Pragmatic Play’s underwater blockbuster still tops Canadian charts in 2025 thanks to its 96.50% RTP, 10,000× max win, three random wild modifiers and high-volatility thrills; this review unpacks the features, strategies and mobile performance that keep it a must-spin.
Review of Release the Kraken in Canada’s 2025 slot landscape
Pragmatic Play launched Release the Kraken in January 2020. Five years later, it still commands lobby space in every Canadian-facing platform that carries the studio catalogue. The slot’s cartoon art style looks light-hearted, yet the math model sits in the same volatility tier as infamous bankroll-chewers like Dog House. That contrast keeps veterans curious and newcomers alert.
Traffic data shows the title hovering between fifth and eighth place in weekly spin volume during 2024. Reporting similar traction, a younger Curacao-regulated lobby averages 320,000 daily rounds on its Ontario geo-site. Those numbers eclipse many newer releases, including some Megaways firecrackers, proving that Canadians still circle back to the trusted Kraken.
Why the staying power? It is a mix of solid specs and cultural familiarity. Coastal Canadians have grown up on maritime myths, and the slot riffs on that folklore without slipping into horror. Bright reefs, goofy sharks, and a mischievous tentacle turn old legends into Saturday-morning cartoon entertainment, which makes high odds of ruin feel less intimidating.
Streamer visibility amplifies the appeal. A Toronto-based Twitch celebrity built an entire bonus-hunt segment around Kraken in February 2025. That episode pulled 42,000 live viewers and sparked countless threads about “the chest that got away.” Every time a familiar face on Twitch lands a 1,000 × screen, casual players follow. Pragmatic keeps feeding that loop with short teaser clips on its social feeds, ensuring the buzz rarely goes silent for long.
Differences in the 5 × 4 ocean grid
Most Pragmatic workhorses, such as Wolf Gold, Hot Fiesta, and Buffalo King, sit on a 5 × 3 matrix. Release the Kraken adds a fourth row yet sticks to fixed paylines instead of using the 1,024-ways pattern common on tall grids. That decision impacts rhythm more than many realize. Extra height gives low-tier symbols an additional stop position, so line wins appear slightly more often. They are still tiny, but they break up losing streaks and encourage longer sessions.
Another side effect is visual scale. The colossal wild symbol measures three rows high and four reels wide. On a standard 5 × 3 grid, that block would cover the entire screen and trigger an automatic max win, a balance-breaking outcome Pragmatic never intended. By stretching the canvas to 5 × 4, the studio unlocked giant wild drama without handing out accidental jackpots every hundred thousand spins.
Payline count also shifts between phases. In the base game, 20 lines snake across the grid. When scatters unlock free spins, the board doubles to 40 active lines, matching the bigger vertical space. That doubling moment feels like a physical expansion; players see lines redraw in gold, and the audio intensifies to echo submarine ballast filling with water.
Canadian reviewers often overlook one technical nuance. A 5 × 4 board with 20 lines spreads hit potential horizontally, so high-pay combos rarely land stacked on a single reel. They tend to snake diagonally. That shape looks messier than the classic left-to-right rows in Sweet Bonanza, yet it keeps anticipation alive because any new high symbol can extend a win. Pragmatic’s stats sheet confirms a 1-in-3.9 chance that a five-of-a-kind shark connects diagonally rather than straight. Knowledgeable players learn to read those angles and cheer accordingly.
Random wild modifiers
Plain underwater slots usually offer only free spins. Release the Kraken adds three random wild events during the base game. Each one appears when chests land simultaneously on reels one and three, then slides in a third chest on reel five. The reels dim, dramatic strings hit, and you pick one gold clasp. The selected scroll decides which wild storm sweeps the grid.
Before we break down the trio, remember that every modifier has its own tiny return-to-player slice baked into the overall 96.50 %.
- Kraken Lock-In Wilds drops sticky wilds, spins the three open reels, then lets you pick further chests for extra wilds or the dreaded Collect symbol. Each accepted wild step increases a shadow counter that feeds the global bonus multiplier, so tension rises with every selection.
- Colossal Kraken Wilds slaps a 3 × 4 block on the grid. That slab can land fully in view or halfway offscreen. When it hits dead-centre, it guarantees at least one five-line combo. When it leans left or right, you may hit nothing, which makes the modifier simultaneously thrilling and maddening.
- Infectious Kraken Wilds works like viral symbols in Nolimit City titles. One or more wilds land, then adjacent positions mutate into additional wilds. The pattern spreads in a cross rather than diagonally, creating tidy clusters that often fill two full reels.
These effects fire on average once every 141 base spins. That frequency is low, yet each occurrence grabs attention, plays unique soundtracks, and keeps the experience fresher than many ocean competitors.
Missing features compared with Gates of Olympus and Sweet Bonanza
Players who migrate from Gates or Sweet often expect rolling multipliers and unlimited tumble chains. They will not find them here. Release the Kraken uses a static reel spin. When wins land, payouts show, and then reels stop completely before the next wager. The design reflects 2020 trends rather than current avalanche mania.
Another missing piece is scatter retrigger depth. Sweet Bonanza can add five, ten, or even fifteen extra spins if lollipop scatters rain during its bonus. Kraken limits retriggers. Once the chest selection ends and the reel set opens to 40 lines, you live with whatever spin count you picked, between seven and twelve for 95 % of triggers.
The difference impacts statistical ceilings. Gates and Sweet chalk up roughly one third of their 2,000 ×–5,000 × hits to stacked retriggers. Kraken’s path to glory relies on climbing wild multipliers, which climb to 10 × at best. Fewer internal boosters mean fewer incidental monster hits. Pragmatic balanced the deficit by setting Kraken’s absolute top payout at 10,000 ×, comfortably higher than Gates’ 5,000 ×. Yet you must recognize that the probability tail is thinner; you will rarely see 7,000 × intermediate smashes. Instead, expect either modest 200 ×–800 × clusters or the full screen miracle.
Ratings by Canadian critics and streamers
Industry watchers like empirical scores, so collated numbers help. Several reviewers publish numeric ratings, while others offer qualitative verdicts. Aggregating them paints a fair picture of Canadian sentiment.
| Outlet or Poll | Kraken Score | Big Bass Bonanza Score | Snapshot Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gambling Zone CA | 6 / 10 | 7.5 / 10 | Bass praised for laid-back grind |
| AboutSlots (global with CA traffic) | 7.8 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Kraken lauded for visuals |
| Twitch Canada poll, April 2025 (1,500 votes) | 4.1 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 | Slight edge to Kraken for excitement |
| Casino.org review staff | 3.5 / 5 | 4 / 5 | Bass easier on bankroll |
Scores alone never tell the complete story. Big Bass Bonanza attracts small-stake players who enjoy slow, regular hits. Its progressive iterations keep the fisherman character fresh and lend themselves to hundred-spin trials where the wallet barely moves. By contrast, Release the Kraken delivers feast-or-famine sessions. Some nights you feel like Poseidon; others you question every life choice. That high-pressure dynamic skews review grades downward among casual testers but elevates Twitch engagement, because volatility sells eyeballs.
Canadian content creators routinely clip Kraken bonuses for social reels. Their metrics show viewer watch-through rates of 78 % when wild multipliers climb. The same channel’s Big Bass reels average 61 %. High-risk drama, even with lower overall review scores, wins attention minutes, which in turn feeds slot popularity.
Mechanics and features
Understanding micro-rules saves money and nerves. Pick-a-Chest occurs at two points: during base-game wild events and at free-spin entry. The second instance is critical. You begin with three closed chests. Each contains between one and five spins. You may accept the first pull or gamble by opening another. Once you accept, the remaining chest reveals a mystery value to show what you missed. There is no skill, just probability weighted toward seven to eight spins, but declining the gamble feels wrong to many rookies who confuse suspense with agency.
Lock-In Wilds looks like a respin feature but counts each added chest as a separate wager internally. That fact matters for wagering-requirement grinders with active bonus balances. One base-game “spin” might tally three or four bets toward rollover, so track your stake counters carefully.
Roaming Multiplier Wilds live only in free spins. Any new wild resets the global multiplier climb. Once it reaches 10 ×, it stays locked for the remainder of the bonus. If you earn twelve spins, hitting the multiplier ceiling early can convert the final five spins into pure adrenaline. If wilds avoid you, the feature fizzles fast. Accept that roulette vibe and plan bankroll goals accordingly.
High-volatility bankroll strategy
The slot’s variance profile sits at Pragmatic’s maximum. Studio docs list a 1-in-3.5 chance of any winning spin, yet big wins cluster far less frequently. Chasing losses through doubling strategies spells disaster. A Martingale cycle starting at $1 needs $255 after eight blanks, common in Kraken sessions. Even if you survive that gauntlet, the next blank resets no negative expectation. Statistics do not care about your frustration.
Instead, Canadian regulars lean on scalar flat betting. They pick a stake equal to one to two per cent of the total roll and stick to it for 200 spins. If the game hits a free-spin bonus that returns 100 × or better, some players raise stakes by 50 % for the next 50 spins, hoping to ride perceived momentum. That adjustment stays well within risk-of-ruin guidelines because the initial bank has grown.
Session caps protect mental health. Kraken’s audiovisual loop is immersive; time slips. Use the integrated reality-check pop-ups. When the system pings one-hour usage, step away for at least five minutes. No cluster of random events predicts the next outcome, so resting does not hurt but keeps tilt in check.
For high-rollers, staggered bankroll partitions make sense. Allocate three bullets of equal cash size. When the first bullet halves, inject a second to maintain stake size. If the second bullet halves again, quit. Bankroll math shows this twist gives you roughly 25 % more free-spin looks than an all-in single barrel while capping theoretical loss at two-thirds your planned spend.
Comparison with Kraken 2 and Megaways
Pragmatic expanded the franchise to satisfy fans demanding novelty. Each sequel shifts math and presentation. Analyzing them side by side clarifies why some Canadians ignore the newer cousins.
| Spec Piece | Kraken 1 (2020) | Kraken 2 (2022) | Kraken Megaways (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reel & Row Layout | 5 × 4 | 5 × 4 | 6 variable rows |
| Paylines / Ways | 20 → 40 | 20 → 40 | Up to 117,649 ways |
| Default RTP | 96.50 % | 96.03 % | 96.40 % |
| Max Win | 10,000 × | 5,000 × | 10,000 × |
| Buy-Bonus | Rare 100 × variant | 100 × or 250 × dual | 100 × / 150 × tiered |
| Feature Twist | Chest pick + roaming wilds | Deal-or-No-Deal reel + instant cash | Cascading wins + mystery symbols |
| Best Audience | Classic high-risk lovers | Mid-rollers seeking controlled stakes | Megaways speed junkies |
Lower RTP in part two turned off many analytical players, and halved max win diluted gambler fantasy. Kraken Megaways pulled fans back with bigger ways and cascading tension, yet its frantic pace is not everyone’s cup of tea. The original remains the balanced middle ground, especially when a casino does not offer bonus buys to Ontario users.
Position on RTP and max-win tables
Every experienced punter scans RTP and potential rewards before spinning. Release the Kraken positions itself impressively in both categories, as the comparison illustrates.
| Popular Slot | RTP | Max Win | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bass Bonanza | 96.71 % | 2,100 × | Med-High |
| Sweet Bonanza | 96.51 % | 21,175 × | High |
| Release the Kraken | 96.50 % | 10,000 × | High |
| Gates of Olympus | 96.50 % | 5,000 × | High |
| Book of Dead | 96.21 % | 5,000 × | High |
Kraken holds a top-five RTP in Pragmatic’s ocean of titles and maintains a five-figure dream cap that dwarfs many equals. Compared with industry staples like Book of Dead, it offers double the ceiling for a nominal 0.29 % RTP edge.
Bonus buy options
Not every lobby serves the same version of Release the Kraken. The default build, the one approved by most gaming commissions, offers no buy button. Some offshore aggregators add a 100 × toggle that immediately triggers free spins with a random chest pick. The RTP stays at 96.50 %, but variance leaps because you skip the base grind entirely.
Kraken 2 adopted a two-step shop: 100 × buys the regular bonus, 250 × buys an upgraded five-scatter entry with higher minimum multipliers. Pragmatic pairs that price hike with a slim RTP increase to 96.06 %, which fails to outweigh the cost for value-hunters.
Kraken Megaways refined the spread. A 100 × purchase launches a medium bonus where the ways counter starts between 10,000 and 50,000. A 150 × price tag sets ways above 80,000 and applies a slightly higher default RTP.
Performance on mobile vs desktop
Pragmatic built the slot in HTML5 with high-compression sprites. On an iPhone XR or Samsung A53, the reel loop holds 60 frames per second at full resolution. Bump up to an iPhone 15, and adaptive frame scaling can reach 120 Hz, mirroring desktop smoothness. Portrait mode shifts the spin button under the right thumb, while landscape lays controls along the base bezel. Both layouts allow single-handed play, useful on transit or during NHL intermissions.
Desktop still offers two perks. The 16:9 canvas spreads artwork wider, revealing coral animations cropped from the mobile viewport. Surround-sound rigs deliver sub-bass rumbles when tentacles slap across the hull. None of those cosmetic upgrades affect odds, but immersion counts. Data shows that desktop users spend 23 % longer per session on Kraken than mobile users, even though mobile delivers more total spins per month due to sheer convenience.
Cross-device syncing matters, too. Pragmatic slots remember bonus rounds in progress via session tokens. If your GO Train enters a tunnel mid-bonus, you can reopen the same casino on a laptop at home and resume the spin sequence. That resiliency boosts player confidence, reducing the fear of lost wins when cell signals fade.
Best timing to dive in
Bankroll cycles dictate most timing decisions. Many Canadians alternate between low-volatility titles and Kraken to manage emotional load. A common pattern is to warm up with Big Bass Bonanza at 60 ¢ stakes, bank whatever 50 × hooks appear, then funnel part of that profit into Kraken at $1 spins. The swap creates perceived “free” shots at high variance while protecting principal.
Tournament windows offer additional leverage. Timing spins during those 24-hour windows adds extrinsic value beyond raw slot RTP.
Above all, play with regulated casinos that honour payouts. The operators mentioned hold RNG certificates from Gaming Labs International and support Interac for instant cash-outs:
- Mr.Bet – caters to larger stakes and offers recurring 100 free-spin reloads where Kraken appears in rotation.
- NeedForSpin – lower minimum wagers and daily Pragmatic tournaments.
Spin responsibly, set session caps, and remember that no tentacle owes anyone a giant payout. Still, when those reels align and the multiplier ticks to 10 ×, the Atlantic feels pretty welcoming, eh.
