Relax Gaming CPO discusses Money Train 4 and the new Relax Vantage

As the slot developer prepares to release the final instalment of its hugely popular Money Train series, Gaming Intelligence speaks to Relax Gaming's newly promoted chief product officer Shelley Hannah about what to expect from the hit game.

Since its foundation in 2010, Relax Gaming has developed a huge portfolio of over 4,000 games, offering a diverse range of high-performing proprietary slots, alongside a vast selection of hand-picked third-party studio content through its partnership programmes.

But none of its games have been as successful as its Money Train series of slots, with the final instalment of the franchise, Money Train 4: The Last Stand set to debut with online casinos on 20 September.

“It’s the biggest production of the series in every sense of the word. The effort, the quality, as well as the amount of features of the game are unmatched,” says Hannah, who was recently promoted to chief product officer. "I might be a bit biased but I believe we’ve got one of the best development teams in the industry in our company, and many of them have worked on this game. The best resources have poured into this epic final sequel.”

The new game will be sci-fi themed and set in outer space “which is a really unique evolution from the bio-punk environment seen in Money Train 3,” explains Hannah.

“Creating a follow-up title to a multi-award winning slot is no mean feat, but it’s a challenge our team was excited to take on. A key element of the game production process involved gathering feedback from players and using that as a foundation for inspiration. The result is an out-of-this-world conclusion to an incredible Money Train journey.”

But is Money Train 4: The Last Stand really the end of the line for the record-breaking series?

“We don’t intend on having any future version of this game, but I secretly hope that players will be wanting more,” says Hannah. “I think what’s most important for us at Relax is that players enjoy Money Train 4 and all the innovations, features, and adventures it brings.

“The game is a well-thought-through extension of the Money Train franchise that we all know and love, with even more heart-pounding twists and turns than ever. It ends the series the only way it could - with a bang!”

The new game has a variety of changes from the previous instalments, as it boasts 20 new features and a maximum win of 150,000x.

“The maximum win cranks up the heat even more than our previous games while one of the biggest changes is found in the base game. Here, we see a bigger reel area with a scatter pay mechanic and a respin feature that transforms the experience," Hannah reveals.

“I think it brings a whole new layer of excitement to the base game that hasn’t been seen before and injects more anticipation for the players.”

The game also introduces a new persistent feature buy option, which remains available throughout each spin.

“There was a normal feature buy option in the previous instalments, so now we’ve taken that to a new level with a Persistent Feature Buy option, which allows players to jump straight into the action-packed bonus round with that persistent element staying in place. This kicks things into high gear, getting more and more exciting with each spin,” she explains.

Other new features players can expect from the upcoming slot include the Unlocker, which unlocks up to four rows of symbols; the Reset symbol, which resets the free spin counter; and the Upgrader, which upgrades symbols to their persistent counterparts.

Relax's development team also added a new character to the Money Train gang - the Arms Dealer.

“This new bandit takes any normal bonus symbol and makes it a special symbol bringing our players some epic win potential. I can’t wait to see what fantastic gameplay videos come out of this," says Hannah.

“Despite all these additions, however, the game retains the signature Money Train flavour that players can’t get enough of. It’s not a total departure from the franchise but it’s definitely a huge step up from the last.”

Money Train success

Since its 2019 launch, the Money Train series has been extremely popular with players, with the games receiving over 3 billion game rounds.

Hannah believes that the secret to the game’s success is innovation.

“The core element of the whole series is that it keeps players entertained from start to finish," she explains. "Boosted with a build-up of anticipation throughout and the innovation of all those different characters interacting to create different game rounds every time. The entire player journey is always packed with twists at every turn. It’s a game that remains fresh no matter how many times it’s played.

“For me, the gripping storyline, the gradual progression of the game, as well as the jaw-dropping big win potential makes the game a showstopper.”

The production quality of the game is another factor in its popularity.

“Let’s not forget, everything is extremely well produced, a lot of effort has gone into that, having a successful franchise is particularly challenging, and Money Train has just got better with each game," she continues. "The attention to detail that has gone into every layer of the title is impressive, from cutting-edge mechanics to state-of-art visuals and sound, this team didn’t miss a beat and I believe that’s a key element of any successful series.”

It's not just about Money Train however. Relax has also had a string of other hit releases this year, most notably titles such as Net Gains, Book of Power and Dream Drop.

“So far, we have had many excellent game releases which have been particularly popular with players,” she says. “Dream Drop hit the ground running last year and has seen so much growth in just 15 months since its release. The fact that it’s made ten millionaires and hundreds of other players very happy with its mega and major jackpot setup makes it a great success story all around.”

There is more to come too. Relax is set to launch more slot games with a variety of new releases expected in the remainder of this year.

“We have some very strong games to watch out for in Q4,” reveals Hannah. “Lure of Fortune is definitely one to watch in Q4. It’s a truly unique take on an underwater-themed game. With echoes of some of Money Train’s persistent features and several varied-volatility adventures to choose from, Lure of Fortune is bound to make a splash when it launches this November."

Staying ahead of the competition

The supplier is also currently working on Relax Vantage, a new product that has been designed for operators and suppliers, and supports aggregation, content management flow and market changes.

Relax aims to release the product in the final quarter of this year.

“It’s a much-need and excellent product that gives the industry new levels of support, most notably related to the upcoming UKGC changes," says Hannah. "As with all of our platforms and products, it’s intended to simplify and streamline collaboration.

"It’s about to make life easier for everyone working together, operators, suppliers and Relax Gaming alike.”

Having a multifaceted approach is one reason to keep up with the immense competition in the industry, as is a focus on quality, says Hannah.

“Quality will always prevail if you put the effort in. You must keep your finger on the pulse and listen to your customers in order to continue producing top-quality games. Only then will you find success in this fiercely competitive landscape."

Hannah believes that in addition to quality, innovation is also key.

“Stay hungry and keep trying new things. As our CEO [Simon Hammon] always says, it’s never time to rest on your laurels, you’re only as good as your last release and you must keep improving to stand apart. This, more than anything, is our ethos at Relax.”

Technology and innovation

Technological innovations are also at the forefront of the company’s success so far, says Hannah.

“Our development teams are continuously looking at new technology to utilise and remain ahead of the curve," she says. "I think this industry is fast moving in terms of its changes, the number of transactions, security issues and everything else, so we are always looking for new ways to support the evolving needs of the industry.”

Meanwhile, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has also become useful in certain areas.

“I’m confident that there are areas where AI can be very interesting and advantageous for any company, but I also believe in finding a balance here," concludes Hannah. "As a data-led product team, AI can help with areas such as identifying trends quickly within data, supporting in administrative areas and even, in a sense, speeding up innovation when it comes to the ideation stages and tasks like that.

"As always, technology can do wonders for our work and our lives, but it can never replace human intuition, creativity, or the talent that we are so lucky to house at Relax."

As the industry eagerly awaits the release of Money Train 4: The Last Stand, there appears to be no stopping Relax Gaming.