Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil was founded in Malta in 2013 by Fredrik Elmqvist, a former NetEnt executive, and quickly grew from a lottery-game startup into one of the most influential slot studios of the 2010s. After pivoting to video slots in 2014 with early hits like Jokerizer and Winterberries, the studio built its reputation on polished, mobile-first HTML5 production via its iSENSE framework and a steady cadence of releases — today the company ships a new game on the 23rd of every month under its YGG23 strategy.

The studio's signature franchise is the Norse-themed Vikings series. Vikings Go Wild and the fan-favourite Vikings Go Berzerk (96.1% RTP, rage-meter free spins where Vikings battle sirens) anchor a line that has spawned multiple sequels and Reloaded editions — fitting for a company named after the world-tree of Norse mythology. Beyond Vikings, Valley of the Gods with its blocker-clearing respin engine and Holmes and the Stolen Stones with its local jackpot trail remain staples of the catalogue.

Yggdrasil's other lasting contribution is its GEM (Game Engagement Mechanics) family, launched from 2020: GigaBlox (oversized symbols up to 6x6, debuted in Lucky Neko), MultiMax (stacking reel multipliers, seen in Multifly!), DoubleMax (multipliers that double on every cascade, as in Raptor Doublemax) and Splitz (splitting symbols creating six-figure ways counts). These mechanics are also licensed out through the YG Masters program, which lets partner studios such as Peter & Sons, ReelPlay and Bang Bang Games build and distribute games on Yggdrasil's regulation-ready GATI toolkit — extending the portfolio to roughly 260 titles across 180+ operators. A January 2025 deal handed Aristocrat Interactive exclusive distribution of Yggdrasil content in regulated US markets and Ontario.

For bonus hunters, Yggdrasil is a dependable pick: its games are widely documented as saving triggered bonuses, so a free-spins round hit during collection will still be waiting at the opening stage. The Vikings Go Berzerk line and DoubleMax titles are popular hunt entries thanks to their volatile, multiplier-driven bonus rounds, while the studio's Nordic roots keep it a fixture at casinos serving that market.