Release the Kraken is a Pragmatic Play deep-sea slot released in January 2020, built on a five-reel, four-row grid running 20 fixed paylines. The game gives its headline mechanic to three separate Kraken wild features, each of which can appear at random on any paid spin rather than needing a symbol combination to start it. A treasure-chest pick round and a free spins round sit alongside those random features, and the payline count doubles to 40 once the bonus begins.
Release the Kraken presents each round on a grid five columns wide and four rows deep, with wins paid on 20 fixed lines running from the leftmost reel. The base game keeps its structure deliberately simple, because the variation comes from the random wild features rather than from a shifting reel layout. Standard symbols are drawn from the ocean floor and a bubble acts as the wild, substituting for the paying symbols it lands beside.
Release the Kraken separates its bonus content into two distinct rounds reached from the same trigger symbols. The Sunken Treasure Bonus resolves as a pick game, while the Roaming Kraken Free Spins round adds a wild that stays on the reels and builds a multiplier. Both rounds are entered through bonus symbols on reels 1 and 3 combined with a third symbol on reel 5.
Release the Kraken has the following principal specifications:
Developer: Pragmatic Play
Release date: January 2020
Game category: Video slot
Theme: Deep sea
Playing area: 5 reels, 4 rows
Winning system: Fixed paylines
Paylines: 20 in the base game, 40 during free spins
Random wild features: Kraken Lockin Wilds, Colossal Kraken Wilds, Infectious Kraken Wilds
Colossal wild size: 3x4 positions
Bonus rounds: Sunken Treasure Bonus, Roaming Kraken Free Spins
Free spins multiplier: Starts at x1 and rises by +1 for each roaming wild
Maximum win: 10,000x stake
RTP: 94.50%
Volatility: High
Bet range: 0.20 to 100.00 per spin
Supported formats: Desktop and mobile
Release the Kraken is listed by Wildz with an RTP of 94.50%, high volatility and a maximum win of 10,000 times the stake. The exact mathematical configuration presented by a licensed casino can vary by market, which makes the information panel inside the version being played the relevant source for its current RTP and betting conditions.
Release the Kraken pays when matching symbols land on consecutive reels along one of its 20 active paylines, counted from the leftmost reel inwards. The line count is fixed, so the stake covers all 20 lines on every paid spin and cannot be reduced by switching lines off. A bubble wild substitutes for standard symbols and completes combinations that would otherwise fall one position short.
Release the Kraken then adds its random element on top of that base structure. Any paid spin can trigger one of the three Kraken wild features before the reels are evaluated, changing the symbol layout that the paylines are measured against. The features arrive on the game’s own schedule, so no stake size or spin sequence makes one of them due.
Release the Kraken carries three named wild features that operate only in the base game and activate at random. Each one modifies the reels in a different way, so the same trigger does not produce the same board twice. The features resolve before wins are calculated, meaning any wilds they place are counted for that spin rather than held for a later one.
Release the Kraken keeps the timing of all three inside its random number generation. A player cannot select which feature appears, force one by adjusting the wager, or read a run of ordinary spins as a signal that a feature is approaching.
Release the Kraken uses Kraken Lockin Wilds to open a set of chests, each revealing more wilds, a doubling of all wins with a collect, or a collect that ends the sequence. Colossal Kraken Wilds instead drops a single oversized wild covering 3x4 positions onto the grid. Infectious Kraken Wilds places at least one wild that converts the symbols adjacent to it into further wilds.
Release the Kraken treats all three outcomes as part of its programmed feature set rather than as player-directed choices. The chests in the Lockin feature are revealed rather than selected on merit, and the size or spread of a wild does not guarantee that a payline is completed.
Release the Kraken awards the Sunken Treasure Bonus when bonus symbols land on reels 1 and 3 together with the chest bonus symbol on reel 5. The round is a pick game in which chests are opened one after another, each returning a prize value, and it continues until a chest reveals Collect. That reveal closes the round and the accumulated total is paid.
Release the Kraken decides the contents of every chest in advance of the picking, so the order in which they are opened does not change the result. The round has no spin element and no multiplier, which makes it a separate award rather than an extension of the base game.
Release the Kraken starts the Roaming Kraken Free Spins round when bonus symbols on reels 1 and 3 are joined by the free spins symbol on reel 5. Before the round begins, chests are picked to build the spin count, with each reveal adding +1, +2 or +3 free spins until a Collect reveal fixes the total. The grid then runs on 40 paylines instead of the 20 used in the base game.
Release the Kraken places a roaming wild during the round that remains on the reels rather than disappearing after a single spin, and raises the multiplier by +1 each time it lands. The multiplier starts at x1 and applies to wins formed while the round continues. How far it climbs depends entirely on where the wild lands, so a long round cannot be secured by the size of the qualifying stake.
Release the Kraken carries a theoretical RTP of 94.50% in the version listed by Wildz. That figure describes the calculated long-term return across a very large volume of wagering, and it sits below the 96% level common across modern video slots, which is worth weighing before choosing a stake.
Release the Kraken may appear with a different permitted RTP setting when supplied through another operator or market, because the game is issued in more than one mathematical configuration. Checking the game information menu before wagering therefore gives the accurate percentage for the specific version in use.
Release the Kraken has a high-volatility profile as listed by Wildz. Its mathematics concentrate a large share of the theoretical return in the free spins round, so stretches of low-value base-game spins can sit between the occasional larger result. The three random wild features soften that pattern slightly without changing it.
Release the Kraken volatility describes how payouts are distributed rather than when they will arrive. A sequence of losing spins does not increase the probability that a large result must follow, and no betting pattern alters the underlying distribution.
Release the Kraken offers a maximum win of 10,000x the total stake in its listed configuration. A qualifying £1 spin would therefore correspond to a theoretical upper limit of £10,000, before any separate operator limits were taken into account.
Release the Kraken reaching that ceiling requires the free spins round to run long enough for the roaming wild multiplier to climb while high-value combinations land on the expanded 40 paylines. The figure should be read as a technical maximum rather than as a representative outcome for ordinary play.
Release the Kraken can be played in the United Kingdom through an online casino that holds the necessary Gambling Commission permission and carries the Pragmatic Play title. After account registration and age verification, a player can open the game, review the paytable and rules, select a permitted stake between 0.20 and 100.00 and start a spin.
Release the Kraken stakes are also governed by the United Kingdom’s statutory online slot limits. Players aged 18 to 24 can stake no more than £2 per game cycle, while customers aged 25 and over have a £5 maximum. Those limits have applied since 21 May 2025 and 9 April 2025 respectively, and they cap the wager regardless of the game’s own 100.00 upper bet.
Yes, Release the Kraken can be played on compatible smartphones and tablets. Pragmatic Play builds the title for both desktop and mobile, so the five-reel grid, the three random wild features and the free spins round all operate on smaller displays without any mechanic being removed.
Release the Kraken mobile play normally runs directly in a supported browser rather than requiring a separate download. The same age-verification, licensing and stake-limit requirements continue to apply when the game is opened on a phone instead of a desktop computer.
Yes, Release the Kraken has a demo version that uses virtual credits rather than real-money stakes. The free-play mode runs the same 20-payline base game and the same bonus rounds, which makes it a straightforward way to see how the Kraken wild features behave before committing a real wager.
Release the Kraken demo results carry no cash value, because the round is settled in virtual credits rather than deposited funds. Free-play access through a British licensed operator remains subject to UK age-protection rules, as Gambling Commission requirements oblige remote licensees to verify age before giving customers access to free-to-play versions of gambling games.
Release the Kraken can be offered to players in the United Kingdom by online casinos that hold the appropriate Gambling Commission licence and carry the Pragmatic Play catalogue. British customers must be at least 18 years old, complete the required verification checks and remain within the statutory online slot stake limits while playing.
Release the Kraken is listed on Wildz internationally, but Wildz states that customers visiting from the United Kingdom are redirected to partner casinos. UK players should therefore use the Gambling Commission public register to confirm that the casino they end up using is authorised for the British market, rather than assuming that the international Wildz platform itself accepts UK registrations.
Release the Kraken real-money play in the United Kingdom falls within the regulatory system supervised by the Gambling Commission. Operators serving customers in England, Scotland and Wales must hold the appropriate licence, and the Commission maintains a public register where a gambling business can be checked before any money is deposited.
Release the Kraken players must be 18 or older to gamble online in the United Kingdom. Licensed businesses are required to verify customer identity and age before allowing play, with the minimum verification information covering name, address and date of birth.
| Area | United Kingdom Rule |
|---|---|
| Minimum online gambling age | 18+ |
| Main regulator | Gambling Commission |
| Online casino licensing | Operators serving the United Kingdom must hold the appropriate Gambling Commission licence |
| Identity checks | Name, address and date of birth must be verified before gambling |
| Maximum online slot stake, ages 18–24 | £2 per game cycle |
| Maximum online slot stake, ages 25+ | £5 per game cycle |
| Free demo access at licensed operators | Age verification is required before access to free-to-play gambling games |
| Wildz status for UK visitors | Wildz states that UK visitors are redirected to partner casinos |
Release the Kraken players should also distinguish Great Britain from the United Kingdom as a whole when interpreting these rules. The Gambling Commission regulates gambling in England, Scotland and Wales, while Northern Ireland operates under a separate legal framework and is not governed by the Gambling Act 2005 in the same way.
Release the Kraken pays on 20 fixed paylines across a five-reel, four-row grid, read from the leftmost reel. A bubble wild completes combinations, while three random Kraken wild features can reshape the board before wins are calculated. The free spins round widens the grid to 40 paylines.
Release the Kraken carries a theoretical RTP of 94.50% as listed by Wildz, together with high volatility. The figure describes long-term return across a very large volume of wagering rather than one session. The game is issued in more than one configuration, so check the in-game information panel.
Yes. Release the Kraken runs on compatible smartphones and tablets, as Pragmatic Play builds the title for mobile and desktop alike. The grid, the three random wild features and the roaming wild free spins round all operate on smaller screens, normally straight in a supported browser.
Yes. Release the Kraken has a demo mode using virtual credits instead of real stakes, running the same 20-payline base game and the same bonus rounds. Demo results carry no cash value. Licensed British operators must verify age before granting access to free-to-play gambling games.
Min/Max Bet:
€
0.20 –
100.00
Volatility:
High
(8/10)
Platform:
Desktop & Mobile
Developer:
Pragmatic Play
Game Type:
Slots