Starz Megaways Slot Review

Introduction

Starz Megaways is a high-volatility video slot from Pragmatic Play with a 96.48% RTP, a 6-reel Megaways layout offering up to 117,649 ways to win, and a maximum win of 10,000x the stake, available to play at Chips.gg. Released in June 2020, it takes the classic space-gem formula into Megaways territory: glowing crystals and planets over a starfield, backed by a soundtrack that leans into the cosmic theme. The design is deliberately lean. There are only two features, expanding wilds and free spins, but the free spins lock every expanded wild in place for the rest of the round, which is where this game earns its volatility rating.

Quick Facts

Starz Megaways pairs a stripped-back feature set with the full Megaways engine.

Facts verified July 2026 against the live Chips.gg game configuration.

Game Features and Bonuses

Starz Megaways keeps its feature list short and lets the shifting reel engine do the work.

• Layout: 6 reels with 2 to 7 symbols landing on each per spin, producing anywhere from 64 to 117,649 ways to win. Matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left pay regardless of position.

• Special Symbols: Wild symbols arrive in varying sizes like everything else on the grid, and whenever one lands it expands to take over its entire reel. Bonus symbols are the ticket to free spins.

• Free Spins: Landing bonus symbols triggers the free spins round, and this is where the game changes character: every wild that expands during the feature is locked to its reel for the remainder of the round, so wild coverage only ever grows.

• Bonus Rounds: Before the free spins begin, the bonus symbols first respin the entire board at no cost, offering a chance at extra winning combinations and additional bonus symbols on the way into the feature.

• Unique Features: The sticky expanded wilds are the engine of the 10,000x maximum. Two or three locked wild reels with the ways count rolling high on every spin is the path to the top of the paytable. Free spins arrive at a reasonable clip for a high-volatility game, roughly every 150 or so spins per AboutSlots tracking.

Gameplay Mechanics and Strategies

Starz Megaways runs on the tension between a shifting ways count and permanent wild coverage.

• Unique Mechanics: The Megaways engine redraws the grid every spin, so the same symbols can be worth wildly different amounts depending on the reel heights. Expanding wilds convert that randomness into concentrated value by covering a full reel whatever its height.

• In-Game Dynamics: The base game pays at a 24% hit frequency, with most wins small. The round that matters is free spins with early wild locks: a wild reel secured on spin one multiplies the value of every remaining spin.

• Player Strategy: No strategy changes the 96.48% RTP. Treat the base game as the cost of hunting the bonus, size bets so a few hundred spins between features does not hurt, and remember that a locked-wild round can still pay modestly if the remaining reels refuse to cooperate.

Comparison with Similar Slots

Starz Megaways is the minimalist entry in Pragmatic Play's Megaways lineup. [The Dog House](/catalog/pragmaticplay-the-dog-house) Megaways runs the same 6-reel, up-to-117,649-ways engine at a 96.55% RTP with a 12,305x max win, adding a choice between sticky and raining wilds bonuses. Madame Destiny Megaways adds a horizontal top reel for up to 200,704 ways at 96.56% RTP with a 5,000x cap and a multiplier wheel. Power of Merlin Megaways pushes the ceiling to 40,000x at 96.08% RTP with tumbles and a persistent bonus multiplier. Starz Megaways offers none of those extra systems, just wilds and locks, which makes it the easiest of the four to read and the purest expression of the mechanic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of Starz Megaways?

Starz Megaways runs at a 96.48% RTP as deployed at Chips.gg, the default build. Pragmatic Play also publishes lower configurations at 95.53% and 94.54%, so some casinos run reduced RTP builds of the same game.

What is the maximum win in Starz Megaways?

Starz Megaways pays up to 10,000x the stake. The realistic route there is a free spins round where several expanded wilds lock in early while the Megaways count rolls high.

How does the Megaways mechanic work in Starz Megaways?

Each of the 6 reels in Starz Megaways lands 2 to 7 symbols per spin, so the number of ways to win changes constantly, from 64 at minimum up to 117,649 at maximum.

How do free spins work in Starz Megaways?

Bonus symbols first trigger a full-board respin, then start the free spins round. During the feature, every wild that expands is locked to its reel for the rest of the round, so coverage accumulates spin after spin.

Does Starz Megaways have a bonus buy?

No bonus buy option is part of the core Starz Megaways design. The free spins are triggered naturally through bonus symbols, landing roughly once every 150 spins or so on average.

Is Starz Megaways high volatility?

Yes. Starz Megaways is a high-volatility slot with a 24% hit frequency. Base wins are frequent but small, and the payout weight is concentrated in locked-wild free spins rounds.

Conclusion

Starz Megaways is Pragmatic Play doing restraint, and it mostly works. The sticky expanded wilds give the free spins genuine escalation, the 96.48% deployed RTP is solid, and the Megaways engine keeps even dead spins visually busy. The honest drawbacks: the base game is thin without multipliers or tumbles, the theme is generic space-gem territory, and a 10,000x cap is midfield for the mechanic. It suits players who want the Megaways experience without layered systems to track, and it is ready to play at Chips.gg.