Release the Kraken 2: Dive into a New Deep-Sea Adventure at Betbits

The original Release the Kraken made a splash with its lively underwater theme and a host of innovative features. Now, Pragmatic Play has launched Release the Kraken 2, which updates the formula with brand-new mechanics and tweaked bonus rounds. Whether you’re a returning fan or a curious newcomer, there’s plenty to discover beneath these waves, including roaming wilds, shifting wild stacks, guaranteed wins, and an intriguing “Deal or No Deal”-style free spins selection. Strap on your scuba gear and get ready to explore a more vibrant, yet equally volatile world at Betbits, where you can enjoy crypto-friendly payment options for a streamlined gaming experience.

Submerged in a Cheerful New World

While the first Release the Kraken game had a bit more ominous undertone—focusing on monstrous krakens and sea monsters—this sequel chooses a bright, playful approach. The reels are set at the ocean’s floor, alive with swirling bubbles, colorful coral reefs, and inquisitive fish drifting through the water. The star of the show, a friendlier-looking Kraken, exudes a charm that contrasts with the original’s menacing vibe. It’s a surprisingly upbeat view of the deep sea, underscored by fluttery sound effects and a whimsical soundtrack that makes diving into this underwater realm all the more enticing.

Game Layout, Stakes, and RTP

• Grid Layout: A classic 5-reel, 3-row setup, giving a clear view of each spin’s outcome.
• Paylines: There are 20 fixed paylines during base game spins, expanding to 40 paylines in free spins mode.
• Bet Range: You can place wagers from as little as €0.20 up to €100 per spin. You can also activate the Ante Bet for a 25% stake increase, improving your chance of triggering free spins.
• Volatility & RTP: Volatility is rated 5/5, or “highly volatile,” promising intense ups and downs. The maximum RTP is 96.03% (rising to 96.01% with the Ante Bet). Various bonus buy options carry slightly different RTP values.

Paying Symbols & Base Game Flow

Expect 9 standard symbols featuring sea creatures and items, split into:

• Low Pays: 10, J, Q, K, and A, paying 1–2× your bet for 5 matching symbols.
• High Pays: Four marine creatures—rays, sharks, eels, etc.—awarding 3–10× the bet for 5 in a line.
• Wild: Depicting a friendly-looking pink Kraken, the wild stands in for all regular symbols and pays up to 20× for a five-of-a-kind line.

In a major shift, Release the Kraken 2 heavily relies on its random features to keep each spin fresh and highly unpredictable.

Key Mechanics in the Base Game

Wild Respins

Whenever 4 or more wild symbols land in a single base spin, you’ll trigger a respin sequence. These wilds stay sticky, moving to random positions before each respin. Should additional wilds land, they join the pack, and the respin count increases by +1. This chain reaction ends once no new wilds appear on a respin, which can offer excellent potential if the reels line up well.

Shifting Stack Wilds

Look out for Shifting Stack Wild symbols on reels 2, 3, or 4. Once the reel stops spinning, the stack “nudges” to cover the entire reel from top to bottom. Each nudge the stack makes boosts a reel multiplier by +1. Should you happen to land multiple stacks on a payline, their multipliers add together for even bigger line wins.

Guaranteed Wins

Occasionally, on a spin that produces zero wins, the Kraken steps in to rearrange symbols, awarding an instant guaranteed win of 20–50x your bet. Similarly, it can randomly appear to cause scatter symbols to spawn, immediately awarding free spins. These random interventions are fairly rare but can deliver a nice surprise when the sea yields little else.

Free Spins: A Twist of Luck and Strategy

When 3 or more scatter symbols appear, you unlock the free spins bonus. Before the round starts, you engage in a “Deal or No Deal”-style minigame to determine the number of free spins and a global win multiplier.

• Triggering with 3 Scatters: Offers 4–15 spins and a multiplier of up to x6.
• Triggering with 4 Scatters: Grants 5–20 spins and up to x10 multipliers.
• Triggering with 5 Scatters: Potential 6–20 spins, also up to x10 multipliers.

The Minigame

You pick a box that contains an unknown combination. You’ll see several other boxes on-screen, each hiding a free spins count and a multiplier. Then you choose to “Accept” or “Reject” the offer. Rejecting discards a few boxes; the new offer can be accepted or again rejected, repeating until only your initial box and one other remain. This interactive approach can either yield a surprisingly favorable combination or leave you with fewer spins than you’d hoped.

Playing the Free Spins

Once decided, the reels expand to 40 paylines, up from the 20 in the base game. The initial multiplier applies to every single line win, and each golden wild that appears increases that multiplier by +1. Meanwhile, all wild symbols become roaming and sticky for the entire feature, shifting positions from spin to spin. The synergy between new wilds, the boosted multiplier, and double payline count can create an explosive environment for major wins, potentially up to 5,000x your bet.

Bonus Buy and Related Options

• Buy Free Spins: For 100x or 250x your bet (depending on the number of guaranteed scatter symbols), you can jump straight into the Free Spins feature. The higher cost option ensures 5 scatter symbols, granting more robust spin/multiplier possibilities.
• Ante Bet: Pay 25% extra per spin for a higher chance of triggering scatters. This doesn’t affect how the random base game features are distributed but can accelerate your route to free spins.

Maximum Win and Overall Potential

Unlike the original Release the Kraken, which advertised a 10,000x top prize, Release the Kraken 2 taps out at 5,000x your stake. While still a sizable potential, it’s a noteworthy reduction that could influence high-stakes players who seek out bigger, riskier prize ceilings. However, the variety of base game extras and the “Deal or No Deal” style free spins approach keeps the game lively and capable of decent payouts.

Why Play Release the Kraken 2 at Betbits?

1. Enhanced Gameplay: Features like Wild Respins, Shifting Stack Wilds, and guaranteed wins, plus a multi-choice free spins approach with roaming wilds.
2. Crypto-Friendly Options: If you prefer to deposit with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Tether USD, USDC, BNB, or Shiba, Betbits supports quick and secure crypto transactions, minimizing fees and boosting anonymity.
3. Deal or No Deal Bonus: The free spins minigame breaks from slot tradition, giving you extra engagement and tension.
4. User-Friendly Interface: Even with numerous features, Pragmatic Play’s intuitive design ensures you can keep track of every wild, scatter, and multiplier with clarity.
5. Balanced Volatility: While rated 5/5 for volatility, the mix of base game bonuses and free spins keeps the experience fresh and potentially rewarding for a broad range of players.

Final Thoughts

Release the Kraken 2 casts a fresh net over a beloved aquatic theme, merging big multipliers, entertaining minigames, and energetic visuals. While its max win is slightly lower than its predecessor, the sequel stands on its own with myriad upgrades, especially in the base game random feature