Launched in 2022, Fortune Factory Studios’ Gold Blitz has quickly accumulated an extensive fan following. The Gold Blitz theme has since been implemented by other Games Global studios, expanding the brand’s influence and further underlining its success, turning it into a popular internal franchise for Games Global.
The popularity of the initial concept has led to the creation of two new iterations of the Gold Blitz series – Extreme and Ultimate – which supercharge the original game, taking things to the next level and beyond.
Walter Bugno, CEO of Games Global, gives his insights into the brand’s evolution and why it resonates so strongly with a worldwide audience.
The birth of Gold Blitz
The original game concept was initially launched in early 2022 with the release of Fortune Factory Studios’ Mask of Amun, although visually, the symbols used were totally different to the iconic lightning bolts of Gold Blitz that have become globally renowned today. However, it was instantly apparent that the game concept had promise, with very strong results across the key performance metrics.
Having received confirmation that the game concept was definitely well received by players, the team at Fortune Factory then applied themselves to visually enhancing the game so as to create a ‘striking’ gaming and visual experience at the same time.
The result was the development of a new set of symbols that reflect the inherent motion and constant anticipation that are integral factors in Gold Blitz games, as well as mirroring the charged energy of the frequently occurring Cash Collect feature.
The dynamic, high-end graphics were inspired from console-based interactive video games, and the incorporation of these into Gold Blitz ensured we achieved the desired visual impact.
Whilst there were no guarantees this game would strike a chord with players, we knew the Fortune Factory team had done a brilliant job at creating both an excellent visual and gameplay experience for players. The original Gold Blitz title launched in December 2022 and immediately began its climb toward the top of the charts.
Merging popular brands
One of the key success drivers of the Gold Blitz franchise is the consistency with which the Gold Blitz game concept is fused with other popular brands in the Games Global content portfolio. There are now a total of 32 games that utilise the Gold Blitz concept, including Fishin’ Pots of Gold: Gold Blitz, Blazing Bison Gold Blitz, and the recently released Thunderstruck Gold Blitz Extreme.
Combining fan-favourite brands allows us to leverage the audience of each to expand the overall player base. While there will naturally be some overlap in players, a small section of unique players will be attracted to these releases due to their affiliation with either brand, allowing Games Global to increase visibility and player numbers on behalf of its operator partners.
This emphasis on amalgamating brands has been pivotal in the ongoing success of the Gold Blitz series since its original launch, resulting in the highest number of lifetime players globally when compared to Games Global’s wider portfolio, and continuing to constantly feature among the top performing slots in many regulated markets worldwide.
2024 has also seen Games Global reaffirm its commitment to maintaining a market-leading IP content portfolio, including new partnerships with prestigious global names, and linking those global brands to some of our most successful game franchises.
Our specific focus on the combat sports sector, and the collaboration with both Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment, two juggernauts in the media and entertainment landscape, has led to the development of a number of new slot games that provide players with an entirely new way to interact with the sporting superstars of those two organisations.
UFC Gold Blitz Extreme and WWE Bonus Rumble: Gold Blitz are centred around the likes of Jon Jones, Amanda Nunes, John Cena, The Undertaker, and more. Fortune Factory successfully harnessed the popularity of these icons by placing them at the heart of the action, making these Gold Blitz series additions attractive to non-regular players. Once again, by capitalising on existing audiences and merging universal brands, we have further enhanced the performance of the Gold Blitz collection.
Continual evolution: the secret to success
Nurturing a brand and ensuring its continued success can be achieved through consistent evolution. This means the evolution of graphics, math models, and gameplay features, which are all vital in bolstering series longevity.
The initial breakthrough of Gold Blitz can be attributed to several factors. Those factors are all unique, driven by data, run through different iterations of A-B-C testing and more, these all add up to the secret sauce around why Gold Blitz has transitioned from a single game to a franchise of ever-evolving games for the brand.
It would have been remiss of us, however, to leave Gold Blitz as is. Instead, we have continually evolved the concept, first with Gold Blitz Extreme, and now, with Gold Blitz Ultimate.
Gold Blitz Ultimate introduces 5x multipliers in the base game and 10x multipliers during the bonus, boosting payouts. It also sees the integration of the brand-new Blitz Boost feature that either doubles the frequency of Blitz symbols or guarantees at least one to land with every spin.
When you also consider the now fully configurable bonus buy, which allows players to enter the bonus at any level, it is evident that Fortune Factory Studios has refined and advanced the brand to optimise gameplay and deliver a compelling player-centric experience.
Prize collection is the essence of Gold Blitz, and the opportunities to expand this genre are endless. As we look ahead to 2025, there are a number of new titles in the works that integrate fresh mechanics to progress the series.
Gold Blitz has already turned into a global franchise, but we are not done quite yet. Games Global is regularly partnering with new studios to license the brand to reach even more players in markets across the world, as we pursue our goal of providing truly memorable gaming experiences.
