Power of Merlin Megaways is a high-voltage wizard-themed slot from Pragmatic Play, featuring a dynamic grid that expands to a massive 6x7 reel layout with up to 117,649 ways to win. A unique Lightning Bolt symbol sits on the top horizontal tracker reel, randomly transforming a chosen symbol type into wilds — and it can strike multiple times within a single tumble sequence. The bonus round cranks things up further with an unlimited progressive win multiplier that never resets. With a jaw-dropping max win potential of 40,000x your stake, this is one of the most rewarding Megaways titles in Pragmatic Play's library. Read our full review below, alongside the free Power of Merlin Megaways demo.
Merlin is one of mythology's most iconic figures — the wise, enigmatic wizard standing at the heart of Arthurian legend, serving as King Arthur's trusted mentor and magical companion. Countless online slots have drawn inspiration from this legendary character, and Pragmatic Play adds their own chapter with Power of Merlin Megaways. The great wizard himself makes appearances throughout gameplay, offering dramatic commentary — especially when you trigger the all-important bonus round. He cuts an imposing figure on the reels, stern and authoritative, with a voice to match.
The action unfolds on a dynamic Megaways grid capable of delivering up to 117,649 win ways, powered by a standout innovation: the Lightning Bolt symbol. Sitting exclusively on the top horizontal tracker reel, it randomly selects a symbol type and transforms every instance of it into a wild. Thanks to the tumble mechanic, the Lightning Bolt can reposition and strike again, potentially creating cascading wild transformations across a single spin. Combine that with a progressive win multiplier in the bonus round that climbs with every winning tumble and never resets, and you have a slot built for serious maximum win potential — all the way up to an extraordinary 40,000x stake.
Pragmatic Play, established in 2015, has grown into one of the iGaming industry's most prolific developers, with a catalogue of over 600 titles spanning a wide range of themes and mechanics. Their rapid release schedule has made them a household name among slot enthusiasts worldwide, though it has also drawn some criticism for the frequency of remakes and reskinned games.
Thematically, Power of Merlin Megaways immerses players in a mystical Arthurian world, with reels set against a lush enchanted forest backdrop dotted with ancient stone ruins. The symbols bring the magic to life — wise owls, glowing potions, arcane spell books, magical wands, and Merlin himself populate the grid, creating an atmospheric and visually engaging slot experience.
Power of Merlin Megaways is a high volatility slot, scoring a maximum 5 out of 5 on Pragmatic Play's in-game volatility scale — meaning this is a slot designed for players who embrace risk in pursuit of bigger rewards. The maximum win potential stands at an exceptional 40,000x your stake, which is significantly above the average for both Pragmatic Play's catalogue and the Megaways format in general. It comes with a hit frequency of 1 in 21,276,596 spins, reflecting the rarified nature of landing that top prize.
Power of Merlin Megaways is built on the Megaways engine, with the grid dynamically serving between 2 and 7 symbols across each of the 6 reels per spin — primarily across the 4 central reels, shaped by the top horizontal tracker reel above them. This gives the slot a maximum of 117,649 ways to win, which is the standard ceiling for this popular engine.
The premium symbols offer payouts ranging from 2x to 20x your stake for six-of-a-kind combinations, with the top-paying Merlin symbol also awarding 0.5x your stake for just two of a kind — a nice touch that keeps smaller wins flowing. The Red Orb Wild substitutes for any regular pay symbol but carries no independent payout value. Wilds can land on reels 2 through 6 only. The Book Scatter is the key to unlocking the bonus round, requiring 4 or more to trigger free spins.
Here's the full paytable breakdown:
The Tumble mechanic is active throughout every spin — winning symbols are cleared from the grid and replaced by new ones cascading down, with the process repeating for as long as winning combinations continue to form. This creates the possibility of multiple consecutive wins from a single paid spin.
The Lightning Bolt is Power of Merlin Megaways' standout base game mechanic, and it operates exclusively from the top horizontal tracker reel:
This mechanic injects genuine unpredictability into every base game spin, as players never know which symbol will be selected or how far-reaching the wild transformation will be.
The Free Spins bonus round is triggered by landing 4 or more flaming Book Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels simultaneously. The number of scatters landed determines your starting free spin count:
If you land fewer than 30 free spins, you have the option to gamble your award on a bonus wheel for a chance at more spins — though risking the entire feature in the process.
The progressive win multiplier begins at x1 and increases by +1 for every winning tumble during the bonus round. Crucially, the multiplier never resets for the entire duration of the feature, meaning it can climb to extraordinary heights during a strong tumble sequence. Landing 3 or more scatters during free spins awards +4 additional spins.
A Bonus Buy option is available in eligible jurisdictions — this feature is not available to players in the UK. Players who can access it will find a dedicated "buy free spins" button on the game interface. Purchasing direct access to the bonus round costs 150x your stake. The organic hit rate for the bonus round is 1 in 418 spins.
Pragmatic Play has explored wild transformation mechanics across many of their Megaways releases, but Power of Merlin Megaways manages to carve out its own identity thanks to the Lightning Bolt symbol — a genuinely fresh innovation that breathes new life into an increasingly crowded genre.
In the base game, the Lightning Bolt delivers consistent unpredictability. You never quite know which symbol type it will target or what wild pattern will emerge, and its ability to retrigger through the tumble mechanic means a single spin can evolve in dramatically unexpected ways. It keeps the gameplay feeling dynamic and exciting rather than formulaic.
Step into the bonus round, and the unlimited progressive win multiplier transforms the experience entirely. Unlike many Megaways slots that cap or reset their multipliers, this one keeps climbing — which is exactly how the 40,000x maximum win becomes achievable. That ceiling is substantially higher than what Pragmatic Play typically offers, making this one of their more ambitious releases.
The 150x bonus buy price does offer a useful hint about average expected returns from the feature, and the max win hit rate of 1 in 21,276,596 spins is a reminder that peak outcomes remain rare. But for high volatility slot enthusiasts hunting genuinely outsized potential, Power of Merlin Megaways delivers a compelling case.
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