Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | Eyecon |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 95.108% |
| Volatility | High |
| Reels / Rows | 5 × 3 |
| Paylines | 25 Fixed |
| Min Bet | $0.25 |
| Max Bet | $12.50 |
| Max Win | 1,000x line stake |
| Features | Block of Wilds, Free Games (retrigger up to 50×), Wild, Feature Wild, Scatter |
| Theme | Norse / Viking |
| Release Date | 10 July 2019 |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile |
What Is Champions of Valhalla?
Champions of Valhalla is a Norse-themed video slot from Australian developer Eyecon, best known for Fluffy Favourites. Where Eyecon usually leans into cute and casual, this one goes the opposite direction — cinematic battle sequences, animated backgrounds that shift as the action changes, and three distinct champion characters who each appear during the Block of Wilds animation.
The game suits players who are comfortable with a high-volatility session: long stretches without a meaningful base game hit, offset by the Block of Wilds firing regularly from reel 3 and a Free Games round with serious retrigger potential. If you prefer a steady stream of small wins to keep your session moving, this is not the right match. If you have the bankroll to wait out the dry spells, the retrigger mechanic here is genuinely one of the more generous in Eyecon’s catalogue.
The bet range is narrow. At $0.25 minimum and $12.50 maximum per spin, high rollers will find the ceiling limiting. For recreational players with a modest session budget, that ceiling is perfectly workable.
RTP and Volatility
The published RTP is 95.108%. In practical terms, over millions of spins the game returns roughly $95.11 for every $100 wagered. Your individual session will almost certainly land well above or below that — the figure is a long-run mathematical average, not a per-session guide.
Volatility is high. That means base game wins are infrequent, and small hits often do little more than slow your balance from declining. The payoff is that when features fire — particularly the Block of Wilds during Free Games — the wins can be genuinely significant relative to your stake. A useful rule of thumb for high-volatility sessions: go in with at least 200–300 spins worth of budget if you intend to give the game a fair run. At $0.25 a spin, that means roughly $50–$75 to absorb variance without burning out before the feature lands.
The 95.108% RTP sits slightly below the 96% benchmark many players use. Over a long session, that fraction matters less than it sounds — but it is worth knowing going in.
Betting Range
Champions of Valhalla runs from $0.25 to $12.50 per spin across 25 fixed paylines. You cannot adjust paylines or toggle coin sizes independently — the total spin stake is the only variable. That simplicity suits new players. The trade-off is that anyone who normally plays at $20–$50 a spin on higher-stakes titles will find this game’s ceiling restrictive.
For most casual NZ players, the $0.25–$2.00 range is the sweet spot — enough budget to weather the volatility, and enough upside to make a solid Block of Wilds hit feel rewarding.
How to Play Champions of Valhalla — Step by Step
- Set your bet. Use the coin icon at the bottom of the screen to choose your total stake per spin. The range is $0.25 to $12.50. The 25 paylines are fixed, so the stake you set covers all of them automatically.
- Check the paytable. Open the menu on the left side of the screen before spinning. It shows every symbol’s multiplier value so you know exactly what a five-of-a-kind Wild or a three-of-a-kind champion symbol pays at your chosen stake.
- Spin the reels. Hit the spin button. Wins pay left to right on all 25 paylines. Only the highest win per payline is paid — multiple winning lines accumulate to your total win.
- Watch reel 3. Every spin, keep an eye on the middle reel. If the Rune symbol lands there, the Block of Wilds fires immediately — no extra action required from you.
- Land three Shield scatters. The golden Shield scatter only appears on reels 2, 3, and 4. Land one on each of those reels simultaneously to trigger Free Games.
- Collect your Free Games wins. The round awards 9 free spins to start. Any Shields appearing during Free Games each award between 1 and 3 extra spins. Three Shields during Free Games adds 9 more outright. The round can retrigger a maximum of 50 times.
- Watch for Block of Wilds in Free Games. If a Rune and Shield symbols land on the same spin during Free Games, the free spins are awarded first, then the Block of Wilds fires. Both rewards apply to that spin.
Try this: Use Autoplay at $0.25 per spin for your first 40 spins to get a feel for how often the Block of Wilds fires before committing to higher stakes.
Symbols and Paytable
Champions of Valhalla has 13 symbols in total — 12 paying and the Rune, which acts as the Block of Wilds trigger rather than a standard paying symbol.
The low-paying group covers four symbols: a helmet, a drinking horn, Thor’s hammer, and crossed swords. These land frequently and form the bulk of your base game activity, paying modest amounts for three-of-a-kind combinations.
The mid-tier group adds an axe and a Viking longship, both stepping up the payout scale meaningfully for four- and five-of-a-kind hits.
The high-paying group features the three champions themselves — Freydis, Odin, and the Berserker. These are the symbols you want stacked across the reels when the Block of Wilds locks adjacent positions.
The Wild symbol (gold on purple) tops the standard paytable at 1,000x your line stake for five of a kind — the game’s confirmed maximum win. The Feature Wild (blue and white version) behaves identically to the standard Wild but only appears as a result of the Block of Wilds feature. Both substitute for everything except the Shield scatter.
The golden Shield scatter pays regardless of position but only appears on reels 2, 3, and 4 — three Shields on those specific reels is the only way to trigger Free Games. Scatter wins are independent of payline wins and only the highest scatter win is added to your total.
Bonus Features
Block of Wilds
This is the engine of Champions of Valhalla and the feature you will see most often. Whenever the Rune symbol lands on reel 3 — which can happen on any spin, including during Free Games — it is immediately struck by lightning. The charged Rune then fires lightning bolts across the reels in one of three randomly chosen patterns: a 1×3, 2×3, or 3×3 block. Every symbol inside the blast zone turns into an ice block, triggering a brief combat animation where one of the three champions smashes through the ice. The blocks shatter and the affected positions become Feature Wild symbols for that spin’s evaluation.
A 1×3 pattern converts three adjacent symbols into wilds. A 3×3 pattern can convert up to nine symbols across three reels — a significant chunk of the grid. The number of wilds created varies entirely by the random pattern size and the position of the Rune on reel 3. You have no control over which pattern fires.
The Block of Wilds pays out at the same lines and bet per line as the spin that triggered it, and all resulting wins are evaluated normally across the 25 paylines. This feature can fire in both the base game and during Free Games, making it the main source of the bigger hits in either mode.
Free Games
Land one Shield scatter on each of reels 2, 3, and 4 at the same time to trigger 9 Free Games. During the round, any Shield scatter that appears on the applicable reels adds between 1 and 3 extra spins. If all three reels each show a Shield scatter simultaneously during Free Games, the round awards an additional 9 spins outright.
There is no multiplier applied to Free Games wins — all prizes are paid at the standard paytable values for your triggering bet. The feature’s strength comes from two other places: the Block of Wilds can still fire from reel 3 during Free Games, and the round can retrigger up to a maximum of 50 times total. A 50-retrigger run with multiple Block of Wilds events firing through it represents the game’s genuine top-end potential.
If a Rune and Shields land on the same Free Games spin, Free Games are always resolved first before the Block of Wilds fires — you get both, in that order.
Is Champions of Valhalla Worth Playing?
Pros:
- The Block of Wilds fires from the base game as well as Free Games, giving high-volatility players something to look forward to without waiting solely for the scatter trigger.
- A 50-retrigger cap on Free Games is exceptional. Very few Eyecon slots match it, and it represents genuine upside for patient players who land the feature in a hot streak.
- The animation quality is well above average for a 2019 release — the champion battle sequences during Block of Wilds keep each feature hit visually engaging.
- The $0.25 minimum makes it accessible for shorter sessions without eating through a budget on a handful of spins.
Cons:
- The $12.50 maximum bet is a hard ceiling that limits the game’s appeal for high rollers. Most contemporary high-volatility slots let you stake $50–$100 or more.
- The 95.108% RTP is below the 96% threshold many players use as a session benchmark, meaning the house edge is slightly steeper than average.
- There are no multipliers attached to Free Games. Every win is paid at face value, which means a retrigger chain without regular Block of Wilds events can feel underwhelming despite the spin count.
- No buy-bonus option. The only way in is through the base game scatter trigger.
Champions of Valhalla rewards patience. It is a well-built high-volatility slot with a genuine retrigger-heavy free spins round and a base-game feature that keeps sessions interesting between bonus hits. The narrow bet range and slightly below-average RTP hold it back from being an elite recommendation, but for NZ players who enjoy Norse themes and can sit with the variance, it delivers on its promise more often than not. Bring a bankroll of at least 200 spins and set a firm loss limit before you start.
Responsible Gambling
Champions of Valhalla uses a certified random number generator (RNG). Every spin outcome is independent — no result is influenced by previous spins, session length, or bet size. High volatility means your balance can swing sharply in either direction within a short session. Set a session budget before you play and stick to it. If gambling stops feeling like entertainment, contact your local responsible gambling support service.