Yggdrasil takes its name from Norse mythology. In the old stories, Yggdrasil (pronounced “IG-druh-sill”) was a huge ash tree. It connected nine mythical worlds, including Asgard, home of the gods. Eagles and dragons made their home in its branches. It’s an unusual name for a slot studio. Even so, it fits a company that’s built its whole identity around standing out, rather than blending in.
Where Yggdrasil came from
Fredrik Elmqvist founded Yggdrasil Gaming in 2013. Before that, he served as CEO of NetEnt, one of the biggest names in the industry. So, when he set out to build his own studio, he already had a clear vision. He wanted to create technologically advanced, visually striking games. That meant moving away from generic, number-based slots entirely. The company launched its first licences in 2013. It began shipping games the following year.
Cherry AB backed Yggdrasil in its early years. Then, in 2021, private equity firm Bridgepoint acquired the studio outright. Leadership has changed hands a few times since then too. Elmqvist stepped down as CEO in April 2022, though he stayed on as a strategic advisor to the board. Björn Krantz took over as CEO after that. More recently, James Curwen succeeded Krantz as CEO, continuing to steer the studio forward.
Today, Yggdrasil runs its main office from Sliema, Malta. Its development headquarters sits in Krakow, Poland. The studio also keeps additional offices in Sweden and Gibraltar, reflecting how much the team has grown since those first 2013 licences.
How many games does Yggdrasil have
Yggdrasil’s catalogue has grown to more than 260 games. That figure actually blends two different things, so it’s worth breaking down. First, there’s Yggdrasil’s own premium output. The studio releases roughly 15 to 20 original titles each year, keeping a tight focus on quality over volume. Second, there’s YGG Masters. This is a program through which partner studios release their own games under the Yggdrasil umbrella. That adds more than 120 additional titles to the platform. Together, that structure lets Yggdrasil offer real breadth to operators, without diluting the quality of its own in-house releases.
Notable Yggdrasil titles
The Vikings series, including Vikings Go Berzerk, is probably Yggdrasil’s best-known franchise. Beyond that, several other titles have built strong followings of their own. Golden Fish Tank and its sequel, Raptor DoubleMax, are two examples. Valley of the Gods and Holmes and the Stolen Stones are two more. Joker Millions deserves a special mention as well. It holds the record for the largest single payout in Yggdrasil’s history: a €7.8 million win. A handful of older titles from the studio’s back catalogue are still in circulation too. Fruitoids, Golden Monkey, Jokerize, Magic Mushrooms, Nirvana, and Winterberries all remain available at many casinos.
The technology behind Yggdrasil’s games
Yggdrasil builds its games on HTML5, using a proprietary framework it calls iSense. This framework enables a few specific things: particle animation, stop-motion-style effects, and smooth CSS3 transitions. None of it relies on older technology like Flash or Java. In practice, that means Yggdrasil’s games run consistently well across desktops, tablets, and phones. That includes both iOS and Android devices, without any compatibility issues.
The studio has also built a handful of proprietary mechanics that show up across multiple titles. Splitz changes a game’s reel layout mid-spin, which keeps gameplay feeling unpredictable. MultiMAX and Gigablox scale up the number of winning combinations dramatically, sometimes into the thousands. GigaRise builds on that idea further still, expanding the grid as a round progresses. Together, these mechanics give Yggdrasil’s slots a distinct feel. That’s a real point of difference from studios still relying on fixed paylines and static reel grids.
Player-facing features worth knowing
Yggdrasil’s games are built to be easy to navigate. Sound, paytable, and personal settings all sit in clear controls at the bottom of the screen. A feature called Tap Reels lets players stop autoplay instantly with a single tap. That’s faster than waiting for the current sequence to finish on its own. There’s also Brag, a built-in tool that lets players replay their winning spins. Players can then share those replays directly to social media if they want to.
Beyond slots, Yggdrasil has built a name for itself in lottery-style games too. 3D Video Keno and Classic Scratch are two examples. Lotto7 is probably the best known, a live-streamed lottery game that runs daily and has built its own loyal following separate from the studio’s slot catalogue.
Is Yggdrasil properly licensed?
Yes. Yggdrasil holds a B2B critical supply licence from the Malta Gaming Authority. On top of that, it holds licences from the UK Gambling Commission and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. It’s also licensed by regulators in Romania, Italy, the Isle of Man, and Greece, among others. In total, the studio operates across more than 25 regulated markets. Independent labs GLI and iTech Labs test its games on an ongoing basis, confirming fair, random results.
Awards and recognition
Yggdrasil won Slot Provider of the Year at the EGR B2B Awards in both 2016 and 2017. That’s a genuinely difficult back-to-back achievement in a competitive category. Earlier, in 2015, the studio had already won Software Rising Star at the same awards. More recently, Yggdrasil picked up RNG Casino Provider of the Year at the 2022 International Gaming Awards. The studio also achieved ISO 27001 certification in 2021, a recognised standard for information security management that matters a great deal to regulated operators.
Where you’ll find Yggdrasil games
Yggdrasil’s reach spans more than 25 regulated markets and over 180 operator partnerships. As a result, its games show up at a wide range of online casinos. You’ll find Yggdrasil slots at many of the casinos we review. They’re typically presented as a signature part of a casino’s game lobby, rather than tucked away alongside lesser-known studios.
A few common questions about Yggdrasil
Is Yggdrasil still owned by its founder? No. Fredrik Elmqvist stepped down as CEO in 2022. Bridgepoint has owned the studio since 2021. Elmqvist remains involved as a strategic advisor to the board.
What does YGG Masters mean for players? It means the Yggdrasil name covers more than just its own in-house games. Partner studios release titles through the same platform. So, you’ll see a wider variety of games carrying the Yggdrasil badge than the studio produces on its own.
Can I play Yggdrasil slots on mobile? Yes. Every current Yggdrasil title runs on HTML5. That means it works directly in a mobile browser on both Android and iOS, with no separate app required.
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