Wild Swarm 2 – Interview with Push Gaming

Interview with Khrystyna Tokar

This year, Push Gaming brought us one of the most highly anticipated sequels in the online slot industry.

Revisiting one of their flagship releases from 2018, Wild Swarm, this team took care to keep all the strong and well-loved mechanics whilst enhancing overall gameplay and offering us some new features.

It's not easy to create a sequel, especially to a game as popular as this, but when Wild Swarm 2 hit our screens players were abuzz with excitement, proving that this goal had been achieved.

We sat down with Khrystyna Tokar, Head of Animation at Push Gaming, to ask some questions about this release.

Chloe: Hi Khrystyna! From an animation standpoint, how difficult is it to take a popular slot to the next level in its sequel; do you continue doing what worked, or is doing something different better?

Khrystyna: It's a symbiosis of both. It’s incredibly important that we retain elements of the original game that have worked well in the past, as that is what drew players in and has kept them coming back for more. 

That said, no matter how hyped players might be for an upcoming sequel, we can’t rely on hype alone for it to be a commercial success.

We always endeavour to improve upon the original release by adding touches throughout that ensure it stands out on its own.

Wild Swarm 2 Chest Feature

Chloe: How important is reintroducing characters to sequels? Is familiarity an important element in creating a successful game?

Khrystyna: People gravitate towards certain characters in all forms of media, be it books, television shows, movies or video games.

I don’t see why can’t be any different with slot games.

Creating a successful character is a fantastic way to ensure players have a connection to a game – the more that character features the more likely they are to become long-term favourites amongst players.

Some even come to see them as a symbol of luck!

We always endeavour to improve upon the original release by adding touches throughout that ensure it stands out on its own.

Chloe: If you had to pick one artistic element of Wild Swarm 2 for players to look out for, what would it be?

Khrystyna: It is genuinely quite difficult to pick just one element of the game to pinpoint, as Wild Swarm 2 is filled to the brim with fantastic visuals and vibrant colours.

I’d urge players to keep a close eye on the hive that hangs above the game reels, once players have worked their way into the magic bonus game, they’re in for a really sweet treat.

Wild Swarm 2 Free Spins Feature

Chloe: Wild Swarm 2 has given the art team an opportunity to flesh out the world within the bonus features. Can you tell us a bit more about this?

Khrystyna: Absolutely! Wild Swarm 2 is filled with memorable bonus features that players will love.

A chest feature can be triggered at any time during base gameplay and can see players pick from one of five mystery prizes.

Free spins can not only see players rack up the cash, but they can also benefit from sticky wilds and reel multipliers. 

The most exciting feature for me has to be the Wild Swarm that kicks in when players have collected a certain number of bees on the reels.

The hive explodes and a complete stack of sticky wild symbols randomly land before 10 free spins begin.

Upcoming Push Gaming Releases

This studio show no signs of slowing down as we move through 2024; with releases like Hearts Highway, Big Bite and Shamrock Saints already on the market and plenty more to come, it's sure to be a big year for Push Gaming.

Keep an eye out for their upcoming releases, including Samurai's Katana, DJ Cat and Retro Sweets.

Check out our full list of slot reviews, including all the latest releases from Push Gaming and other popular slot studios.