From Rising Star to Established Industry Player: Evoplay Entertainment’s Success Story

Evoplay Entertainment is a revolutionary casino game developer that has been supplying ground-breaking content to the regulated iGaming industry since 2017. The company’s award-winning roster of hits includes the highly acclaimed Dungeon: Immortal Evil, gambling’s first ever RPG-inspired slot title, as well as more recent releases such as Tree of Light and Raccoon Tales.

The pioneering provider’s portfolio of over 100 games comprises of cutting-edge 2D and 3D video slots, table and instant games. In recent months, Evoplay has cemented its place at the vanguard of industry innovation with a gamification-centric approach that has won plaudits throughout the gambling community.

With established development centres in Ukraine and Malta, Evoplay Entertainment’s partnership network extends across Europe, the CIS and Latin America. As the supplier gears up for another busy year, we spoke to them about what comes next.

Here with us is Vladimir Malakchi, Chief Business Development Officer at Evoplay Entertainment, who recaps the year and charts the plans ahead for 2021.

Q: Evoplay Entertainment has created and achieved a diverse portfolio of gaming products. With more than 100 games now, do you feel you have found your own signature style and do you have any plans on scaling up content?

Not only have we found our niche, but I’d argue that Evoplay Entertainment is by far one of the most original and authentic casino suppliers on the market today. We’re obsessed with meeting the requirements of the modern player head on – and have taken the game development process to the next level with new tech, alternative concepts and a rigorous commercial approach.

Our speciality is a leading combination of top-quality graphics, stunning visual designs and gamification. Appealing to an extensive demographic of players across a wide variety of markets, our games are compatible for virtually every smartphone, desktop tablet model out there, so players can immerse themselves in an Evoplay Entertainment game wherever they are, and whatever device they are using.

With more than 40 innovative games to be released throughout 2021, including a flagship product launch set to revolutionise the industry yet again, we’re in for another action-packed year.

Q: You have been in the news almost every week for the past several months. Do you expect this to continue in 2021 and what is your roadmap for next year?

Our company reached a range of new milestones in 2020, receiving a lot of media attention as a consequence. We actually participated in more events, despite the shift to online, forced upon organizers by COVID.

Our delegates proudly represented the company at a series of high-profile panel discussions, conferences and award ceremonies, culminating in the Speaker of the Year title we deservedly picked up at the LoginCasino Awards.

Given how many exciting plans we have lined up for the year to come on both the commercial and product fronts, our reputation as respected market commentators is unlikely to change any time soon.

Q: It’s perhaps a trite question to ask by now, but how has the pandemic affected your development and creative process? Are you anticipating any significant changes in consumer behavior?

In addition to shifting our lines of communication online, we have also adapted our products to meet player demands. That diligence is demonstrated by our branded and customised game engine, Spinential, which reduces loading times and accelerates download speeds by up to x10.

Such innovations make it much easier to enjoy our world-class games wherever you are, even when it comes to using older devices. Our flexibility in response to the challenges created by coronavirus can also be seen in the alternative entertainment we provided during the pause on live sporting fixtures. This includes two immersive cross-channel creations with a sporting theme – Football Manager and Penalty Shoot-out, both of which have been hugely strong performers this year.

Q: Where do you stand on Virtual Reality (VR) today? Do you see yourself pushing out more VR slots following the introduction of ‘Necromancer,’ a game that we find quite entertaining and an opportunity to innovate the iGaming experience for everyone?

Evoplay Entertainment sees Virtual Reality as a very promising space for our industry in the long term. Once we reach appoint where the necessary technology is adopted en masse, it’s going to play a key role in attracting new players, especially the new generation of tech-savvy gamblers.

We were proud to unveil gambling’s first 3D/VR slot games, Sprinkle and Necromancer, and can’t wait to continue pioneering this exciting vertical’s usages within our industry.

Q: Do you reckon VR has a staying power in iGaming or is it too early to go the road of mass adoption?

The former. That said, the hardware required leaves game developers with a high financial cost to bear. On the player front too, not everyone has a VR headset, which does limit your scope when it comes to customer acquisition.

However, Virtual Reality is set to become a more important feature of modern life in general, and the gambling industry will follow suit. Investment is flooding into VR from across the globe, so stay tuned for new exciting developments.

Q: What are the gamification features you would call your own bespoke product, the thing that unequivocally sets you apart?

We experiment with game mechanics and bonus features, which allows us to enthral players with new gamification. In particular, multipliers have garnered exceptionally strong feedback, adding a thrilling element of anticipation which has been warmly welcomed by our players.

Instant games are another crucial area for us, providing a blank canvas for visual and technical game designs that suits our creative approach perfectly.

Q: When talking about consumer and consumer retention, where do you reckon Evoplay Entertainment stands?

The key advantage of our portfolio is its diversity. Capable of meeting a player’s requirements no matter what market they reside in, our offering maximises engagement for the end user with games that are rich in new tech and gamification. Ultimately, the best retention tool is a premium, engaging product – and that’s exactly what we deliver.

Q: Have you noticed consumer attitudes towards gaming change drastically and how are you evolving to reflect those changes?

The pandemic turned many existing assumptions about what players prefer on their head. Gamblers have become more tech savvy and discerning when it comes to selecting their favourite entertainment experiences.

Mobile-optimised content with a low weight, immersive visual design and exciting bonus features continues to play a key role. A user-centric approach, which comes from knowing in detail what your players like and don’t like, is the best way to achieve that.