Who Made Release the Kraken?
Release the Kraken was developed by Pragmatic Play, a B2B casino content supplier headquartered in Gibraltar. Company profiles date the studio's founding to 2015, following the acquisition and rebrand of an earlier operator, TopGame Technology. Pragmatic Play distributes slots, live casino, bingo and virtual sports to operators through a single API integration.
- Founded 2015, following the TopGame Technology rebrand
- Ownership tied to Veridian (Gibraltar) Limited
- CEO and co-founder: Julian Jarvis
Inside Pragmatic Play's Operation
Pragmatic Play operates as a business-to-business supplier, meaning it never runs a consumer-facing casino itself. Its role is to build slots, live casino, bingo, virtual sports and other verticals, then license that content to operators through a single API connection, which is how titles like Release the Kraken end up on dozens of unrelated casino brands at once.
Corporate registration places the studio at Madison Building, Midtown, Queensway, Gibraltar, with the current corporate history tracing back to a 2015 rebrand of TopGame Technology, a Malta-based operator active since 2007. IBID Group is reported to have acquired the business in July 2016, and more recent material ties ownership to Veridian (Gibraltar) Limited, described as the studio's private investment owner.
Employee counts across business intelligence platforms range from roughly 630 to over 1,150 staff depending on the snapshot date, which places Pragmatic Play well above boutique developer scale and closer to a mid-to-large iGaming supplier. Leadership is headed by CEO Julian Jarvis, with Irina Cornides overseeing operations and Yossi Barzely handling business development.
The portfolio spans video slots, jackpots, classic slots, table games, scratchcards, bingo, virtual sports and live casino, with slot content described by the studio itself as its core, multi-award-winning line. Titles frequently named alongside Release the Kraken in Canadian coverage include Gates of Olympus, Sweet Bonanza and The Dog House, all cited as having reached household-name status among Canadian players.
Release the Kraken itself dates to early 2020, placing it in the middle of the studio's growth period, after the initial expansion but before the later wave of Megaways conversions. A separate title, Release the Kraken Megaways, extends the brand under license, which suggests the original performed well enough to justify a sequel rather than functioning as the studio's single flagship.
Release the Kraken Payout Reference
Top payout — C$
The figure below reflects the theoretical maximum win reported for this title, calculated as a multiple of stake under ideal bonus conditions. It is a mathematical ceiling built into the game's design, not a typical or expected outcome. Given the game's high-volatility profile, most spins and even most bonus rounds land well below this cap.
Where Pragmatic Play Titles Run in Canada
Pragmatic Play markets its content as available across more than 40 regulated jurisdictions worldwide, distributed to operators via a single API rather than through a proprietary casino front end. Slot indexing sites tracking Release the Kraken specifically list it as present at casinos in 58 countries, with Canada named among the markets carrying the highest number of listings for this game, alongside Finland, New Zealand and Norway. In practice this means the game shows up at mainstream international operators serving Canadian players, including sites active in Ontario's regulated market as well as offshore-licensed operators; concrete availability at any single casino still depends on that operator's own agreement with Pragmatic Play and its licensing footprint.
Release the Kraken RTP Range
96.50%
Independent reviews most commonly quote a single RTP figure for this title, but several casino listings show alternate configurations for the same game, meaning the operator you play at can serve a different RTP build than the one most often cited. Treat the number below as the commonly reported figure rather than a fixed, universal constant across every casino.
Studio and Game Questions
Is Pragmatic Play the same company as TopGame Technology?
Not exactly the same entity by name, but company profiles describe Pragmatic Play as the result of a 2015 acquisition and rebrand of TopGame Technology, a Malta-based operator that had been active since 2007. Pragmatic Play launched under its current name and structure that year.
Does Pragmatic Play run its own casino where I can play Release the Kraken directly?
No. Pragmatic Play is a B2B content supplier, not an operator. It licenses Release the Kraken to third-party casinos through a single API, so the game is only playable through operator sites, not through pragmaticplay.com itself as a betting platform.
Why does Release the Kraken get grouped with a Megaways sequel?
Pragmatic Play released Release the Kraken Megaways as a separate title using the licensed Megaways engine, distinct in math and mechanics from the original 20/40-payline version. The two are frequently listed together but should not be treated as the same game.
How large is Pragmatic Play compared to other slot studios supplying Canadian casinos?
Business data platforms report staff counts ranging from roughly 630 to over 1,150 depending on the snapshot date, alongside distribution across more than 40 regulated markets, which places it among the larger B2B slot suppliers active in Canada rather than a small independent studio.
Who actually owns Pragmatic Play today?
Recent company material ties ownership to Veridian (Gibraltar) Limited, a private investment company whose CEO, Julian Jarvis, is also listed as Pragmatic Play's CEO and co-founder, following an earlier reported acquisition by IBID Group in 2016.
Studio Track Record Assessment
A fit for Players who want a studio with broad Canadian availability, consistent HTML5 mobile support, and a large enough catalogue to try multiple titles from one supplier.
Not a fit for Players who need a single, casino-independent RTP figure guaranteed everywhere, since Pragmatic Play's own site does not publish the math for Release the Kraken and configurations vary by operator.
Pragmatic Play presents as an established, multi-vertical B2B supplier with a decade-long operating history, staff numbers in the hundreds to low thousands, and distribution across dozens of regulated markets, including strong penetration in Canada. Release the Kraken is one of many titles in a portfolio built around high-frequency releases and feature-rich, high-volatility math models, and it sits as a mid-tier entry rather than the studio's flagship product.
Try Release the Kraken
Play at partner casinoSee Pragmatic Play's Release the Kraken in action at a licensed operator serving Canadian players. Games are restricted to players aged 19+ (18+ in AB, MB, QC).