One of the biggest video slot brands of all time, Wheel of Fortune, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2021. With around 250 iterations of the game during this period, IGT made 1,100 people millionaires.
According to Enrico Drago, SVP at IGT PlayDigital, they decided to cooperate with Big Time Gaming, thus creating the Megaways version of the Wheel of Fortune brand. The all-conquering Megaways mechanics seemed like a perfect choice for a game that will celebrate the 25th anniversary.
So, cooperation between the two iGaming industry giants was born, and there isn’t a doubt in our minds that it will be a successful one. Wheel of Fortune Megaways has already been launched in the US and is now hitting the European market.
What to Expect From the Megaways Version?
First of all, we need to point out that the game offers up to 1,000,000 Megaways, which is simply breathtaking. Even so, such a thing can only happen during the Free Spins feature, thanks to the feature called Extended Reels. In the base game, players can enjoy up to 117,649 Megaways.
When talking about the visuals, they are pretty common, with polished graphics, playing cards, jets, speedboats, diamond rings, and cars. Even Vanna White appears on the reels as the Wild Megastacks feature starts.
Since we are speaking about the special features incorporated, The Wild Megastacks feature is triggered during any base game spin. Also, up to three reels can turn Wild. Look for the Scatters to trigger the Free Spins feature, where you get up to 18 free spins.
Spin the Wheel of Fortune to see how many Megaways you get in the very beginning. The Expansion symbol will help you extend the reels, containing up to 10 symbols. Play your cards right, and you can expect wins up to 80,150x bet.
What Are the Rules of the Game?
Those of you who played any Megaways game in the past will have no problem understanding the rules of the game. There are six reels on the offer, and up to 7 symbols can appear on a single reel. If all reels display seven symbols at the same time, you get 117,649 Megaways.
To win payouts, players need to land symbols on at least three successive reels, starting from the leftmost reel. The diamond ring is the only symbol that pays even for two of a kind. As for the betting range, it is pretty standard, and players can stake between $0.20 and $100 per single spin.
Wheel of Fortune Megaways comes with an RTP of 96.46%, meaning that, in theory, the slot pays back $96.64 for every $100 wagered. The volatility of the game is high, so do not expect high payouts on a regular basis. Long dry spells and low wins accompanied by short bursts of massive payouts is what you should expect from the game.
As for the payouts, the top win is set at 80,150x bet in a single spin, which is quite nice but will not occur that easily. The diamond ring is the symbol that you should look for since it offers a 25x bet for six of a kind. Other icons pay a lot less for the maximum combination.
We failed to mention this earlier, but, as you will see for yourselves, the reels are set in the very studio of Wheel of Fortune, and it seems that the entire studio is packed with an audience. Something that might remind you a bit of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire video slot.
More About the Special Features Incorporated
There are several additional features players can benefit from. First of all, there is the Wild Megastacks feature. It can occur on any game spin, one of the reels can be turned into a Wild Megastack. This means that the entire reel will be counted as 7 Wilds. Up to three reels can be turned into Wild reels, and all three reels can offer Wild Megastacks at the same time. Remember that Wilds can appear only on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5.
The Free Spins feature is the central attraction of the game. Get three or more Scatters on the reels, and you will trigger the feature. Depending on the number of Scatters landed, you can expect 12, 14, 16, or 18 freebies.
The next step is to spin the iconic Wheel of Fortune. This will determine the number of Megaways you begin with. If Lady Luck is on your side, you can start with up to 117,649 ways to win. Now, the special Expansion symbol appears during the feature. Land the Expansion symbol on the reels, and it will be immediately replaced by two other icons, expanding the reel it landed on.
In this way, you can expand the reels to receive up to 10 symbols, which will consequently increase the Megaways limit, raising it up to a mind-blowing 1,000,000! Once you do all of this, the 80,150x max payout is available.
Closing Thoughts
We are more than satisfied with the result of the collaboration between IGT and BTG. The two industry giants have really done a fantastic job, and it was only a matter of time when the Megaways version of the Wheel of Fortune video slot would see the light of day. The combination of two extremely successful brands is bound to be a huge hit.
Some might argue that there aren’t enough features on the offer, but we firmly believe that Wild Megastacks and free spins with extended reels are quite enough. The fact that you can expand the reels and get up to 1,000,000 Megaways is reason enough to try the game.
We are sure that the fans of the Wheel of Fortune video slots brand will be more than satisfied with what the Megaways version has to offer.
