Release The Kraken Slot Review

SlotTribe 250 Spin Test – Date: 8th November 2026 – Result: -100.25x – Bonuses: 1 – Biggest Win: 47x

Overview

Release The Kraken is the original deep-sea adventure from Pragmatic Play. Played on a 5×4 layout with 20 paylines, the slot combines random Kraken modifiers, Colossal Wilds, Infectious Wilds and a Free Spins feature featuring roaming wilds and progressive multipliers. While it predates many of Pragmatic Play’s modern releases, it still offers plenty of feature potential and remains one of the provider’s better-known underwater-themed slots.

Our test session never really saw the game at its best. Mick’s Take highlights a quiet run where features were scarce and the bonus only landed once during 250 spins. Release The Kraken is capable of much bigger sessions than this, but on this occasion the Kraken spent most of its time sleeping.

SlotTribe Test Results to 1.00 Stake

100 Spins Profit/Loss: -10.50x
250 Spins Profit/Loss: -100.25x
Bonus Frequency: 1
Volatility Feel: High volatility with low feature activity

Mick’s Take

The original Kraken, I do like the slot, played it many times, but for this session it was really quiet. Had base wins up to 10x, just not enough of them. Hit the bonus once on spin 86 for a solid 47x.

RTP, Provider & Release Date

RTP: 96.50%
Provider: Pragmatic Play
Release Date: January 2020
Max Win: 10,000x

Gameplay & Features

Random Kraken Features

Three different random Kraken modifiers can appear during the base game. These include Locking Wilds, Infectious Wilds that spread across neighbouring positions, and Colossal Kraken Wilds capable of covering large sections of the reels.

Roaming Kraken Free Spins

The main bonus feature is Roaming Kraken Free Spins. Wilds remain active during the feature, moving around the reels while increasing a progressive multiplier. The feature can also expand the game from 20 to 40 paylines, creating more opportunities for wins.

Progressive Multiplier

Every roaming wild added during Free Spins increases the multiplier, giving the bonus round the potential to snowball if enough wilds land.

Colossal Kraken Wilds

Large Kraken symbols can cover multiple reel positions and create bigger winning combinations than standard wilds, particularly when paired with other Kraken modifiers.

Volatility & Behaviour

Release The Kraken is high volatility, but unlike its sequel, this session never found its spark. Mick’s Take highlights exactly how it behaved. Small wins dropped in regularly enough to stop the balance completely collapsing, but there was very little meaningful progress being made.

The bonus arriving on spin 86 felt like the turning point, but the 47x return wasn’t strong enough to shift momentum. After that the slot simply drifted through the remainder of the session without producing anything capable of changing the result. This is one of those games that relies heavily on the bonus feature and random Kraken modifiers showing up at the right time. During our test they never really did.

Graphics & Sound

Release The Kraken uses a colourful underwater theme filled with sea creatures, treasure chests and the legendary Kraken itself. The visuals have aged well, the animations are smooth and the soundtrack fits the deep-sea theme nicely without becoming repetitive.

What It Does Well

Strong Free Spins potential
Random Kraken modifiers add variety
Progressive multiplier feature
Colourful underwater theme
Potential for huge wins

What It Does Badly

Can be very quiet between features
Bonus rounds don’t always rescue a session
Heavy reliance on special features
Long periods of low-value wins

Who It’s For

Players who enjoy:

Pragmatic Play slots
High volatility games
Roaming Wild mechanics
Progressive multipliers
Underwater-themed slots

SlotTribe Verdict

Release The Kraken never really got going during our test. Mick’s Take tells the story. Base game wins topped out at around 10x, the bonus turned up once on spin 86 for a respectable 47x, and that was about as exciting as things got. The original Kraken still has some decent mechanics and we know from experience it can produce much better sessions than this. Unfortunately, on this occasion it spent most of 250 spins keeping its powder dry and limped home at -100.25x. Not a disaster, but definitely one to forget.