Release the Kraken 2: Slot Overview

It’s time to dive back under the waves with Pragmatic Play as the studio returns for the follow-up slot Release the Kraken 2. The first game clearly hit the spot for plenty of underwater explorers thanks to its range of wild types, treasure-chest pick bonuses, and Roaming Kraken Free Spins. For this sequel, Pragmatic Play has reworked a big chunk of the action, bringing in Wild Respins, Shifting Stack Wilds, Guaranteed Wins, and a Deal or No Deal twist inside the free spins feature. That’s a sizeable set of changes—and yes, the game feels different—but the same fizzy energy is still there, so let’s dig in.

If anything, Release the Kraken 2 turns the bubbles up even more, set on the seabed among seaweed, fish, and bright coral. Adding extra character is a cheeky cast on the reels that performs a little animation whenever they form a winning line. It’s a small touch, but those details count, and Pragmatic Play is strong at stacking lots of little flourishes into one polished package. The overall mood is also noticeably more upbeat than in Release the Kraken. The original leaned harder into a threatening tone led by its Kraken presence, whereas Release the Kraken 2 largely swaps that out for a more playful vibe instead of anything ominous.

One aspect that hasn’t changed is the setup. Release the Kraken 2 again runs on a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 20 paylines in the base game, rising to 40 paylines during free spins. It’s highly volatile, scored 5 out of 5 by the provider, and it comes with multiple RTP configurations depending on play style and the model. At max settings, standard play offers a theoretical return of 96.03%, with stakes from 20 p/c to $/€100 per spin. This increases by 25% when enabling the Ante Bet, which increases the chance of triggering the feature, while also adjusting the RTP to 96.01%.

There are nine standard pay symbols on the reels, split between 10-A card ranks for the low pays and four sea-dwelling characters for the higher pays. A five-of-a-kind line returns 1-2 times the stake with card symbols, or 3-10x the bet when it’s made from premium icons. The Kraken appears as the wild symbols, which can land on all five reels. Wilds replace any symbol except the bonus symbols and can pay up to 20x the bet for a five-of-a-kind win.

Release the Kraken 2: Slot Features

Release the Kraken 2’s extras can be grouped into random base-game features—like Wild Repsins, Shifting Stacked Wilds, and Guaranteed Wins—plus a free spins bonus that includes win multipliers and sticky roaming wilds.

Wild Respin

When 4 or more wilds land in the base game after the payout is completed, respin mode begins. The wilds stay on the grid but shift to a random position, while all other symbols are respun. Wins are paid after each respin, and if additional wilds appear, one extra respin is added. If a respin produces no new wilds, the feature finishes.

Shifting Stack Wilds

Shifting Stack Wild symbols may land on reels 2, 3, or 4 in the base game at random. Once the reels stop, Shifting Wild Stacks are moved so they cover all positions on their reel. Each time a Shifting Stack Wild is nudged, its multiplier is increased by +1. After the nudging sequence, wins are paid, with multipliers added together before being applied.

Guaranteed Win

At random, on a non-winning base game spin, the Kraken can appear and rearrange the symbols to force a win worth 20-50x the bet. On top of that, randomly on a spin, 3 scatter symbols may show up after an explosion to trigger free spins.

Free Spins

Hitting 3 or more scatter symbols activates the free spins round. Before the spins begin, a mini bonus game plays out to determine the number of free spins and the win multiplier in a Deal or No Deal style.

• 3 scatter symbol trigger – 4 to 15 free spins with up to an x6 multiplier.
• 4 scatter symbol trigger – 5 to 20 free spins with up to an x10 multiplier.
• 5 scatter symbol trigger – 6 to 20 free spins with up to an x10 multiplier.

In the mini-game, players see 16 boxes, each holding a combination of free spins and a win multiplier within the limits above. One box is selected, and players can either accept or reject it. Accepting grants the listed free spins and multiplier and then the feature starts. Rejecting removes several boxes, after which a new free spins/multiplier offer is made. Accepting that offer launches the feature; rejecting it removes more boxes and the process repeats. If you take it to the very end, only one final box and the original chosen box remain—players must pick which one to open.

Throughout free spins, the win multiplier is applied to every win, and the grid increases the number of paylines to 40. Additionally, when wild symbols land, they remain on the reels until the feature ends, moving to a random position after each spin. Landing a golden wild symbol also increases the win multiplier by +1. Free spins cannot be retriggered.

Buy Free Spins

Where offered, players can purchase two bonus options. Standard Free Spins costs 100x the bet to award a 3-5 scatter symbol trigger (RTP 96.03%); the second option, VIP Free Spins, costs 250x the bet and guarantees a 5 scatter symbol trigger (RTP 96.05%).

Release the Kraken 2: Slot Verdict

Overall, Release the Kraken 2 proved to be an enjoyable, fish-packed slot. It carries a bright, upbeat energy that’s easy to buy into, and it noticeably tones down the darker edge of the Kraken character. The Kraken itself also comes across as much friendlier this time around. Maybe the flood of fishing-themed slots since the first Release the Kraken suggests players lean toward a lighter underwater atmosphere rather than a threatening one?

Of course, the mechanics matter more than the mood, and it’ll be interesting to see how fans of the original respond. Many of the pick-and-click moments are gone, along with the “choose one of three random features” idea and the Sunken Treasure Bonus. Also removed are the giant symbols, Kraken Locking Wilds, and Infectious Kraken Wilds. In their place, Release the Kraken 2 brings features that stand on their own. Wilds Respins make for a solid side attraction, Shifting Wild Stacks add a nice twist, and it’s hard to argue with a guaranteed win.

The Deal or No Deal angle in free spins is a bit unusual, though. It adds an extra layer of tension compared to instantly receiving a random number of free spins and a multiplier the moment the feature triggers. That said, it isn’t a negative—just an unexpectedly quirky approach. What may disappoint some players more is the choice to cut the maximum win in half by setting the win cap at 5,000x the bet. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s uncommon for a sequel to scale down rather than up, although when the original launched, Pragmatic Play sometimes overstated max win potential.

All told, there’s little to fault with the Release the Kraken 2 experience. It looks sharp, plays with a fun tone, and offers a healthy selection of features that can land during play. Whether it’s a clear upgrade over its predecessor is hard to call, so it’s probably fairest to say it’s simply different.