Yggdrasil Review: Slots, RTP and Volatility
Strong art direction and a good partner programme, but the studio has been overtaken by faster, sharper competitors.
Strong art direction and a good partner programme, but the studio has been overtaken by faster, sharper competitors.
In short
Yggdrasil is a 2013-founded studio based in Sliema, Malta, running 200+ own and partner titles at a typical 96.0% – 96.5% RTP. Our rating: 3.9/5. Signature title: Vikings Go Berzerk.
Key facts
| Founded | 2013 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Sliema, Malta |
| Licences | MGA, UKGC, Romania, Ontario |
| Catalogue | 200+ own and partner titles |
| Typical RTP | 96.0% – 96.5% |
| Volatility | Medium to high |
| Highest max win | 20,000x (Vikings Go Berzerk Reloaded) |
What Yggdrasil does well
Yggdrasil was founded by NetEnt's former CEO and shows it: careful animation, restrained UI, and free-spins rounds with persistent state — the rage meters in the Vikings series are still one of the better implementations of a build-up mechanic.
The YG Masters programme gives smaller studios Yggdrasil's engine and distribution, which has kept the lobby presence high even as first-party output has thinned.
Yggdrasil signature slots compared
| Slot | RTP | Volatility | Max win | Key mechanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings Go Berzerk | 96.1% | High | 10,000x | Rage meter, sticky wilds |
| Valley of the Gods | 96.2% | High | 5,000x | Unlocking reel positions |
| Jokerizer | 98% | Low | 6,000x | Very high RTP joker mode |
| Gems Infinity Reels | 96.2% | High | 10,000x | Infinity Reels expansion |
RTP, volatility and what to check before you spin
- Jokerizer at 98% is one of the highest-RTP slots available anywhere and is a standard bonus-clearing pick.
- Most modern Yggdrasil releases sit at a conventional 96.0–96.2%.
- YG Masters partner titles carry their own maths — the Yggdrasil badge is a platform mark, not a quality guarantee.
- Infinity Reels, licensed from ReelPlay, appears across several Yggdrasil-distributed games.
Yggdrasil's problem is not the games. It is that Hacksaw and Nolimit arrived and made everything feel a beat slow.
How to do this
How to check the real RTP of a Yggdrasil slot
- Open the game and tap the menu or 'i' icon to reach the paytable info panel.
- Scroll to the game rules footer — the live RTP for that casino's configuration is printed there, not on the lobby tile.
- Compare it with the studio default in the table above. If it is more than half a point lower, play the same Yggdrasil title somewhere else.
- Note the volatility rating and set a loss limit before your first spin.
Who Yggdrasil suits
Players who like mid-variance games with a persistent build-up feature and good presentation, and anyone hunting high-RTP titles like Jokerizer.
Our take
A studio with real craft that has lost the release energy it had in 2018. Worth playing, no longer worth watching for.
Verdict
Yggdrasil still makes handsome, well-tuned mid-variance slots, and Jokerizer's 98% RTP is a genuine outlier worth knowing about. The score reflects a catalogue that has been outpaced rather than one that is weak.
How we tested this studio
We opened the in-game information screens on live builds of this studio's headline titles and recorded the RTP actually deployed, then compared it with the range Yggdrasil publishes and with the studio's own paytables. We also checked the licence entries and certification standards linked below. Where the deployed RTP differs from the advertised default, the review says so.
Last checked: August 2026
How we scored this
Rating: 3.9 / 5
| Criterion | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Game maths | 35% | 4.1 / 5 |
| Fairness and verification | 20% | 3.8 / 5 |
| Player value | 20% | 3.6 / 5 |
| Transparency | 15% | 4 / 5 |
| Experience | 10% | 4.2 / 5 |
Sources and references
- Game catalogue and mechanics documentation — Yggdrasil Gaming
- Licence register — Malta Gaming Authority
Frequently asked questions
Is Yggdrasil a good slot provider?
Yes, for mid-variance games with strong presentation and build-up features, though its release pace and innovation lag behind Hacksaw, Nolimit City and Push.
What is Yggdrasil's highest RTP slot?
Jokerizer at 98%, one of the highest RTPs available at mainstream casinos.
What is YG Masters?
Yggdrasil's partner programme, which supplies its game engine and distribution network to third-party studios publishing under the Yggdrasil umbrella.
What is the best Yggdrasil slot?
Vikings Go Berzerk for the rage-meter free spins, or Valley of the Gods for the unlocking-grid mechanic.
Is Yggdrasil licensed?
Yes — Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, Romania and Ontario.