Roaming Wilds

Hit 3, 4, 5, or 6 Scatters to unlock Free Spins with 6 starting spins. Before spinning, you’ll pick from a set of chests, with the number of picks equal to the number of triggering scatters. Each pick can award one of the following upgrades:

• Extra Free Spins: +1, +2, +3, or +4
• Extra Roaming Wild: start the bonus with 1 Wild already on the grid
• Multiplier: +1 or +2 to the total spin win multiplier
• Minimum Megaways: each spin is guaranteed at 2,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 ways

During Free Spins, all Wilds in view become Roaming Wilds (including any guaranteed Wilds). They shift to new positions each spin, and if two Roaming Wilds land on the same spot, the round multiplier increases by x1. Spotting a Scatter on reel 6 adds +1 Free Spin and grants +1 extra chest pick, letting you layer even more momentum into the round. The feature is approachable too, with a trigger rate around 1 in 121 spins.

Random Win: guaranteed 10x or more

At the end of any base spin that delivers no win and no activated feature, the game may trigger Random Win. Symbols reshuffle to guarantee a reward of at least 10x the bet. It’s a neat safety rope that turns dead spins into dramatic saves.

Ante Bet and Bonus Buy

Flip on the Ante Bet to increase Free Spins chances by adding extra Scatters to the reels; it costs a +25% bet boost and disables Bonus Buy. Prefer the express lane? Buy Free Spins comes in two flavors:

• 100x the bet for a guaranteed entry with 3 Scatters
• 150x the bet for 4, 5, or 6 Scatters in the next spin

Activating Ante Bet or Bonus Buy raises the RTP up to 96.53%, a welcome sweetener for feature-focused sessions.

Statistics and Math for the tacticians

RTP

RTP: 96.08% (common version), with variants at 95.07% and 94.07%. Sitting around the industry’s typical 96% benchmark, the default setting supports well-paced demo play. With Ante Bet/Bonus Buy active, the figure rises to 96.53%.

Volatility

Volatility: Medium. Expect a balanced cadence, not too swingy, not too flat, with the slot’s modifiers and feature set doing the heavy lifting when momentum builds.

Paylines and Win Mechanics

6 reels, up to 117,649 ways to win, with 1–7 symbols per reel on each spin. Wins pay left to right. A distinctive note for Megaways aficionados: no cascading reels are present.

Bet Limits and Accessibility

Bet range: €0.20–€300. The ceiling is high enough for bold stakes, while the floor invites casual exploration. The max win is 10,000x, with a win probability of 1 in 978,569 spins. Hit frequency is a measured 12.15%.

Conclusion: a Kraken tale polished with modern Megaways muscle

Release the Kraken Megaways feels like a confident evolution of a beloved series. The audiovisuals are a standout, from the stormy shoreline and realistic sea creatures to that stirring, violin-led score, and they’re matched by well-sculpted mechanics. The Mystery Symbols pop in the base game, Wild Respins with Roaming Wilds add agency and drama, and the Free Spins round is delightfully customizable thanks to chest picks that can add Extra Spins, Multipliers, an Extra Roaming Wild, or Minimum Megaways settings. The slick Random Win that guarantees 10x+ on dead spins is a clever twist that keeps momentum alive. On the flip side, Megaways traditionalists may miss cascading reels, and the presence of multiple RTP versions (96.08% / 95.07% / 94.07%) means the math profile isn’t singular. Still, the blend of medium volatility, €0.20–€300 stakes, and a 10,000x ceiling makes the package feel roomy and replayable. Recommended for players who love sea-monster themes, feature-forward gameplay, and the strategic layering of modifiers. If you enjoyed the earlier entries, Release the Kraken and Release the Kraken 2, this installment ups the spectacle with Megaways up to 117,649 and a more elaborate bonus build-up. For comparison, some Kraken-themed titles focus on a calmer pace; here, the absence of cascades is offset by robust modifiers that keep spins punchy. In short: a strong 2024 headline release with cinematic swagger and mechanics that bite.