Champions of Rome (Yggdrasil Gaming): Review

Daily trivia: While Roman writers often portrayed gladiators as little more than savage brutes, many were actually the celebrities of their era and hugely popular with the lower classes. Their likenesses appeared on public walls; children played with clay gladiator figurines, and the biggest names even promoted products much like today’s top athletes.

Thanks to iGaming, ancient Rome continues to thrive, and gladiator slots are everywhere. In this Yggdrasil Gaming title featuring 5-reel, 20-payline gameplay, the iconic Colosseum takes centre stage as armoured fighters clash for sizeable prizes. The game runs smoothly across devices and allows stakes from 0.20 to 100 Euros per spin. Champions of Rome includes a Gladiator feature that, when triggered, awards 4 wilds. There’s also a free spins bonus offering 2 different modes, where a 4x multiplier can be applied to your overall win.

With its gladiator storyline, Champions of Rome showcases the strong visual artistry Yggdrasil is known for, and the overall presentation is impressively polished. Set inside the Colosseum during the Roman empire’s peak, the reels sit within a stone structure topped by the Roman Aquila. Although the background is static and somewhat wallpaper-like, the cheering crowd artwork is beautifully executed.

Across the reels you’ll find low-paying metal, bronze, silver and gold coins, along with 3 mid-value animals carved from stone. The premium symbols are 3 gladiators, with the red fighter paying the most at 60 times your stake for 5 across a full payline. The Roman eagle acts as the wild, substituting for all regular symbols. It’s also worth noting that in the base game none of the symbols are stacked on the reels.

Champions of Rome (Yggdrasil Gaming): Features

During the base game, hitting 2 scatter symbols anywhere on the reels activates the Gladiator feature, where one of the following 3 weapons is thrown at the reels to create 4 wild symbols:

• The sword – awards a double stacked wild and 2 single wilds
• The mace – awards 2 double stacked wilds
• The trident – awards 4 random wilds

To enter the free spins bonus, you need to land at least 3 scatter symbols anywhere on the reels – landing 5 awards 600 times your stake. Following modern conventions, the game also includes a bonus drop option that lets you purchase the bonus for 50x. After activation, you can pick between 2 bonus modes. Next, a random gladiator is chosen to replace all premium symbols and (as explained above) their weapon then awards 4 wilds. Keep an eye out for the special Beast symbol too: if a wild lands on it, you receive an extra free spin. That covers the core mechanics of the free spin feature – Here are the 2 modes explained in full:

• Training free spins mode – 8 standard free spins are played.
• Deathmatch free spins mode – Features 3 levels, each with a 450 coin win target. You can decide to play with 7, 6 or 5 free spins paired with a 2x, 3x or 4x multiplier respectively. The multiplier is only applied to your total winnings IF you win at least 450 coins (22.5x). If you fail to do so, your winnings are forfeited and replaced by a consolation reward, which can be either a cash prize of 2 – 10 times your stake or 5 training mode free spins.

Champions of Rome (Yggdrasil Gaming): Conclusion

Champions of Rome is a medium variance slot with fairly average win potential. The maximum win isn’t listed anywhere, which usually suggests it isn’t impressive enough to highlight. Since the base game offers limited upside, the real focus is the free spins bonus—especially the Deathmatch mode. To chase the biggest payouts, you’ll need to choose the most volatile route: level 3 with the 4x multiplier. Additionally, in the free spins bonus the premium symbols can appear double stacked, which significantly boosts the potential. With that in mind, it should theoretically be possible—if you’re extremely fortunate—to hit wins of roughly 3000 times your stake.

Even so, Champions of Rome isn’t among Yggdrasil’s strongest releases, despite its excellent visuals. The base game can feel slow, with minimal excitement and only occasional standout moments. From a maths perspective it’s not their sharpest work, but if you like trying new Yggdrasil games, it’s still worth a spin so you can form your own opinion.