Q&A: Senior Game Producer, Ihor Lozynskyi speaks to FruitySlots
Push Gaming's Senior Game Producer Ihor Lozynskyi spoke to FruitySlots about the highly anticipated sequel to the hit title, Wild Swarm.
Wild Swarm 2 has created a lot of buzz since the announcement of its release. What should returning players be expecting from the base game?
Returning players should be expecting more fun, excitement and higher win potential than the original Wild Swarm. We have recaptured the magic with this release and retained a familiar aesthetic, so players instantly recognise that they are returning to the hive. This means symbols such as flowers, dollars and honey pots can all be found throughout play. These must create a matched combination across 20 paylines to unlock a win, with wilds aiding players hunting for returns by substituting for all base game icons. New players to the franchise will also have a lot to get excited about as the collection mechanic has returned!
Above the gameboard is a progressive meter which tracks the player's journey towards a super bonus known as Swarm Mode. Each bee landed will progress players towards this, with queen bees awarding five steps of progression. Additionally, in the base game, a chest feature can move players through the various stages on offer and provide a variety of instant cash rewards and wild reels granting one of five different prizes each time it is landed.
Before discussing the swarm mode super bonus, what should players be expecting from the normal bonus round?
Awarded for landing at least three scatters in the base game or unlocked via the chest feature, the bonus round can award up to 10 free spins. Before the free spins round begins, randomly placed sticky wilds can be added to the reels which will persist throughout all subsequent spins. Players will continue to be awarded additional sticky wilds for each bee landed on the gameboard in the bonus.
If players form a wild reel on reels two or four, an extra multiplier will come into effect granting a 2x and 4x multiplier respectively. Having one or both of these active can dramatically increase win potential. Each multiplier wild reel unlocked also grants an extra spin for you to create even more wins!
How have you expanded upon this feature in the Swarm mode and what is it players are progressing towards in the base game?
The swarm mode represents Wild Swarm 2 at its maximum win potential. Building upon the more standard bonus round, swarm mode adds the opportunity to create a multiplier reel on every reel of the gameboard. Granting 10 free spins, a complete stack of sticky wild symbols will randomly be placed on one of these reels before the round begins, starting you off with increased win potential when compared to the normal bonus. Additionally, the ability for all reels to become wild means players can generate extra spins as more wild reels are created.
The reel’s multiplier increases when compared to the standard bonus with reel five, for example, granting an 8x multiplier when filled. These of course work in tandem with other multiplier reels that can also be created.
Following the release of Wild Swarm 2, what else is on the horizon for players to look forward to?
Soon after the release of Wild Swarm 2, we will be launching Shamrock Saints, a leprechaun-inspired adventure that will have seen us launch four games in four weeks! The adrenaline of such a filled roadmap for players to get excited about doesn’t stop there though - soon after that we head to a cyberpunk-themed ninja-inspired release, filled with nudging wild stacks for Samurai’s Katana. This will be followed by a return to the rhythm in DJ Cat which is the perfect accompaniment to the hit game DJ Fox that launched last year. 2024 will see us release more titles than ever before and we are thrilled to be sharing these projects with players.
