COMING SOON, TO A CASINO NEAR YOU
Our annual review of the new slot games to be launched within the next few months
By Frank Legato
Every fall, the international casino industry stages the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the center spot on the casino business calendar. Casino suppliers of all stripes set up exhibits to sell their wares, from dice to cards to casino stools to chips, felt table layouts and bright LED signs.
But every year, the biggest booths are reserved for the slot manufacturers. The world’s slot suppliers use G2E to demonstrate their new games for the world’s casino operators, building dazzling exhibits of new slots, along with new cabinets, signage and anything else to draw attention to the games.
Although many manufacturers release an overview right before the show, little is written about the specifics of the new games, most of which are ready for purchase at the show or within a few months. However, every year, manufacturers give us a sneak peek at the games they are launching at the big trade show. And every year, we pass that sneak peek on to you.
Much of what you see on the following pages is information on new games that is unavailable to players, except for this annual report from Strictly Slots. So here, in alphabetical order by manufacturer, is a sample of the entertainment, fun game features, and innovation in game style coming to you in the near future.
Good luck at the games!
AGS
While AGS is one of many slot suppliers introducing a new cabinet at G2E—in this case, the Gl UR43, a 43-inch portrait cabinet featuring 16 controllable lighting zones—the cabinet’s technology was developed right alongside its launch games, not the least of which is the latest in the franchise Rakin’ Bacon! game family, which includes a total of 15 titles.
At G2E, AGS is debuting Rakin’ Bacon!
Ultra on the Gl cabinet, with new titles Squeallionaire and Bankrollers. At the heart of the games are four collection pots represented by “Cornsquealius,” the animated gold piggy bank that serves as the game’s mascot. The different-sized pigs representing the pots are stacked over the reels, with the largest one on the top.
As cash-on-reels symbols send coins to the pigs, they squish together, with the largest one weighing down the smaller pigs, who react with grunts and sweat in hilarious animation. Any one cash-on- reels symbol can trigger one or more enhanced free-spin bonuses:
“Boost,” the smallest piggy, randomly boosts the value of three to seven cash-on-reels symbols during the free spins. Rising in pig size, “Transform” replaces the lower-paying poker symbols with cash-on- reels coins. “Multi” adds additional reel sets, up to four, and “Waterfall,” the largest piggy, causes cash-on-reel symbols to cascade down from higher to lower reel windows for additional payments.
Next up on Gl is Roaring Express, a train-themed game packed with bonus features. Base titles Tiger General and Empress Warrior each feature a “Hold & Win” bonus in which filling all 15 spots with cash-on-reels and/or jackpot icons returns a Grand jackpot. Landing a “Lucky 8” symbol during the hold-and- spin feature triggers the Roaring Jackpot Bonus, a secondary hold-and- spin feature within the main feature, in which filling all positions on an eight-space grid returns a Roaring Jackpot progressive in the thousands.
Landing a train symbol on the reels triggers the Roaring Express Bonus, in which trains appear on the reels, each carrying a repeat-win cash-on-reels enhancement when the symbol lands.
The third family debuting on Gl is Hu Bao Bei (launch titles Tiger Bloom and Tiger Riches), featuring collection pots of gold coins that can trigger free spins with enhancements. What’s unique is that even if a single pot triggers the free spins, the other free-spin bonus features can be triggered within those free spins, creating a bonus chain.
In addition to the pots, the free spins can be triggered with different-colored coins. Three or more blue coins trigger free spins with expanding wilds. Six or more red coins trigger “Spin Spree,” in which cash symbols collect above the reels to form a “Spree Pot,” won by landing a gold “Win” bag. Purple “Win” bags add a 2X, 3X or 8X multiplier to the pot.
A single green coin can trigger the “Jackpot Pick” bonus, where matching three jackpot icons during the free spins wins that jackpot.
On the mechanical-reel side, AGS is launching Jackpot Legends, a three-reel, nine- line stepper with cash-on-reels symbols appearing as gongs, adding up to form what- you-see-is-what-you-get pays. In addition to the cash-on-reels gongs are special bonus symbols.
“Dagon Double” doubles any cash-on-reels wins. “Tiger Spin” re-spins any non-winning reels. “Pheonix Nudge” nudges any blank reel symbol to potentially turn a loss into a win. “Jackpot Wheel” activates a bonus wheel in the video monitor above the reels, which spins to award one of four jackpots, including the top Grand progressive.
AINSWORTH
As many others, Ainsworth is launching a new cabinet, the Raptor A865. It is a large-format follow-up to the Raptor A849 (launched in 2023) and its 49-inch portrait monitor, injecting a cinematic quality with a 65-inch J- curve monitor.
Highlighting those games at G2E will be Ainsworth’s hit Dragon Legacy game family on the Raptor A865. Launched on the A849 earlier this year, the game’s two base games, Dragon Legacy Wood and Dragon Legacy Metal, have been big hits with players.
The games feature five independent collection pots, each leading to a unique bonus feature. Special symbols shoot up to feed the five collection pots, any one of which can trigger its designated bonus.
The pots include “Premium Symbols”— which transform regular symbols into higher-paying symbols—“Free Games,” ”Jackpot Pick,” “Wheel Spin” and the first-of-its-kind “Red Envelope Reveal.”
Red Envelope Reveal carves out a “pay zone,” and when the target symbol lands in the zone, the player is awarded the corresponding credit award multiplied by a mystery multiplier that is revealed to the player at the beginning of the bonus through a unique scratch-off feature.
Dragon Legacy will be accompanied by G2E launches of new games on all the variations of the Raptor cabinet line. At the front is ancient Egypt-themed Shrine of the Guardian, which features three collection pots that enhance a unique “Prize Catch” bonus feature.
Launch games are Bastet and Anubis, the names reflecting the main characters that host the reel-spinning and bonus features. The characters both come from Egyptian mythology. Bastet is a lioness goddess; Anubis is the god of tombs, with the head of a jackal. (They’re a lot friendlier here than the traditional mythical entities.)
When the Prize Catch feature is triggered, the screen displays a five-by-eight grid, and the player is granted free spins to land cash-on-reels symbols. The game character appears on a win- zone grid that floats around the screen as cash- on-reels symbols cascade down to the screen, awarding prizes that are in the zone when the spin stops.
Landing gems on a spin expands the Prize Catch win zone, “catching” more prizes. Gems and diamonds accumulate to award bonus prizes.
The pot enhancements that can trigger the Prize Catch feature include “Growth,” which adds diamond symbols to progress more quickly toward the large bonus; “Flood,” which unleashes a huge overlay of cash-on-reels symbols that cascade down the grid for multiple cash awards; and “Repeat,” which repeats the blue gem symbols.
Landing four scarab symbols in the feature triggers a secondary feature within the main bonus. The screen switches to the “Treasure Room,” housing a pyramid-shaped stack of 10 boxes. A hold-and-spin sequence follows, in which landing cash rewards in all 10 boxes returns the Grand progressive jackpot, resetting at $10,000 or $20,000, depending on denomination.
On the new Raptor cabinet is Thunder Cash, which features a simple cash-on-reels format in the primary five-reel game. Landing Thunder Cash symbols on reels 1 and/or 5 awards all cash-on-reels symbols or lower-level jackpot icons on the screen. Landing more than one Thunder Cash symbol on either reel applies multipliers to the cash prizes.
A random “Thunder Respin” feature locks the Thunder Cash symbols on the first or fifth reel and awards three re-spins with all cash or jackpot symbols returning instant awards.
Another random feature is “High Roller Free Spins.” The player is awarded 10 free spins, with all cash-on-reels values multiplied.
In addition to the G2E show releases will be a few games to be released in early 2027.
Among those are Make it Big Tiki Totems and Cash Lab. The former features a hold-and-spin bonus on a three-level grid, with bronze, silver and gold Tiki symbols landing prizes that are larger with each color. Cash Lab is a three-pot game featuring a mad scientist character and enhancements to a hold-and-spin feature.
Another upcoming game is a new version of Bubble Up, the hit game featuring fish in tubes above the reels that rise until they trigger a free-games feature. In this case, sharks replace the fish in a funny bonus round featuring animated shark characters.
ARISTOCRAT
Aristocrat is pumping new life into its major slot brands, headed by games on the company’s new Reign Single cabinet, a behemoth presentation featuring a curved 52- inch 4K touchscreen portrait monitor.
Heading up the games on the Reign presentation is a new addition to the Spooky Link series of progressive slots that began with Mo’ Mummy and continued with Go Ghost and Yo Yeti, each containing a spooky but funny game character hosting the bonus events.
Aristocrat will launch three Spooky Link titles at G2E, each with a new spooky-but-funny character. Mo’ Magic features a witch; So Scary, a vampire; and Wo’ Wolfie, a wolf. There are three collection pots in each game, which enhance a free-spin bonus.
The Hold & Spin feature is in a “win-zone” format, with all symbols paying that land in the floating “Cash Collect” box. The two pots common to all games are “Mo’ Spins,” which extends the bonus; and “Mo’ Symbols,” which adds winning symbols to the pay zone.
The middle pot, carrying the title and character of the game, grants a different enhancement in each title. The witch in Mo’ Magic grants an additional spin within the Cash Collect box to land additional prizes. The vampire in So Scary releases bats from the top of the screen that fly down to add multipliers and additional spins to the landed values. The wolf in Wo’ Wolfie reveals moon symbols on the reels that award prizes.
Also on the Reign Single is Fee-Fi-Fo Fortunes, a game themed around a fairy-tale giant with three overlapping metamorphic features combined with two wheels that determine the number of free games and award additional enhancements to the free games.
The pots are Giant Swap, which upgrades picture symbols to wild symbols on reels 2 to 5; Giant Loot, which adds cash values onto each wild symbol that pay when the wild forms a winning combination; and Giant Wild, which adds wilds to the reels that combine into giant wild symbols.
The other game featuring a two-level pot enhancement feature is Buffalo Super Rush, which features “Super” levels for each of four collection pots that can trigger and enhance a Hold & Spin bonus feature.
The game comes from the same studio as the venerable Mo’ Mummy, and includes the “Cash Collect” feature launched in that title. This is the first time it’s applied to the iconic Buffalo game franchise.
Coin symbols in the base game feed any of four pots, which can randomly upgrade to “Super” level in the Hold & Spin feature. “Extra Spins” adds one spin on Diamond or Coin symbols; “Super Extra Spins” adds two spins. “Extra Reels” grows the bonus matrix from four- by-five to seven-by-five; “Super Extra Reels” adds another two rows for a nine-by-five array.
“Extra Power” awards a 2X multiplier to the active grid; “Super Extra Power” adds a 3X multiplier. “Extra Symbols” lands two prizes in one position. “Super Extra Symbols” awards three pays in one position.
There also is a free-spin feature with pays landing in a moving win zone.
One of the highlights in this year’s Aristocrat lineup is a return of the Tarzan brand. Tarzan Unleashed includes a unique Hold & Spin feature that has the ape man swinging on a vine across the screen to add perks to the bonus.
The basic Hold & Spin feature begins on a four-by-five array, but reaching thresholds of coins unlocks up to seven additional rows, for an 11-by-five array. Randomly during the feature, Tarzan will swing across the screen and add cash-on-reels prizes (the “Super Feature”). In another feature, Tarzan appears at the corner of the screen and shoots arrows at the reels to add cash-on-reels prizes or multipliers to existing prizes.
ARUZE GAMING GLOBAL
Aruze is launching the Summit Reach cabinet, an elaborate setup that uses a huge interactive LED display to link games on a bank of Muso Summit cabinets. The individual games seem to float over the nine-foot backing screen during play. Game play extends to the overhead display, including enormous spinning wheels and other game elements.
The launch games for the cabinet are Triple Treasure-Wheel and Magic Unleashed. Triple Treasure-Wheel uses the big display for the games’ central bonus wheel. It is a three-pot game with base titles Fortune’s Domain and Forbidden Spoils. All the bonus pots appear as wheels, and each triggers an enhancement to a free-spin round.
When wheel symbols land on the reels, the big wheel spins to land either a jackpot or one, two or all three of the bonus features—“Coin Nudge,” “Jackpots” and “Expander Reels.” Coin Nudge triggers stacked cash-on-reels symbols with multipliers.
On the Lightscape cabinet is Gong Cash Extreme, a brand extension to the original Gong Cash, which is distinguished cash-on-reels symbols display as gongs.
The new game adds three metamorphic pots to the mix “Double Cash,” “Expand Reel” and “Extra Spin.” One or more can trigger an enhanced free-spin bonus round. Double Cash places blue frames around random reel spots in the free games, and doubles any gong amount landing there. Expand Reels boosts the reel array by two rows, to a three-by-five grid. Extra Spin extends the feature.
BLUBERI
In the first half of 2025, the company launched Beacon+ Lighthouse, a new cabinet design that creates an immersive environment that heightens player excitement and deepens engagement using synchronized lighting an reactive audio. And at G2E 2025, the company introduced the Beacon Jumbo cabinet, featuring a 75-inch high-resolution C-curve monitor.
This year, the sights of Lighthouse will accompanied by a new revolution in sound. Called SoundWave, it is a new banking solution that combines immersive audio, synchronized lighting and engaging game content to create a dynamic experience.
At G2E, Bluberi is launching the first t games equipped with the SoundWave audio package, Ashes to Riches and Reign of the Panther.
Ashes to Riches is a three-pot game with some unique enhancements. In the base game, cash balls (cash-on-reels symbols) land and accumulate on a meter above the reels. When four are collected, they pay off the cash-on-reels values, sometimes with a multiplier. If five are accumulated, all cash values are doubled, and six trigger a bonus wheel that can lead to any of the game’s jackpots.
The pots serve as enhancements to a hold- and-spin bonus that plays out on a five-by-one grid. The “Boost” pot increases the amounts on locked cash balls. “Multiply” applies multipliers to random cash balls. “Merge” collects all cash values in a column into one cash ball. Pot enhancements beyond the triggering pot are awarded by landing volcano triggers.
In a feature similar to the stacking cash symbols in the hit game Timber Jack, cash-on-reels values landing in the hold-and-spin feature stack above the reels, randomly awarding the accumulated amount as a bonus beyond the total of the locked cash balls.
The other launch title for the SoundWave attraction is where the panther roar comes in— Reign of the Panther. It features five enhancement pots, which apply to a hold-and-spin bonus. The five pots are “Instant Win,” “Free Games,” “Jackpot,” “Panther Extra Boost” and “Panther Multiplier.”
There also is a repeat-pay feature in the hold-and-spin round. Every time a special cash ball lands, the cash ball that triggered the feature is boosted, becoming more valuable with each spin.
In addition to the SoundWave games, Bluberi is launching several other titles on the Beacon Elite and Beacon+ cabinets. Heading the list is Rocket Gong. It duplicates the program math of Gold Bomber, a surprise hit for Bluberi earlier this year. The new game replaces the Irish clover-and- leprechaun theme with an Asian theme.
The new game retains the unique “bookending cash balls” feature, in which cash balls (cash-on-reels symbols) landing two or more reel spots apart will merge horizontally or vertically, filling in the middle spaces to trigger the hold-and-spin in the free games. Also, like Gold Bomber, Rocket Gong features generous fixed jackpots of $45 for the Mini and $90 for the Minor in the penny version of the game. These land alongside cash awards in two hold-and-spin features.
There is one central pot—a gong, in this case—that can trigger the main hold-and-spin feature. Six cash balls in the primary game also trigger the feature.
The game is designed to award blackouts (all 15 spaces filled in the hold-and- spin) with great frequency. Filling all 15 spots in the hold-and-spin bonus with cash and jackpots (before three spins without a prize) triggers the “Rocket Wheel,” which spins to either a multiplier (2X-5X) applied to the accumulated cash awards or one of the top two progressives—a Major resetting at $800 or the Grand, starting at $10,000.
Landing a special symbol in the hold- and-spin round triggers a secondary hold- and-spin nested within the main feature. The three-spin cycle here applies to eight spaces, represented by gongs. Filling all eight returns the Rocket Gong Jackpot, a progressive resetting at $1,000.The Rocket Wheel also can be triggered in this feature, offering a crack at the Grand jackpot.
ECLIPSE GAMING SYSTEMS
Eclipse is featuring a game that should debut in casinos this month. Precious Pot is a two-game series featuring themed versions of a grinning feline character in base games Kung-Fu Kitty and Sakura Samurai.
The Asian-style game has a single central pot, but multiple bonus outcomes can be attained. When the pot fills with coins, the cat appears and knocks it over to trigger a pick ’em screen. The player picks to match three jackpot icons or three bonus symbols to trigger a free-spin round. (Three scatters in the base game also trigger the feature.)
“Grow” symbols in the free spins expand the reel on which they land, so the overall reel array keeps changing, with a meter keeping track of the ways to win on each spin. Extra spins can be won on the free spins, and the pot can burst again for a new picking bonus.
Of the games to debut at G2E, one highlight is the follow-up to last year’s hit Banana Bash. Eclipse is launching a brand extension with two tropical island-themed base games, Banana Bash Sunrise Stack and Banana Bash Sunset Shakes.
The familiar monkey character from the original game hosts the Sunrise Stack version, and the Sunset Shakes version features a new character—a laid-back orangutan in a Hawaiian shirt. Each performs an entertaining bit in a central hold-and-spin bonus triggered by one of four pots. “Flambe,” “Pie” and “Split” pots are carried over from the original game, with the fourth pot unique to each new title.
On Sunrise Stacks, the “Stack” pot sends the monkey into action, flipping up to 18 pancakes to form a growing cash-on-screen prize, delivered when the Stack symbol lands on the reels. In Sunset Shake, the Orangutan mixes up cash-on- reels prizes in a blender to be awarded when the special symbol lands.
As in the first game, “Flambe” boosts the value of cash-on-reels symbols, and “Split” splits cash-on-reels symbols into two, doubling the value. (They can split again for four values in one reel spot.) “Pie” triggers a feature within the feature, a secondary hold-and-spin round to fill pie wedges with cash-on-screen values for a secondary jackpot. Filling the entire pie also grants a 2X-10X multiplier on the cash-on-screen value.
In addition to bursting a pot, the bonus can be triggered with three coolers on the reels—silver coolers for the normal hold-and-spin; gold coolers for a double reel array in the feature.
One of the strengths of the Banana Bash series has been its program math, so Eclipse is duplicating that math in Power Bash, a game family with two base games to appeal to different players. Power Bash Surging Barrels is themed to the oil fields, with a wealthy oil tycoon as the main character. Power Bash Surging Reactors goes the nuclear power plant route, with the character in a biohazard suit, holding a wrench to “fix” the reactor.
Eclipse’s new games this year also include several extensions of proven brands, starting with a refresh to the Big and Bad series. The company will bring back the werewolf character with the plaid shirt for two new entries in what is now the Storytime Spins series, Big and Bad and Little and Mad.
The other brand extension is Wicked Mad Hot Pots, another revival of a proven slot brand.
GAMING ARTS
Gaming Arts is launching Wild Temple 2, a sequel to Gaming Arts’ most successful title. Wild Temple 2, appropriately, has two characters in each base game (Panda & Tiger, Panda & Monkey).The characters act as collection pots that expand the reel array (Extra Symbols) and extend the bonus feature (Extra Spins).
Meanwhile, a new game family being launched at G2E is unique in another way:The games are presented with completely black- and-white imagery, with a couple of important exceptions. Showtime Hollywood and Show- time Las Vegas take the player into the old-timey black-and-white vibe of the ’40s and ’50s, with a lady character in Hollywood and a male character in a Las Vegas club.
Each game displays the game character next to a black-and-white bonus wheel at the top of the monitor above the reels. When a wheel bonus is triggered, the wheel splashes to life in color, providing the only contrast to the black-and-white display.
Other new releases include Mysteries of Atlantis, a three-pot game with sunken treasure chests as the prizes; and Gaming Arts’ first foray into premium licensed gaming ops offerings—The Goonies and The Jetsons.
The Goonies is based on the 1985 adventure comedy film about a quest by a group of children who use a treasure map to search for a long-lost fortune. (It was based on a Steven Spielberg story.) There is an online game based on the film from Blueprint, one of Gaming Arts’ game development partners.
Also part of the Warners partnership is a new video slot based on The Jetsons, the cartoon series about a space-age family that originally ran from 1962 to 1963 and was revived for three years in the 1980s.The game reflects the shows from both eras.
IGT
IGT is launching games in all its diverse cabinet packages, with presentations in every size and shape.
In the core video category on the big Rise55 cabinet, IGT has reworked last year’s Piggz Link series, which previewed with base games Frankenswine and Jucifer. The new version features the base games Frankenswine and Prince of Porkness.
Frankenswine, of course, is a pig version of the famous monster. The Prince of Porkness is a swine devil, complete with horns and a red suit. Both serve as hosts to three bonus events, triggered by the individual pots. As with the original version, the pots are “Pig a Prize,” triggering a picking game; and free-spin events with pots “Monster Money” and “Free Spins.”
The Pig a Prize bonus is a pick feature with credit values, feature modifier boosts, and jackpot chances including the Grand progressive resetting at $10,000. In Monster Money, the player is given free “Monster Spins,” with a floating win zone that changes size with each spin.
Also on the Rise55 cabinet are Blazin’ Bags, a two-game set featuring multiple wheels, free games and hold-and-spin bonuses; and the Triple Coin series, with Grand Buddha Triple Coin and Grand Cat Triple Coin.
Blazin’ Bags, with Gold and Jade base games, features a concentric wheel, with features and lower-level jackpots on the inner wheel, along with an “Upgrade” symbol that unlocks the outer wheel, which includes upgraded features and the jackpots, including the Grand jackpot resetting at $10,000.
The Triple Coin series features the Buddha or cat character residing over three collection pots, marked “Prosperity or Blessing,” “Luck” and “Wealth.” One or more of the pots can burst to trigger an enhanced four-array hold-and-spin feature. Prosperity or Blessing provides extra spins. Luck gathers all cash-on-reels awards on the screen and collects them into one symbol. Wealth multiplies cash-on-reels symbols on the lower screen to the higher grids.
In the mechanical-reel category, IGT features a selection of games on cabinets of both IGT and Everi—the IGT DiamondRS series and Everi cabinets headed by the Player Classic Premiere, launched last year.
The DiamondRS cabinet features the Diamond Glass transmissive reel overlay, which allows certain video-style bonuses to be added to the mechanical-reel games. This year, highlights on the DiamondRS cabinet include the five-reel Big Shot Pinball and the three-reel Double Chili Mania Extremo Banditos!
Big Shot Pinball is an extension of IGT’s classic Pinball slot. On the top monitor is a pinball prize board, including credits on video pegs and an outer wheel including multipliers and the game’s three jackpots. In a lightbox-style bonus, scatter symbols award one, two or three launches of the pinball to the bonus screen. The ball bounces among jackpots, credits, credits with a re-spin, and a wheel symbol. The sound system serves up the authentic sound of pinball.
If the ball touches the wheel symbol, the wheel spins for multipliers up to 10X applied to the pinball prizes, or one of the jackpots, including the Grand, resetting at $20,000.
Double Chili Mania Extremo Banditos! adds a pot-collection bonus to a DiamondRS three-reel, 27-line game. On the top box are three collection pots. Special symbols on the reels add peppers to each of the pots, which increment the nine jackpots on the top screen. As peppers are collected, they move to the next jackpot on the prize ladder.
Meanwhile, two additional larger jackpots are available by collecting money bags or Double 2X Chili Mania symbols. Money bags collected in that pot can trigger a jackpot resetting at $2,500 and collecting Double 2X Chili Mania symbol can trigger a jackpot resetting at $5,000.
The game features voice-overs provided by Lady Luck, the popular slot influencer.
The Wheel of Fortune brand—celebrating its 30th anniversary this year—is well- represented in this year’s IGT Premium category. Wheel of Fortune Magic Coins, featured on the Rise55 cabinet, is packed with multiple wheels, a jackpot bonus, a free-spin bonus and a Lock & Respin hold-and-spin feature.
As usual, IGT is featuring several new specialty video poker games, adding to its growing series of video poker games that offer bonus features for a higher per-hand wager.
Hyper X Poker, available on the standalone CrystalSlant or Sierra cabinets, adds a random multiplier of 2X-10X to dealt winning hands, in exchange for a five-credit bonus bet. Every dealt winning hand gets varying individual multipliers on each hand in play in Triple Play, Five Play and Ten Play configurations, so multipliers are never wasted on a non-winning hand.
Top of the Deck Poker adds a random multiplier linked to the first card dealt. When the feature is active (for a three-credit or five- credit bonus bet), one in six-to-10 games will add a multiplier ranked according to the first card dealt, with all Aces and face cards worth 10X.This latter feature increases the chances of receiving a 10X multiplier to more than 38 percent when triggered
INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES
Incredible Technologies is launching the new Prism Spark Cabinet, a curved single-screen presentation to accompany the Prism Skybox, released to casinos in mid-2025, which stacks two Ultra HD 43-inch portrait monitors in an overall presentation that is more than 10 feet tall.
The Prism Spark is IT’s first single-screen curved cabinet, featuring a 43-inch UHD monitor, paired with a 27-inch topper for easy player visibility and game recognition. Game-integrated lights surround the display for an eye-catching presentation.
Heading the games launching at G2E on the Prism Spark is Happy Cats, featuring a cheery cat character and four kittens standing above the reels.The kittens are collection pots, named “Whiskers,” “Muffin,” “Mittens” and “Bill.” Each kitten triggers a free-spin round with a different enhancement.
The feature is triggered by any single scatter, but all four enhancements can apply. In all free- spin features, a wild symbol adds an extra free spin.
Whiskers triggers a free-spin round with all the lower-paying poker symbols removed. Muffin triggers a choice of four free-spin rounds, the player essentially picking the volatility of the feature—15 spins on the normal three-by-five reel set for 243 ways to win, 10 spins on a four-by-five array at 1,024 ways to win, five spins on a five-by-five grid with 3,125 ways to win, or three spins on a six-by-five grid with 7,776 ways to win.
Mittens triggers free spins with extra wild symbols. Bill triggers the round on a reel array with random expansions.
Keeping with the cute-animal angle with another Prism Spark game, IT will launch Panda Harmony, which features a win zone-style bonus with a nested hold-and-spin feature. The cute Panda stands with a bag of coins, serving as a single pot that grows until triggering the main bonus.
Six scatter symbols trigger the main Win Zone Bonus event (and the panda dance that happens when the feature is triggered).A bonus grid appears with a glowing win zone, then players spin to land cash-on-reels symbols inside the zone. The bonus continues until three spins without a prize in the win zone.
Five green gems each add an enhancement to the bonus when they land. “Unlock” activates one of three locked rows of symbols at the top of the grid, adding rows for more possible awards. Unlocking all three expands the reels to an eight-by-five grid. The “Credits” scatter contains the largest cash prizes, including four jackpots topped by IT’s SyperSync Progressive, which links all IT games on the floor to a single jackpot The “Grow” gem increases the size of the win zone. The “+1 Spin” extends the feature until four spins without a cash award. “Upgrade” boosts cash awards as they land.
Every time a gem lands, the spin counter returns to three, and the win zone moves to any gem on the grid. The panda helps the player along the way, nudging a win zone to capture more cash prizes, or resetting the spin meter to extend the bonus.
Also on the Spark is Loaded Lotus Link, a brand extension to Lotus Link, which debuted in 2024. The original was a three-pot game, with pots adding credit upgrades, instant wins and expanded reels to a main hold-and-spin bonus feature. Loaded Lotus Link is a seven-pot game, with pots marked “Double,” “Upgrade,” “Unlock,” “Combine,” “Extra Spin,” “Mystery” and “Multiplier.”
The hold-and-spin bonus begins on a three- by-five grid with two locked rows at the top. The “Unlock” enhancement unlocks the rows above, the object being to unlock the top row. Two jackpots and two progressive awards are available and may land on the reels at any time. “Double” doubles the awards on locked scatters. “Upgrade” boosts cash-on-reels values. “Combine” draws all cash-on-reels awards into one combined cash symbol. “Extra Spin” brings the spin meter to four to extend the hold-and- spin bonus.
Heading up the new games on the Prism Skybox is a hilarious hold-and-spin game called Just Buried, only the title is displayed as “Just Married Buried.” It is on the license plate of a car carrying a zombie bride and groom, fresh from their wedding, and burial, all dressed up in gown and tux.
During the base game,“Zombride” scatter symbols send coins up to the car of the “Buried Couple.” The scatters can randomly trigger the “Zombride” hold-and-spin feature. In the feature, three levels of award, purple, blue and green, are available. Reaching scatter thresholds during the feature unlocks the upper rows, expanding the collection area.
The zombie couple is flanked by gift boxes that look curiously like coffins. Zombride scatters on the reels unlock those awards in a ladder-style bonus feature. There also is a “Groombie” free-spin bonus with “Instant Pays” from the zombie bride.
The animation in this game is remarkable. The “Just Buried” car flies past graveyards—the game developer even put messages on the headstones that appear as the car passes, a fine detail to the scene. When there’s a win celebration, the zombie bride and groom do a funny victory dance—it appears to be the Frug—on top of the car.
Also on the Prism Skybox is Lucky Tides Lock ’N’ Boost, featuring puffer fish as the cash-on-reels symbols. Six or more of the fish trigger a “Lock ’N’ Boost” feature. During the feature, puffer fish lock with a green, purple or red frame on the reel spot. Each frame color signals a higher cash value. The second time a puffer fish lands on a reel spot, the frame changes from green to purple, and to the highest red level when landing a third time. The red level includes the jackpots, including the top SuperSync progressive.
KONAMI GAMING
At G2E, Konami is launching two more cabinets in the Solstice range. In the large- format genre is the Solstice SuperNova, standing 11 feet tall with an imposing 75-inch C- curve display. On the jumbo Solstice SuperNova is a brand extension of the global hit Dragon’s Law Fortune.
Dragon’s Law Super Fortune Bags and Dragon’s Law Super Fortune Pots both activate three reel arrays with anything more than the minimum 88-credit bet. Any of the reel frames can trigger free games with a combination of extra wilds, bonus/jackpot prizes, and/or even more reel arrays, up to six total.
During the primary game, random wilds drop on the reel set. There are three collection pots above the reels that can trigger the free games with enhancements. “Double Action” drops extra wilds during the free games. “Double Games” adds double reel sets during the free games. “Jackpot” triggers a game in which wild symbols add letters to spell out one of the game’s four jackpots, including the top Grand.
Features that were not originally triggered can be awarded through the wheel-spin feature, along with additional spins and additional wilds.
On the new Solstice 27C is Bull Blitz Rampage. Bull Blitz Rampage is a follow-up to Konami’s original Bull Blitz with a rush of new features, including a nested bonus within a hold-and-spin feature, a wheel-spin mechanic and new symbol-driven events. The launch titles are Fire Mountain and Minotaur’s Treasure.
By boosting their bet to a higher denomination, players can reduce the minimum number of symbols required to guarantee hold-and-spin feature. New symbols like the Red Bull guarantee a bonus prize. The white bull symbol triggers a feature within the feature, called the Rampage Feature. A grid of individual reels appears, up to nine reels. A hold-and-spin feature progresses on the giant grid. Lower-level jackpots are included in the feature.
There also is a free-spin bonus, five free games with increased bull symbols or a wheel-spin chance into the hold-and-spin, depending on the base game. Konami is using G2E to launch several new games on the Solstice 49C portrait cabinet. One of the highlights is Sparkle Combo.
The base games in Sparkle Combo are Majestic Moon and Solstice Celebration. Animated moon and sun characters sit at the center of each screen. (The moon character, with a smiling face, recalls the personified moon in the 1902 film Trip to the Moon, only without the rocket crashing into its face.)
The moon and sun characters double as one of three collection pots, marked “Extra Wilds.” The other pots are “Extra Frames” and “Spin Boost” or “Multiplier,” depending on the base game. The series’ new triple bonus feature is triggered through perceived persistence in growing piles of gems, which can overflow into free games with nudging wilds, extra wilds, a bonus reel frame and/or random multipliers. The series’ transformation feature can transport players to a wheel-spin bonus, for the chance at big credit prizes, bonus awards, or one of the four jackpots, including the top Grand.
LIGHT & WONDER
At the show, L&W is launching the Lightwave Solar cabinet, featuring a 49-inch Ultra HD LCD integrated with an enhanced digital MLED surround, giving it a commanding 65-inch multi-plane surface of display.
The two launch titles for the LightWave Solar cabinet take full advantage of the immersive environment created by the cinematic presentation. A play on L&W’s HotPots brand, Hot Hot Flaming Pots features two hold-and-spin features, the second trigger within the first.
Hot Hot Flaming Pots features three distinct hold-and-spin-style features: the Order Up Feature, the Hot Order Up Feature, and the Hot Hot Order Up Feature.
Landing three scatter symbols triggers the Hot Wheel Feature. From there, players have the opportunity to advance into the upgraded Hot Hot Wheel Feature.Within the Hot Wheel Feature, every Stack Win is awarded with a 2X multiplier. In the upgraded Hot Hot Wheel Feature, every Stack Win is enhanced with a 3X multiplier.
During any Order Up Feature, peppers above the reels fill pots that activate the letters in “GRAND.” When all GRAND letters are activated, the Grand progressive jackpot is awarded.
When a Honey Pot symbol lands, it collects the values of all cash-on-reels symbols into its own value.
Hot Trio Fiesta Caliente, a new three-pot game, wraps a chili-pepper theme around a hold-and-spin feature that changes depending on which pots fill, alone or in combination.
Each of the three peppers carries its own enhancement. Orange delivers 2X3X Surge, doubling or tripling cash-on-reels awards, including jackpots. Green triggers Grande Reels, expanding the hold-and-spin interface to as many as six rows high. Red starts Fiesta Spin, where red peppers build a multiplier of up to 7X that then applies to every prize in a second, nested hold-and-spin round.
That round, the Piñata Fiesta Spin, has eight positions wrapped around an oversized center position that carries the largest prizes and jackpots. Fill every position on the piñata and the game pays the Fiesta progressive jackpot, resetting at $1,000.
A highlighted game launching at G2E on the Solar LightWave cabinet is A Purrate’s Life, featuring a feline pirate straddling treasure chest collection pots. Next to the cat are rows of credit awards floating above the sea.
In the primary game (Treasure Treats or Amethyst Fortunes), when a “catalyst” coin symbol lands on the first reel, any tuna can symbols on reels 2-5 award random values from the floating prize board. (It is the same prize-board mechanic used in L&W’s Universal Monster series.)
There are changing multiplier values above each reel. When a credit feature occurs, any credit values on a given reel are multiplied by that reel’s multiplier. The collection pots—“Extra Games” “Multiplier” and “Expanding” enhance a free-game feature The “Expanding” feature adds a row to the reel array when a blue gem lands on any reel.
On the Jumbo Horizon cabinet is the latest game in L&W’s Universal Monster series, Dracula Rising.
Like other games in the Universal Monster game family, prizes in the bonus round zap from the “head shot” of the monster—in this case, Dracula—to an overhead prize board with a lightning bolt that animates while the prize is being awarded. It is particularly entertaining in the LightWave format, with the giant Dracula head on the backing canvas reacting in concert with the character on the screen.
Landing heart symbols on reels 1 or 5 and any wilds on the middle reels triggers the Dracula Bonus, in which four unique colored Dracula symbols zap prizes to the overhead board.
One of the highlights of the G2E show is an elaborate spectacle of a game on the towering Cosmic Sky cabinet, which rises over 11 feet and features stacked 55-inch portrait monitors. Enter the Fun House uses this setup to create a carnival/arcade/circus theme that incorporates a trip to the fun house into reel symbols and bonus events.
Throw the ball into the clown’s mouth to trigger the hold & spin. Four circus characters each provide a different enhancement. Additional enhancements can be triggered within the feature. There are fun images popping up throughout the features, and funny animated sequences throughout. There is a “Fun House Bonus” that plays out as an old-style lightbox bonus. There are fun twists like the “World’s Smallest Mini,” that starts at $1, but increases for every arcade-style prize ticket issued.
