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One specific game developer in the online casino industry which has seen its reputation grow rapidly is Pragmatic Play. This company has emerged from relatively humble beginnings to become one of the leading providers that many players are accustomed to and recognise today. The Malta-based company has gone on to solidify in place as a top-tier studio thanks to its innovative approach to game development, a slew of memorable titles and even a standout jackpot network. 

 

To understand how exactly Pragmatic Play rose to prominence, though, we have taken a deeper look into the rise of this iGaming team, exploring which games helped to build their legacy and how some in-house mechanics revolutionised their portfolio.

 

Pragmatic’s Early Days

 

Pragmatic Play was first founded in 2015, with them entering the casino slots market that was already crowded with many other developers. However, instead of simply replicating what was already out there, Pragmatic chose to focus on the quality of their creations rather than the number of titles they added to their portfolio. 

 

Following this, they began releasing a modest number of titles, each of which came with high-quality visuals. At the same time, they prioritised cross-device compatibility, with the smooth user experience of their titles catching the attention of many operators and players. Thanks to the impressive game craft they showcased early on, Pragmatic Play actually received a number of EGR Award nominations, which were signs of what the studio would go on to achieve in the coming years.

 

What Games Have Made Pragmatic Play Popular?

 

Over the years, Pragmatic Play has expanded its creative capabilities, going on to build an impressive portfolio of more than 700 games to date. These range from slots, all the way to classic casino-based table games, with each and every one of these providing their own unique experience. Despite this, a few games have stood out from the rest in terms of their popularity and the significance they have had in further boosting Pragmatic’s notoriety and shaping the brand’s identity to this day.

 

Big Bass Bonanza

 

The first of these games is the original instalment in arguably Pragmatic Play’s most iconic series, that being Big Bass Bonanza. This was developed in partnership with Reel Kingdom, with this hitting casino platforms in 2020 for the very first time. Thanks to its vibrant fishing theme, accompanying aquatic sound effects and a series of creative bonuses, this title quickly became a hit, with its popularity still remaining to this day. 

 

Following on from this founding title, multiple sequels have been released, such as Big Bass Splash and Bigger Bass Bonanza, to name a few. Each iteration in the series adds its own new twist while retaining the core features that defined the original. Fisherman Wilds and Collect symbols have become defining aspects of this franchise’s gameplay, with the original Big Bass Bonanza being what kick-started this staple iGaming collection.

 

Gates Of Olympus

 

Another of the titles which has defined Pragmatic Play’s catalogue is Gates of Olympus, which was introduced in the early stages of 2021. Accompanying its immersive Greek mythology-inspired theme, something which can be denoted from its name alone, is a fresh ‘scatter pays’ mechanic, with this being a refreshing change from standard paylines. This system has since been adapted into a whole host of other Pragmatic titles, helping to create more dynamic game formulas in the process. Although it wasn’t their first title to include the scatter pays mechanic, it could be considered the most popular to feature it, with this also being aided by the inclusion of multiplier bonuses too.

 

Buffalo King Megaways

 

Although Pragmatic Play wasn’t the first studio to use the Megaways engine from Big Time Gaming, they made sure to make it their own, thanks to titles such as Buffalo King Megaways. This follow-up to the original Buffalo King amplified the overall blueprint, adding more reels, rows and subsequent paylines, with there being up to 117,649 of these across the constantly shifting playtable. Set against the backdrop of some American plains, the visual style really captures Pragmatic’s visual prowess. Thanks to the progressive multipliers in the bonus rounds, it showed the studio could master Megaways-style gameplay, with this title remaining a popular one for fans to this day.

 

The Creation Of Drops & Wins

 

Although there are a myriad of impressive and popular games which Pragmatic Play has produced, one of their biggest innovations was creating the Drops & Wins jackpot network. First launched in 2020, this mechanic was designed to add random jackpot prize values across selected slots within Pragmatic’s library. Due to the simple manner in which it could be integrated into their creations for a limited time, Drops & Wins quickly became a widely recognised promotional campaign, adding a whole extra dynamic to some of their most notable games. 

 

Drops & Wins has since been extended to include some select live casino games too, with this ensuring that the branded mechanic reached beyond just slots. To this day, the network remains a major part of their portfolio, with this proving that Pragmatic are just as innovative in terms of their mechanism as they are with their themes.

 

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