Relax Gaming game product owner Gary Law provides some context to the company’s recent slot hit Iron Bank 2, the fifth title to be developed in partnership with streaming community CasinoGrounds
What were the non-negotiable elements that made the original Iron Bank a hit, and how did you identify them?
The original Iron Bank became a cult classic largely due to its high-variance, punchy win potential. Through our partnership with CasinoGrounds and direct engagement with the streaming community, we know that this volatility was one of the game’s primary draws. For the sequel, maintaining that exciting model was a must.
To refine the game for the sequel, we felt it was important to look at what had proven popular within the different Free Spins modes. We looked specifically at which features kept players engaged longest and used those insights to decide where to apply the most significant upgrades. The idea was to amplify those moments of peak excitement that the community has come to expect from the Iron Bank brand.
How do you approach the game creation process to ensure the new title feels like a natural evolution rather than a completely new product with the same name?
We closely examined every mechanic in the original title to work out what to protect and what to pivot towards. We didn’t want to be too cautious, but we had to respect the attachment players have to the IP. We adopted a personal philosophy for every extra element. We would ask ourselves, if I were playing this feature right now, what’s the one thing I’d want to make it even better?
This led to the introduction of dual base game modes and Bonus Reels. These are new layers that represent direct responses to the community’s desire for more in-game agency. By allowing players to choose between Random Mystery symbols or Random Wilds in the base game, we evolved Iron Bank 2 into a more immersive, personalised experience that feels like a sophisticated upgrade on the original.
Was there a specific feature from the original that the team felt should change, but was ultimately kept to satisfy existing player nostalgia?
The Coconut Bonus was our biggest challenge. From a design perspective, the mode already had a lot of moving parts, and there was internal debate about whether it would become too cluttered if we pushed it further.
Instead of removing it, we focused on ramping it up. We integrated it into the new Super and Ultra Bonus games, so that while the core mechanic remained familiar for nostalgic players, the potential and scale of the rewards were significantly escalated. It was a careful balancing act of preserving the magic, while delivering the additional impact a sequel demands.
How does the roll-out strategy with operators differ for a sequel compared to a completely new IP?
For any sequel, the strategy has to focus on players old and new. With Iron Bank 2, we leveraged the established cult following. By working with operators, we used targeted outreach and high-impact promotions via streaming channels. Because Iron Bank is a staple in the streaming community, live-streamed first-look events are a massive part of our launch momentum.
At the same time, many players haven’t encountered the game before, given that the original was released in 2020. For them, we position Iron Bank 2 as a flagship high-volatility title that stands on its own merits. It was important that we utilised our Bonus Symbol Boost and escalating Free Spins as key highlights in our operator toolkits.