Gates of Olympus

Why the multipliers matter more after the scatters

In the base game of Gates of Olympus, a multiplier does its job and disappears. Once free spins begin, that changes: each multiplier landing on a winning spin is added to a total, and the total carries forward through the rest of the round instead of resetting.

That single change is the reason the game is shaped the way it is. Symbols pay in clusters rather than along lines, tumbles give each spin several attempts at a win, and the multiplier symbols, valued between 2x and 500x, are the raw material the total is built from. Read the game through that lens and the other parts fall into place.

Pragmatic Play launched the title on 25 February 2021. It is an in-house design rather than a licensed property, and it started a series that has since grown to many Zeus-themed spin-offs.

Specification

Pragmatic Play’s official page for the game is the source for the RTP, the top win and the hit frequency. The studio does not publish a volatility rating, so the table leaves that blank rather than guessing. The rules screen inside the demo states the RTP of the copy you are playing, which is a quick check before you begin.

The 28.82% hit frequency is a long-run average: across a very large number of spins, roughly two spins in seven return something. It includes small wins worth less than the stake and tells you nothing about what the next handful of spins will do.

Counting symbols on a 6×5 grid

With six reels and five rows, every spin shows 30 symbols. Lines play no part. Any 8 or more matching symbols, wherever they sit, form a win, and the paytable scales all the way to 30 of one symbol filling the screen.

Because placement is irrelevant, reading a result is simply a matter of counting. A crown at the bottom of reel one is worth the same as a crown at the top of reel five.

After a win is paid, the symbols that made it are cleared and replacements drop down from above. If those new arrivals complete another group of 8 or more, that group is paid and cleared as well. The cascade continues until the grid settles with no fresh win, so one stake can produce a chain of payouts.

Multiplier orbs can land in either part of the game, carrying values from 2x to 500x. During ordinary spins they apply only to the spin where they appear and are then gone.

A small point of confusion: the 2021 launch press release referred to 20 paylines, yet the official game page describes the pay type as Pay Anywhere, which matches how the grid actually works. The studio also lists an ante bet; its price and effect are set out in the in-game paytable.

Fifteen spins with a memory

Zeus acts as the scatter, and four or more of him on screen start 15 free spins. This is where the accumulating total comes into play.

• Opening spins. The total begins at nothing. Orbs can still appear, but they only join the total if the spin they land on also produces a win.
• The total grows. Every multiplier on a winning spin is added on. For example, a 2x on one winning spin followed by a 10x on another would bring the total to 12x.
• Closing spins. Since the total can only rise during the round, a win late in the feature can pay far more than identical symbols would have at the outset. The demo’s rules screen describes precisely how the total is applied to wins.

This is why two bonus rounds can look nothing alike. If orbs keep coinciding with wins, the total climbs spin after spin; if they mostly turn up on spins that pay nothing, the round may add very little.

The bonus buy is not offered in UK versions. Free spins come from landing the scatters during play.

The 5,000x ceiling

The studio’s official page puts the maximum win at 5,000x the stake. Some third-party listings quote a far larger figure, but it does not match Pragmatic Play’s own number, and 5,000x is the correct cap for this original edition.

Pragmatic Play does not publish how often that ceiling is reached, so there is no honest way to give odds. The design does show where such a result would have to come from: the 500x top orb and the accumulating free spins total are the only parts of the game strong enough to push a win towards the cap. An ordinary cascade in the base game, however long, is not built to get that far.

Nor does the hit frequency say anything about the top end. The bulk of those hits are small clusters of eight or nine symbols, and a capped result would sit far out at the extreme edge.

Who will get the most from it

• Players exploring the series. This is the starting point. Later titles include Gates of Olympus 1000, Xmas 1000, Super Scatter, 2500, POP and a live Gates of Olympus Roulette game, and their figures differ, so make sure you are comparing the right game.
• People who like a single idea done clearly. One bonus round, one central rule, and a demo that lets you see the total grow across 15 spins.
• Fans of cluster-style grids. If counting symbols appeals more than tracing lines across reels, the 6×5 layout fits.

It suits you less if you want a published volatility rating to go by, or if you enjoy classic line slots where each win can be followed from left to right.

Quick answers

Do base game multipliers add up? No. Orbs appear in both parts of the game, but only free spins keep an accumulating total; in ordinary play each orb applies to its own spin alone.

Why do some sources mention paylines? The 2021 launch release referred to 20 paylines, but the official game page lists Pay Anywhere, and that is how wins are counted.

How can I confirm the RTP? Open the rules screen in the demo. The studio’s official page lists 96.5%.