NetEnt to Delete 5 Unpopular Online Slots this Week

Five old NetEnt online slots to get the ax on Wednesday.

After more than two decades in the online gambling software business, NetEnt has produced hundreds upon hundreds of interactive slot machines. The company’s development crew is so active that we’re accustomed to reading about the launch of new and innovative games with spectacular 3D graphics and ground-breaking features. That’s what makes today’s news all the more brow-raising.

NetEnt has announced that it will be removing 5 of its online slot titles from the brand’s extensive portfolio of digital games. There’s been no indication as to why they’re deleting the titles. It could have something to do with branding licenses, or perhaps muffled allegations of copyright infringement. But there isn’t much evidence in that regard, or any clear links between the games. They are all quite different in their concepts.

The only visible similarities between them is their age—all were released between 2014 and 2015—and their notable lack of popularity in 2018. None of the games have an average popularity rating above 400 at NetEnt online casino. Three of them actually rank as far down as 1,200+. This doesn’t mean there aren’t players out there who still enjoy them, but statistically speaking, they are all among NetEnt’s most unpopular online slots.

5 Old NetEnt Online Slots Getting the Ax

On Wednesday, Sept. 5, the following NetEnt slots titles (in alphabetical order) will cease to exist. We’ll describe them briefly, and try to evaluate why they are so unpopular.

Big Bang Slot – Launched in January 2014, Big Bang is a 5-reel, 25-line video slot. It has beautiful graphics, but very little in the way of features. There’s a standard wild symbol, but no scatters or bonuses. To hit a big payout, players need repetitive wins, which increase the multiplier up to 32x. However, the game’s high volatility makes it incredibly hard to reach a lucrative multiplier, which could explain its impending deletion from NetEnt’s slots portfolio.

GLOW Slot – Online since April 2015, GLOW has a vibrant Northern Lights/nature theme across 5 reels and 15 paylines. It offers 2x wild multipliers and free spins with 2x multipliers throughout, which players generally enjoy. What this game lacks, in my observance, is a visible RTP. Today’s online gamblers are a savvy bunch, and when slots games fail to display their RTP, it can turn a lot of players off.

Fantasini: Master of Mystery Slot – Released in January 2015, this game takes players into the mystical realm of a clever illusionist. It’s got 5 reels and 243 ways to win, a very basic wild symbol, and only one other feature, known as linked reels, which can trigger at random. It doesn’t even guarantee a win when active, making it fairly clear why this game is miserably failing the popularity contest.

NRVNA: The Nxt Experience Slot – NRVNA went live in June 2015, equipped with 5 reels, 30 paylines and some pretty nice features. Wins involving wilds pay 3x, and scatters award up to 30 free spins with a random NRVNA Wheel for extra free spins and up to 10x multiplier. Unfortunately, I think it’s the design that killed this one. The symbols are tiny compared to the screen, making it rather unappealing to look at. Add in a medium/high volatility, and it’s just not that fun to play.

Tornado: Farm Escape Slot – This game, launched in January 2015, has a very comical, cartoon-style theme and some attractive features. Its failure is evident in the pay table, though. NetEnt gave it a lowly 93% RTP, presumably hoping the entertainment value would override its cheap payouts, which are well below the average for NetEnt online slots. Hopefully they’ve learned their lesson with this one.