5 Lions Megaways vs 5 Lions Megaways 2: What's New in the Sequel?
5 Lions Megaways Review: Original vs 5 Lions Megaways 2, Free Spins and Demo
5 Lions Megaways brings Pragmatic Play's golden guardian lions to a changing-reel slot where winning combinations tumble away and Wild symbols can increase payouts by up to 40x. Released in June 2021, it remains distinctive for letting players choose between longer free-spin bonuses with smaller Wild multipliers and shorter rounds with stronger ones.
Its 2025 sequel, 5 Lions Megaways 2, retains the Chinese-inspired artwork but introduces a much wider playing grid, multipliers up to 100x and Level Up Coins that transform the bonus as it progresses. For anyone exploring slots at Aslot, this guide separates the two games, explains their actual mathematics and shows what to look for in a demo before risking money.
5 Lions Megaways: Key Features
Developer: Pragmatic Play
Original release: June 24, 2021
Original layout: Six variable-height reels, with up to seven visible symbols per reel
Original maximum ways to win: 117,649
Original maximum Wild multiplier: 40x
Original maximum payout: 5,000x the total stake
Original free-spin choices: Seven, including a Mystery selection
Sequel release: February 27, 2025
Sequel maximum ways: 262,144, with up to eight symbols on each of six reels
Sequel maximum Wild multiplier: 100x
Sequel maximum payout: 8,000x the total stake
Commonly published standard RTP: 96.50% for both titles
Main sequel upgrades: Level Up Coins, Super Free Spins and Max Free Spins
Both titles feature Asian-inspired animal symbols, including dragons, phoenixes, frogs, koi fish and turtles. The golden lion is the Wild and the yin-yang symbol is the Scatter. Despite their similar presentation, the ways-to-win figures and free-spin rules are different enough to warrant separate reviews.
How the Original Megaways Reels Work
Unlike a five-reel slot with fixed paylines, 5 Lions Megaways uses six reels whose heights vary from one spin to another. At maximum height, the grid offers 117,649 ways to win. Matching paying symbols form combinations across consecutive reels from left to right; they do not need to align along a drawn payline.
The Megaways number changes with the layout. More possible ways does not mean a particular spin is guaranteed to win or that the game has a higher RTP.
Tumbling Wins and Golden Lion Wilds
After a qualifying combination pays, its symbols disappear and new ones drop into the open spaces. Another paying combination creates another tumble, without charging for a second spin. This continues until no new win forms.
The golden lion Wild substitutes for ordinary paying symbols, but not Scatters. When it participates in a winning combination, the game applies a randomly selected Wild multiplier. The original's published multiplier values include 2x, 3x, 5x, 8x, 10x, 15x, 30x and 40x.
For example, a paying combination worth 2x the stake becomes 20x if a qualifying Wild awards 10x. The multiplier is attached to the eligible Wild win, not every unrelated payout on the screen. Another tumble may produce a different result; the earlier multiplier does not become a permanent bonus for all future paid spins.
Original Free Spins: Seven Choices, Not One Fixed Bonus
Landing three or more yin-yang Scatters starts the original game's free-spin feature. The Scatters also award an immediate payout: 3x for three, 5x for four, 25x for five and 100x for six.
Before free spins begin, you choose one of six predefined combinations or a seventh Mystery option:
Starting spins | Possible Wild multipliers |
|---|---|
25 | 2x, 3x or 5x |
20 | 3x, 5x or 8x |
15 | 5x, 8x or 10x |
13 | 8x, 10x or 15x |
10 | 10x, 15x or 30x |
6 | 15x, 30x or 40x |
Mystery | A randomly selected setup |
This is a choice about how bonus volatility is distributed, not a way to improve the underlying odds. Twenty-five spins give more individual chances for combinations, while six spins concentrate the multiplier range at the higher end. Neither guarantees a better total payout.
Three or more Scatters during the feature can retrigger the same number of spins originally selected. The Wild multipliers follow the chosen range during the extended bonus.
5 Lions Megaways 2: What Actually Changed?
5 Lions Megaways 2 launched on February 27, 2025. Its six reels can now display up to eight symbols each, raising the ceiling to 262,144 ways to win. The original's maximum is 117,649, so the comparison figure of 200,000 ways sometimes quoted for the sequel is incorrect.
The tumble system remains, as does the golden lion Wild, but the sequel expands the random Wild-multiplier range up to 100x in both the base game and eligible bonuses. The higher ceiling does not mean 100x appears whenever a Wild lands: it must form part of a paying combination, and its multiplier is randomly determined.
The maximum total-round payout also increases from 5,000x to 8,000x the stake. More winning ways and a larger theoretical maximum are not proof of more frequent wins.
Eight Free-Spin Choices in the Sequel
When three or more regular Scatters trigger the standard bonus, the newer game offers seven predefined setups plus Mystery:
Starting spins | Wild multiplier range |
|---|---|
25 | 2x–8x |
20 | 3x–10x |
15 | 5x–15x |
13 | 8x–20x |
10 | 10x–30x |
7 | 15x–40x |
5 | 20x–100x |
Mystery | Random available setup |
The shorter options offer stronger potential Wild multipliers, but none eliminates the possibility of a low-paying bonus. The original offers six predefined combinations; the sequel adds a seventh and changes the multiplier ranges.
Level Up Coins: Three Coins, Three Extra Spins
Level Up Coins are one of the sequel's most meaningful additions. During free spins, each collected group of three coins awards three extra spins and removes the lowest available Wild-multiplier value from the chosen range.
This progression continues up to Level 4. For example, a bonus that begins with several possible multiplier values gradually removes its weakest values as it levels up. After reaching Level 4, every further three coins still add three spins but no longer increase the level.
Level Up Coins do not directly award a cash multiplier on their own. They change the remaining bonus conditions. Collecting coins is random, so reaching a particular level is never assured.
Super Free Spins and Max Free Spins
The sequel distinguishes between ordinary Scatters and Super Scatters:
Regular Free Spins: Triggered by at least three ordinary Scatters; select one of the eight setups.
Super Free Spins: Triggered by a qualifying mixture of ordinary Scatters and at least one Super Scatter. Between one and ten extra starting spins are added, and the round may begin directly at Level 2.
Max Free Spins: Triggered by three or more Super Scatters without ordinary Scatters. This feature starts with 35 spins and a fixed 100x Wild multiplier. It skips level progression, though collecting three Level Up Coins still awards three more spins.
These are genuine new bonus mechanics. The sequel's primary upgrade is not a newly introduced post-win Gamble feature, as some generic comparisons claim.
5 Lions Megaways Big Win: Max Payout and Volatility
A search for 5 lions megaways big win may bring up huge bonus clips, but the advertised maximums are specific mathematical caps rather than expected session results.
Game | Maximum advertised payout | Example at a $1 stake |
|---|---|---|
Original 5 Lions Megaways | 5,000x | $5,000 |
5 Lions Megaways 2 | 8,000x | $8,000 |
Both games have a commonly published 96.50% standard RTP, equivalent to a theoretical 3.50% house edge. Lower configurations, often listed as 95.50% and 94.50%, may be offered, so inspect the RTP displayed in the actual game rather than assuming the highest version is active.
RTP is a theoretical long-term average over a very large number of wagers, not a guarantee of receiving $96.50 from a personal $100 session. Both titles can produce uneven returns; the original is widely classified as high volatility, and reviews of the sequel do not consistently agree on its volatility label. Neither classification overrides the risk of losing an entire session budget.
The 8,000x ceiling doesn't mean the sequel is a better way to earn money. A higher maximum can be extraordinarily rare, and increasing the stake changes the amount at risk without improving the probability of a particular outcome.
5 Lions Megaways Demo: Practice Both Games
The official 5 lions megaways demo is available on Pragmatic Play's game page, subject to regional restrictions. It uses virtual credits, allowing you to observe the Megaways counter, tumble sequences and Wild multipliers without financial risk.
Start with the original and test how six-reel wins form from left to right. When free spins appear, compare a longer, lower-multiplier setup with a shorter, higher-multiplier one. Then open the separate 5 Lions Megaways 2 demo and look for Level Up Coins, Super Scatters and their effect on the bonus meter.
Playing both practice versions is useful for understanding the differences, but virtual-credit results don't predict real-money outcomes. Game availability at Aslot or another casino should be checked in the current catalogue.
Bonus Buy: Original vs Sequel
Where local regulations permit, the original game offers Buy Free Spins for 100x the stake. The sequel expands the menu to three purchases:
Game and purchase | Published price |
|---|---|
Original — Free Spins | 100x |
Sequel — Regular Free Spins | 100x |
Sequel — Super Free Spins | 150x |
Sequel — Mystery feature | 500x |
The sequel's Mystery purchase randomly selects regular, Super or Max Free Spins; it does not guarantee the 35-spin Max feature. At a $1 base stake, the 500x purchase costs $500 upfront, and the bonus can return much less than the amount spent.
The sequel also has an enhanced Ante Bet setting that increases spin cost while increasing the chance of triggering free spins. It changes how much each spin costs, not the certainty of winning. Availability and pricing vary by operator and jurisdiction.
Which 5 Lions Megaways Version Should You Choose?
The original is easier to understand if you want Megaways tumbles, 40x Wild multipliers and a clear choice between six starting free-spin setups plus Mystery. Its published maximum is 5,000x.
The sequel is more elaborate: a larger grid, 100x Wilds, Level Up Coins and two additional bonus types. Its 8,000x maximum is higher, but its extra features don't create a reliable winning strategy.
The most useful comparison is to try both demos and read the active paytables. Neither graphics, reels nor a larger headline prize can tell you how your next session will turn out.
Responsible Gaming
Before playing 5 Lions Megaways at Aslot or elsewhere, set both a spending limit you can comfortably afford to lose and a session time limit. Check the active RTP and understand the full stake cost before enabling Ante Bet or purchasing a feature.
A 100x, 150x or 500x bonus purchase commits many ordinary stakes at once and can result in a substantial loss. Never increase your bet to recover previous losses or assume free spins are overdue after a run without Scatters.
Use demos to learn the rules, take breaks and stop if gambling becomes stressful or difficult to control. Consider responsible gambling support or self-exclusion tools if needed.
Summary: What Is the Main Difference?
5 Lions Megaways (2021) offers up to 117,649 ways to win, Wild multipliers reaching 40x, seven free-spin selections and a maximum payout of 5,000x. 5 Lions Megaways 2 (2025) expands that to 262,144 ways, 100x Wilds, eight free-spin choices and an 8,000x maximum.
The sequel's genuinely new features are Level Up Coins, Super Free Spins and Max Free Spins. For newcomers, the official demos offer the simplest way to compare those changes without taking financial risks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ways to win are in 5 Lions Megaways?
The original game has up to 117,649 ways to win. The sequel increases the number to 262,144.
What is the RTP of 5 Lions Megaways?
Both games are commonly listed at 96.50% RTP in their standard configurations. Lower operator-specific settings may apply; check the in-game information.
When was 5 Lions Megaways 2 released?
The sequel was released on February 27, 2025. The original debuted on June 24, 2021.
Can I play either game for free?
Yes. Pragmatic Play provides separate demos using virtual credits, subject to regional availability.
What is the maximum win in the two games?
The original advertises 5,000x the stake; the sequel advertises 8,000x. Neither amount is guaranteed.
18+ Play responsibly. T&Cs apply.