Fortunium Gold slot set to expand the Mega Moolah Jackpot Network

Back at ICE 2020, Microgaming were extremely busy showcasing over 100 different games from themselves and their partners, as well as over 250 games from content aggregate partners.

In among the parties at COYA and some fantastic displays at the Microgaming Bar, one of the real hits of the show was the revealing of a brand-new slot.

That game was Fortunium Gold, the sequel to the 2018 slot release Fortunium, which itself was a smash hit when previewed back at ICE 2018. However, what made this news so special was that this was not only going to be a sequel to the popular steampunk inspired slot, but that it would also form the next part of the expanding Mega Moolah progressive jackpot network.

Before we take a closer look at the Mega Moolah progressive network and the forthcoming Fortunium Gold slot, let's first take a look at the original Fortunium Game that proved to be such a hit when it was first released back in 2018.

The original Fortunium slot

Developed by Stormcraft Studios, who will also be developing and releasing the Fortunium Gold slot, Fortunium was one of the first slots released by the company as part of their agreement with Microgaming back in June 2018. Before then, it had featured extensively in Microgaming's display at the ICE 2018 show in February of that year.

The slot itself is a memorable one given its unusual steampunk theme and the fact that it was a 5x5 reel game. It also had a Win Bonus feature which could be activated which saw the Mystery Symbols in the game (which can turn into other symbols when landed on the reels) boosted in value.

What was truly epic about the slot was how it was presented, with some stunning visuals and sound effects and the inclusion of a couple of characters, Maximiliian and Victoria, to give the game a more human scope.

With 40 pay lines in play, a great value Free Spins feature that sees up to three reels deemed Mystery Reels which are packed with stacks of symbols as well as a base game that is eminently playable, it is easy to see why Fortunium was not just a hit when it was released in the summer of 2018, but has remained a popular choice for players to play ever since.

Best of all, the game was playable from 0.15 up to 187.50 per spin which meant players of all budgets could enjoy what the game had to offer at a level suited to them.

So the big question we now have is what elements from the original Fortunium slot are likely to be in the forthcoming Fortunium Gold slot, and how are they going to combine these elements with the Mega Moolah Progressive Jackpot prize that will be a part of the new game?

What do we know about Fortunium Gold?

Unfortunately, as is the case with most Microgaming releases, especially progressive jackpot games, we don't have too much information about the forthcoming Fortunium Gold slot. We do know that Maximillian and Victoria are set to return from the original and we now know that the slot will be a 5x5 reel slot with 40 pay lines in play that can be played from 0.10 to 30.00 per spin. We also know that from early beta game-play, the slot appears to be a more medium variance slot.

We also know that Stormcraft Studios have kept many of the same features from the original slot, including the Steampunk feel of the slot and the Free Spins bonus round and the use of Mystery Bonus symbols, which can transform into other symbols to create better value wins are also used throughout the game.

There is also an option to use a Win Booster button which increases the size of your bet by 50%, but which means that when you land a Mystery Bonus symbol or symbols on the reels, then it will only transform into the higher value symbols or a Wild symbol, which offers you more chance of a better value win.

We also know that the Jackpot Bonus Game is triggered when you land a Mystery Symbol on the reel and it transforms into a Jackpot Wild symbol. When this happens you will head to a brand new Jackpot Bonus game designed expressly for Fortunium Gold, where you will spin a reel and win one of the four Mega Moolah progressive jackpot prizes.

The growing Mega Moolah Jackpot Network

It is incredible to think that the original Mega Moolah game has made well over 70 people into millionaires. With many more claiming the Major jackpot prize, which is often worth tens of thousands, sometimes even hundreds of thousands.

Add to that an uncountable number of Mini and Minor jackpot winners and it is easy to see why the Mega Moolah progressive network has contributed to the massive 1.2 billion euros that the Microgaming progressive jackpot network has paid out in winnings over the years.

The first game was the original Mega Moolah and people were amazed at the 1 million guaranteed seeded top jackpot prize. Within a couple of years, the original game was joined by three other games, 5 Reel Drive, Summertime and Isis, all of which offered a different base game to play, but the same great chance to win the Mega Moolah.

For many years then, other than two now defunct game releases (Lord of the Rings and The Dark Knight), there were no changes to the Mega Moolah network and the game grew massively in popularity. However in 2017 the first murmurings of potential new Mega Moolah games in the pipeline were heard.

Those rumours proved true as the company first released a trio of new slots tied in with its premier progressive jackpot game Mega Moolah. For the first time since the release of the now defunct The Dark Knight progressive many years back, you could play for the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot prizes on a trio of new games.

First to be released was the Casino Rewards exclusive Mega Vault Millionaire and this was followed a couple of months later by the Atlantean Treasures slot and latterly the Absolootly Mad slot. Each offering customers a new way to play for that massive Mega Jackpot prize.

Those three new games, one released in late 2019 and the remaining two released in early 2020, bolstered the number of available Mega Moolah games to seven, but it wasn't long until we heard more rumours of more new games and now we know that Fortunium Gold will be one of the fresh new titles and alongside that the other game set to join the Jackpot network is Juicy Joker.

Along with the release of the new 2 million seeded Wowpot progressive jackpot network, what is abundantly clear is that Microgaming are determined to revamp their progressive jackpot offering for customers to bring it kicking and screaming into the modern era. For slot players looking to play for incredible cash prize, then games like Fortunium Gold, will be a godsend.

When we know more about potential release dates for either of the two new Mega Moolah progressive jackpot games, or any forthcoming Wowpot progressives releases, we will bring it to you here.