Inside Pragmatic Play's Fury of Anubis: Q&A

LCB sat down with Anastasios Ioannidis, Head of Affiliate Marketing at ARRISE, to discuss Pragmatic Play’s Fury of Anubis and the ideas behind its progressive multiplier system, bonus options and Ancient Egyptian setting. The conversation also covers the provider’s wider 2026 slots strategy, the development of Missions and the continued success of Drops & Wins.

• Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us. Starting with Fury of Anubis, the multiplier system sits at the core of the gameplay, shaping much of the game’s pacing and excitement. What made it the central focus? 

In Fury of Anubis, during standard gameplay, each successive tumble doubles the win multiplier above the 6x5 grid, reaching up to 1,024x before the cascade ends. The intertwining of these popular mechanics aims to build excitement throughout the base game and feature, with every spin capable of unlocking huge rewards. But the progressive tumble win multiplier is not the only thing that makes Fury of Anubis a standout gaming experience. Stunning graphics, scatter pays, a bonus game gamble feature, and wins of up to 10,000x combine to make it one mega release.

• The Free Spins feature introduces variable starting multipliers alongside a gamble mechanic that can significantly increase potential wins. How does it support the overall game experience?

Player choice is central to Fury of Anubis, where the starting multiplier in free spins can begin at 8x, 16x, 32x or 64x depending on how many scatters triggered the feature. Before the round begins, players are given an option to gamble entry to the bonus game for a chance to double the starting multiplier, with successful gambles potentially boosting the value up to 256x.

• Fury of Anubis offers multiple ways to access bonus content, including Ante Bet, Bonus Buy, and Super Spins. How important is feature accessibility in today’s slot market, and how does the development team decide which mechanics to include?

Anubis really ups the ante in terms of player choice, which ultimately is the driving force of feature accessibility options, with a selection of special bets and bonus buys available. In certain markets, players can choose from two Super Spin options, which either randomly resets the starting value of the tumble multiplier to 2x-1,024x on every spin, or increases the starting multiplier to 256x and removes the upper multiplier limit. Players can also pay to plunge right into the free spins action with four feature buy options, with a guaranteed 8x, 16x, 32x or 64x starting multiplier respectively. Each offers a new and different way to unlock winning potential. The choice of mechanics comes down to what kind of player experience we want to deliver, based on years of understanding of what players enjoy.

• Pragmatic Play chose Anubis as the central figure rather than other commonly featured Egyptian gods like Ra or Osiris. What drew the team to Anubis, and how did that influence the game’s design direction?

The Egyptian underworld offers endless opportunity for interpretation, and the design team leaned into the darker side of its mythology. By ancient standards, Anubis was an absolute badass – so who better to oversee one hell of a gameplay experience? The formidable god of the afterlife, he's got a lot going for him when it comes to main character energy. And, as guardian of the scales, he perfectly embodies the idea of risk and reward. Indeed, his legendary scales serve as the striking centerpiece of the game's gamble feature, showing the weighing of a heart against the feather of Ma'at.

• Egyptian mythology remains one of the most popular themes in online slots. From Pragmatic Play’s perspective, what makes Ancient Egypt such a lasting source of inspiration for both developers and players?

A key reason Egyptian mythology endures as a slots theme is the boundless creativity it grants those building the games, with its dramatic aesthetics and atmospheric sounds. Iconic symbolism and mysterious tombs also provide a familiar backdrop for those who play them. The magic and mystique ancient Egypt evokes, and the allure of unearthing hidden treasures, all set the scene for highly entertaining and rewarding gameplay. Fury of Anubis is a prime example of taking a fresh look at this established theme and enhancing it with incredible visuals and an engaging combination of favourite features.

• Pragmatic Play continues to expand its slot portfolio across a wide range of themes and mechanics. Where does Fury of Anubis fit within your broader product strategy for 2026?

Fury of Anubis is a mega release in Pragmatic Play’s 2026 slots roadmap, introducing a completely new realm to its existing range of game worlds. It follows on from the headline release of Jelly Express in April, a candy-coated adventure loaded with wild multipliers, bonus choice options and an enhanced bonus game. The likes of Hell Butcher and Out of the Woods are just some of the other unique, standalone titles to hit the lineup this year.

As for brand extensions, Pragmatic Play got the year off to a strong start with Sugar Rush Super Scatter, Zeus vs Hades – Gods of War 250, and Sweet Bonanza 2500.Big Bass Blast, The Dog House Megaways™ 1000, and Death Dominion are ones to watch this July, while August and September see the return of Zeus in mini and mighty form, with Gates of Olympus POP and Gates of Olympus 2500 both offering 25,000x win potential.

• In April, Pragmatic Play introduced Missions, a new addition to the Enhance gamification portfolio that allows operators to run personalised challenges and reward-based campaigns across slot titles. What inspired the development of this feature, and how does it reflect evolving player expectations?

Missions was developed to align with player behaviours and industry trends. It’s all about enriching the gaming experience, giving players the chance to win even more prizes by completing daily challenges when they spin in their favourite slots.

This builds on the success of the Wheel Drops collection mechanic, which offers a sense of progression and extra reward as players collect wheel pieces randomly during normal slots gameplay. And Pragmatic Play is set to expand its wider gamification suite soon with even more exciting ways to collect and win.

• Earlier this year, Pragmatic Play launched the seventh season of Drops & Wins, adding a €25 million prize pool to more than €100,000,000 already awarded since 2020. What do you think has driven the long-term success of this campaign among both players and operators?

Drops & Wins is and always has been about rewarding players, allowing them to win random prizes on top of those they can hit during normal gameplay. Simplicity is one key to its popularity – just by opting in, and without paying any extra to participate, players have a chance of winning in daily tournaments and weekly wheel drops worth up to 100,000x their bet.