CasinosHunter is happy to announce that we have a new Q&A about Yggdrasil! Stuart McCarthy, Head of Product & Programs at Yggdrasil, has kindly agreed to answer some questions and tell us more about the studio, its games, its innovative technologies, and its awards. Please read the full Q&A below and fall in love with Yggdrasil games even more than before!
About Yggdrasil Gaming
Yggdrasil is one of the online casino providers that we can call innovative pioneers. In 2023, the studio marks its 10th anniversary and has a legacy it can be proud of.
Initially based in Malta, today Yggdrasil has offices in Sweden, Gibraltar, and Poland. At the time of writing this, it holds licenses from the UK Gaming Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, and also from the Romania National Gambling Office. The games by Yggdrasil support over 25 languages and playing is possible with 35 currencies. Currently, these games are available in 19 regulated markets.
Yggdrasil has numerous awards in the niche; just before the Q&A, Yggdrasil won Innovator of the Year at the International Gaming Awards, their seventh innovation award in the industry. This is not surprising considering the quality of games it makes.
Online sots by Yggdrasil are almost instantly recognizable due to their innovative and unusual designs and themes. They are fully mobile-compatible, and offer high RTP rates and various volatility ranges, making sure there is something for everyone. Currently, the company releases around 24 new games per year which is super productive.
On top of that, an additional 50 titles are produced through partner studios of its successful YG Masters program.
The slots by this studio offer different types of winnings ways - paylines, clusters, plus Yggdrasil also makes jackpots. This studio is also known for its GEMs - eight proprietary Game Engagement Mechanics - that boost the excitement of players and make these games even more valuable for online casinos.
Yggdrasil takes Responsible Gambling seriously and while the studio is a B2B supplier, it makes its products according to strict requirements.
If you want to learn more about Yggdrasil, its games, and its innovative ways, you can also check out their podcast called "What’s Up YGG". And of course read our Q&A with Stuart McCarthy, Head of Product & Programs at Yggdrasil, below!
Q&A With Stuart McCarthy, Head of Product & Programs
Yggdrasil is known globally for its innovative GEMs, can you tell us more about these and what makes them so special?
Yggdrasil’s eight proprietary Game Engagement Mechanics, or GEMs, significantly boost the excitement factor of both Yggdrasil core titles and those of our partner studios.
Designed from a player’s perspective, each of these GEMs defines how a slot is played, bringing exciting new elements to gameplay that boosts engagement and winning potential. You’ll see innovative mechanics such as giant symbols, accumulating multipliers, and splitting symbols to name but a few.
Our powerful portfolio of GEMs include MulitMAX™, Gigablox™, DoubleMax™, GigaRise™, WildFight™, DuoMax™, FastPot5™ and Splitz™. We are working on some new exciting GEMs to be released later this year so keep yourself updated in this space.
Which are Yggdrasil’s Top 3 releases in the past twelve months and what makes them stand out from the rest?
We’ve received some incredible feedback for a number of games that are powered by our GEMs. Our DoubleMax™ titles Christmas Plaza DoubleMax™ and Neon Villains DoubleMax™ are particularly special.
The DoubleMax™ GEM sees multipliers double with every cascading win, with no limit. The win potential for these games is enormous and as a result, the player fanbase is huge.
MexoMax MultiMax™ is another game that’s proven very popular. This high volatility cluster pays slot can see players win up to 10,000x their stake by way of a cascade feature, multipliers, and free spins. The MultiMax™ GEM sees players accumulate multipliers on the reels which are applied to each win.
The company has been recognised with a number of industry awards in recent years… What does it take to be an award-winning slot supplier?
Right before ICE London, Yggdrasil won Innovator of the Year at the International Gaming Awards, our seventh innovation award (!) which is pretty amazing in itself.
To be recognised as one of the very best providers in the world of iGaming is a real honour and it’s all down to our willingness to think outside of the box, creating new and exciting player experiences.
We don’t just rest on our laurels and hope for the best, instead, we work incredibly hard to not only keep up with the ever-changing iGaming landscape but to set the pace for the rest of the industry.
There’s so much more to being successful than consistently releasing games on a regular basis. We want to shape the way games are perceived and played, which is why we developed the GEMs to boost gameplay.
How has the market changed since Yggdrasil first entered it?
It would be fair to suggest that the iGaming industry is completely unrecognisable from what it was in 2013. When we first started out, there was much less competition, and as a result, not every supplier was stepping outside of their comfort zone when it comes to creating innovative content.
Today the industry encompasses roughly 1,400 suppliers, operators offer thousands of games on their sites, and on average 7,000 games are released each year. To get through that buzz you really need to create something unique, that stands out and sticks with the players. That said, to achieve that innovation needs to be front and centre.
Adding to that, players have a lot more choices and suppliers are pushing each other to deliver bigger and better games with impressive payouts and features and mechanics that go much further than wild symbols and free spins.
What’s more, everything is significantly better regulated, and player safety sits at the forefront of everyone’s minds, which of course is a huge positive.
In your opinion, what has been the biggest innovation or breakthrough in iGaming today?
I wouldn’t actually say that there’s one single product that’s completely revolutionised the iGaming industry. Instead, I would suggest that innovation has happened gradually over time as suppliers such as ourselves, change the way games are played with new features and mechanics.
Only a few years ago, most online slots were very mainstream, and it was difficult to differentiate between suppliers as many of them released similar titles. Today, you have such a diverse collection of games in casino lobbies. There’s genuinely something for everyone.
A great proof of our success in this space is that our games are viewed as highly entertaining and unique which is driving our streamer collaborations on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
What does the future of iGaming look like to you?
There are streamers and YouTubers racking up hundreds of thousands, if not millions of views on major platforms catapulting our games into the public eye like never before. I believe suppliers will continue to evolve and adapt new technology to stand out from the crowd, and of course how AI technology can improve future game development and player experiences.
2023 marks our 10-year anniversary. We have a great legacy in our game’s portfolio, something we are very proud of. That said, Yggdrasil will continue to push industry boundaries with our GEMs and other innovations.
We will continue to disrupt the industry for many years to come. I have no doubt that other suppliers will be looking at what we’re doing and step up their game. Those that choose not to embrace new technology and cater games to players’ needs will be left behind.
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Eva is the voice of online casino reviews at CasinosHunter. With over a decade of copywriting experience, she ensures all content is clear and accurate. Eva simplifies complex gambling concepts and rules, helping players make informed decisions based on casino facts.
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