As if its merger with Evolution Gaming isn’t enough, NetEnt entered another strategic partnership with Betsson Group, a Sweden-based holding company that operates some of the biggest online casino brands in the industry. The partnership gives way to the exclusive launch of their new game, Fruit Shop Megaways.
Carl Ejlertsson, Games Director at NetEnt, announced the exclusive launch of the game yesterday. Commenting on the new partnership and early launch of the game, Ejlertsson said:
“We’re excited to partner with Betsson for the exclusive early launch of Fruit Shop Megaways. The original Fruit Shop has proven to be a timeless classic – still popular 10 years on from its release – and adding the wildly successful Megaways mechanic takes the game to another level. Players are going to love the combination.”
Fruit Shop Megaways will be available in January 2021 to Betsson Group’s online casino brands, a week before it’s official launch at any other casino. The launch marks NetEnt’s first release of the year and extends the success of the original Fruit Shop game, strengthening NetEnt’s portfolio of traditional online casino and Bitcoin games in 2020.
Gameplay And Theme
Fruit Shop MegaWays™ is the upgraded version of the original Fruit Shop slot that made its way to Bitcoin slots popularity as well. The original game is regarded as one of the best and most straightforward games NetEnt has ever produced. The new version contains a random reel modifier and other unique bonus features, courtesy of the Megaways mechanic. But it retains the iconic 2D fruit graphics.
Despite being basic, Fruit Shop MegaWays has an interesting symbol table. The 10 pay symbols of the game are split into two groups. One category is the low-paying 10-A royals in blue colors, while the other category features the medium-paying fruits, such as watermelons, oranges, lemons, plums, and cherries.
The game has 6 reels, 2-7 rows, and 117,649 paylines. It offers a 96.06% RTP and high volatility gameplay. Players can play the game with bets ranging from 0.20 to 100 coins. The highest jackpot a player can hit is 10,000x the original stake.
Bonus Features
Free Spins – Every fruit symbol win triggers free spins, but the amount depends on the combination. Any medium win combinations of 3, 4, 5, or 6 symbol length grants 2, 3, 4, or 5 free spins respectively. Cherries can award one more free spin for a two of a kind combination.
Win Multiplier – Multiplier combination starts at 1x and increases by 1 following every winning spin. The maximum value the multiplier can reach is 10x the original stake.
