Exclusive Interview with Fredrik Lindberg from ELK Studios

4 min

We sat down with Fredrik Lindberg, CPO at ELK Studios, to chat about what makes ELK Studios’ flagship slot series like Pirots and Cygnus such a success, and what players have to look forward to in the future (spoiler: Pirots 4 and Tropicool 4!)

ELK’s COP, Fredrik Lindberg, says:

Our goal is to keep innovating and pushing the boundaries to offer players new and exciting experiences that set trends rather than follow them.

Let’s find out more about how ELK Gaming is pushing the boundaries of slots…

What sets ELK Studios’ slot games apart from other titles in the competitive gaming market?

We are known for bringing new and innovative mechanics to the market. For instance, our Pirots series introduced the unique CollectR payout method, while the Cygnus series offers a distinctive type of symbol gravity. We believe that combining this type of innovative mechanics with top-tier design and well-balanced gameplay sets us apart from the crowd. Our commitment to originality and quality ensures our games stand out in an extremely competitive market.

What inspires the themes and narratives behind your slot games, and how do you ensure they resonate with a diverse audience?

Inspiration can come from almost anywhere, like an interesting movie, an engaging mobile game or even something as simple as a story that sparks our imagination. Our goal is to create themes, characters and stories that appeal to a wide range of players and ensure they’re broad enough to be inclusive. It’s all about finding a mix of familiarity and something new that feels fun for everyone to play.

Can you explain the role of advanced mathematics and algorithms in creating engaging and fair slot games?

Math and game balancing are crucial for creating a fair and exciting gaming experience. Our Game Math team collaborates closely with our Studio teams to bring the mechanics, visuals and animations of each game to life. It’s essential that the impact of a feature visually also matches its payout, creating a consistent and rewarding experience. The balancing process determines how often certain features appear and their value, ensuring that gameplay stays dynamic and entertaining for players over time.

Which titles would you consider as breakthrough games that have significantly defined ELK Studios’ portfolio?

Our Toro and Gold games were the first to give ELK Studios real visibility in the industry. Since then we’ve grown our portfolio with popular titles like Cygnus, Nitropolis and Pirots. Each of these game series has contributed to defining our brand and establishing a dedicated player base.

Pirots 3 is one of our top titles. From the start of that project we had one clear goal: to take everything to the next level and make it even better than the first two games. This was a challenge, especially considering how well the earlier games did. We experimented with a range of ideas for themes and features before landing in a Wild West setting. In this game we introduced a new character, The Bandit, along with a Train packed with feature symbols, adding even more excitement and unpredictability to the regular Pirots gameplay. We even gave our little bird, Charlie, his own feature.

Take everything to the next level and make it even better than the first two games.

We think that this mix of new elements together with popular features from earlier games makes every spin feel exciting and offers players something new to discover even after playing for a long time. This in combination with a lot of humorous animations, high-quality design and sound is what truly makes Pirots 3 stand out.

What exciting projects or new titles can players look forward to from ELK Studios in the near future?

We’re finishing 2024 strong with some exciting releases! For example, in November we’re releasing Ryze, featuring a dragon and a mix of new mechanics together with some more familiar ones from Coba and our X games. Early 2025 will be packed with premium releases, including brand series sequels like Cygnus 5, Tropicool 4 and Nitropolis TV and a new innovative cluster game called Tinkerbot.

Are there any upcoming games that incorporate new technologies or unique gameplay mechanics that you’re particularly excited about?

Yes! We’re currently working on Pirots 4, which will keep the popular CollectR mechanic from previous Pirots games while introducing several innovative mechanics and technologies that are new to the market. We look forward to sharing more details about this project soon.

What current trends do you see shaping the future of slot games, and how is ELK Studios adapting to these changes?

While we keep a close eye on industry trends, we like to think of ourselves as trendsetters. For example, we very early with feature buys (or X-iters as we call them), which have now become a popular standard. Our goal is to keep innovating and pushing the boundaries to offer players new and exciting experiences that set trends rather than follow them.