Yggdrasil Gaming is a Malta-based slot developer founded in 2013 with Swedish leadership. Named after the Norse mythological world tree, the studio introduced the Gigablox mechanic (oversized symbol blocks from 2×2 to 6×6), the YGS Masters third-party publisher programme (which hosts AvatarUX's PopWins mechanic), and the Vikings franchise — a Hold & Win pioneer with Vikings Go Berzerk. Yggdrasil holds MGA and UKGC licences.
Yggdrasil History — Malta's Nordic-Themed Developer
Yggdrasil Gaming was founded in 2013 in Malta by Fredrik Elmqvist, a veteran of Net Entertainment. Swedish leadership and Scandinavian design sensibility define the studio's aesthetic — games tend toward premium art direction, restrained colour palettes, and Norse or ocean thematic territory. The UKGC licence, acquired alongside the MGA licence, opened UK distribution to complement the studio's strong Nordic market position.
Yggdrasil's growth strategy involved two IP innovations beyond individual game titles: the Gigablox mechanic (2020, now licensed to other developers) and the YGS Masters programme (a third-party studio publisher model analogous to Microgaming's Quickfire). These infrastructure investments expanded Yggdrasil's revenue beyond direct game sales.
Vikings Franchise — Hold & Win Pioneer
Yggdrasil's Vikings series helped establish the "Hold & Win" respin mechanic that now appears across hundreds of slots from dozens of developers. The core Hold & Win pattern — collect special symbols in respins, Wilds or multipliers lock in place — traces significant conceptual influence to the Berzerk feature in Vikings Go Berzerk (2016).
- Vikings Go Wild — original franchise entry. Viking symbols become sticky Wilds in free spins.
- Vikings Go Berzerk — franchise peak. Berzerk Vikings (collected during free spins) become permanently sticky with Wild properties. Reel Rage (rage meter fills Vikings to Berzerk state). Max win approximately 10,000x.
- Vikings Go to Hell — darker theme, enhanced mechanic. Kraken bonus adds additional free spins.
Gigablox Mechanic
Yggdrasil introduced the Gigablox mechanic in 2020 — oversized symbol blocks that occupy multiple reel positions simultaneously. A 2×2 Gigablox occupies 4 reel positions; a 6×6 Gigablox (the maximum on a standard 6-reel game) occupies all 36 positions on the visible grid. When a Gigablox lands on a winning combination, all positions it covers contribute to the win, multiplying win value dramatically.
Gigablox is now licensed to other developers (similar to Megaways from BTG). Games using Gigablox across multiple studios include Hades Gigablox, Golden Fish Tank 2 Gigablox, and titles from Yggdrasil's YGS Masters partners. The mechanic creates visually spectacular high-value symbol appearances without cascade or Megaways complexity.
YGS Masters — Third-Party Studio Publisher
Yggdrasil's YGS Masters programme allows third-party game studios to develop and publish slots on Yggdrasil's technical platform. The most prominent YGS Masters studio is AvatarUX — creators of the PopWins mechanic.
PopWins (AvatarUX's proprietary mechanic): symbols "pop" after winning, being replaced by 2 symbols stacked in the same position. This increases the reel height (and therefore total ways) dynamically during a single spin sequence. Games using PopWins: Hyper Strike, Dragon Chase, Cherry Pop, Lilith's Inferno. PopWins is to AvatarUX what Megaways is to BTG — a licensed mechanic that generates royalties as other studios adopt it.
The YGS Masters model extends Yggdrasil's content library without the full cost of in-house development, while giving independent studios access to Yggdrasil's distribution network.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gigablox?
Gigablox is a Yggdrasil Gaming mechanic featuring oversized symbol blocks (2×2, 3×3, 4×4, 5×5, or 6×6) that occupy multiple reel positions. When a Gigablox lands on a winning combination, all positions contribute to the win. Yggdrasil introduced it in 2020 and now licenses it to other developers.
How does Vikings Go Berzerk work?
In Vikings Go Berzerk's free spins, Viking symbols can go "Berzerk" — becoming permanently sticky Wild symbols for the duration of free spins. Each spin has a chance to add more Berzerk Vikings. A screen full of Berzerk Viking Wilds produces the game's maximum wins. The Reel Rage meter accelerates this process.
What is YGS Masters?
YGS Masters is Yggdrasil's third-party game studio publisher programme. Independent studios (notably AvatarUX, creators of PopWins) develop games on Yggdrasil's platform and publish through Yggdrasil's distribution network. It's similar to Microgaming's Quickfire model.
What is the PopWins mechanic?
PopWins is AvatarUX's proprietary mechanic (published via YGS Masters): winning symbols pop and are replaced by 2 symbols in the same position, growing the reel height. This increases total ways dynamically — starting at fewer ways and expanding to maximum ways as wins continue cascading.
