The Champions Slots

Football fever never really dies out. But certain events cause it to spike, as fans all across the world tune in to watch. But until now, slots and football never really intersected. It seems like Pragmatic Play decided it was time to correct that, as they launched The Champions. Not only is it football themed, but its special features are also based around the world’s favourite sport! So choose your theme, and lead them to victory! You’ll be richly rewarded for doing so.

Gameplay

The individual visuals aren’t all that amazing. But the clear effort put in by the software provider made us fall in love with this game anyways. There are thirty-two national teams which you can choose from. Depending on which team you pick, several symbol designs will change colours to reflect that team’s own colour scheme. And since multiple icons were decorated in thirty-two different colours, we have to commend Pragmatic Play for that kind of effort!

You play this release on a 5x3 board with 25 paylines which pay left to right only. Available special features include the Momentum progressive bonus and the Penalty Shots. For Momentum, players have to make the football symbol land in the position they’ve highlighted before the spin. Each successful score raises your multiplier by one for a short duration of time. Meanwhile, the Penalty Shots special feature has you trying to outsmart the goal keep and earn cash prizes for doing so.

The Champions Slots Real Money

Pragmatic Play has one of the best user interfaces among numerous slot developers. The number of software providers that’d like the excuse to have their logos serve as the spin button is massive, but only Pragmatic managed to pull it off! The best part of their layout is how easy setting your wager is. You can simply tap the plus and minus keys until you find your ideal wager. That said, you can also tweak coin value and coins per payline individually. This allows for bets between GBP 0.25 and GBP 125 per spin.

The Champions has a super high volatility, and is super reluctant in awarding any substantial prizes. To get anywhere, you’ll have to make use of the Momentum special feature, which requires a boatload of luck! That said, you do get a thrilling 20,000x jackpot! To earn it, you have to score a full screen of Wilds with the maximum 20x multiplier active. The game has an RTP of 96.51%, which is half a percentage point above the current industry average.

Bonus Rounds

Before you play any spins, you have the opportunity to set a focus. You can click on any position on the board to highlight it. If a football icon lands in that highlighted area, it will increase the multiplier. This multiplier lasts for the next ten spins. If you score another football in the highlight area, the multiplier increases again! The maximum multiplier you can reach is 20x. If you land a football in the highlighted area while you’re already at max multiplier, you just get your counter reset to ten turns.

Find three Bonus symbols to activate the Penalty Shots. You will be taken in front of a goal, where you have to click one of its four corners. Depending on how many goals you score, you will earn between 5x to 100x your total stake.

Summary

Is it -the- football release to play? No. Is it an amazing slot in its own right? Absolutely! You can tell Pragmatic Play put a lot of effort into The Champions, and we’re quite happy with the end result. The fun special features and the ability to pick your own team left the greatest impact on us. Although, the promise of a 20,000x jackpot certainly helped smooth things along.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of The Champions slots?

The Champions has a return to player (RTP) of 96.51%, which is half a percentage point above the industry average of 96%. Despite the high variance, this above-average RTP and a top jackpot of 20,000x your stake – achievable with a full screen of Wilds under a maximum 20x Momentum multiplier – make The Champions one of Pragmatic Play's more ambitious releases.

Can I play The Champions for real money?

Yes, The Champions is available as a real money slot at online casinos carrying Pragmatic Play titles. Bets range from GBP 0.25 to GBP 125 per spin across 25 paylines. The game's 32 selectable national team themes and two distinct bonus features are all fully active during real money play.

What is the Momentum bonus in The Champions?

The Momentum bonus in The Champions is a progressive multiplier system. Before each spin, players highlight a position on the board. If a football symbol lands in that highlighted spot, the multiplier increases by one and lasts for ten spins. Each additional scored football resets the counter to ten and raises the multiplier further, up to a maximum of 20x.

How does the Penalty Shots feature work in The Champions?

The Penalty Shots feature in The Champions is triggered by landing three Bonus symbols on the reels. Players are taken to a goal and must select one of four corners to aim their shot. Scoring goals earns cash prizes ranging from 5x to 100x your total stake, depending on how many successful penalty shots are taken.

Can I choose my national team in The Champions?

Yes – one of the standout features of The Champions is the ability to select from 32 real national football teams before playing. Depending on which team is chosen, several symbol designs change colour to reflect that team's colour scheme. Pragmatic Play created 32 unique colour variants for each affected symbol, a considerable design investment.

What is the maximum win in The Champions?

The maximum win in The Champions is 20,000x your total stake, achieved by filling the entire 5x3 board with Wild symbols while the Momentum multiplier is at its maximum 20x value. As a high variance slot, reaching this top prize requires significant patience and a sustained run of successful football placements in the highlighted position.