As there are a slew of established names which seemingly dominate the online casino scene, it is often easy to overlook the wave of new slot studios bringing their own exciting styles to the industry. In 2025, there are a number of development groups that have only just recently started out in the last couple of years, building their way up and becoming more well-known amongst players. Whether they reimagine classic mechanics or build their own innovative, thematic-led, bonus-filled experiences, there are a number of emerging studios that are worth keeping an eye on.
Atomic City
Beginning with Atomic City, this studio is one of the freshest faces on the scene, only setting out in slot development in 2024. Despite its infancy, this studio has become a creative force, making each and every one of its titles a dynamic experience. Gameplay-wise, this has been a standout area of expertise from Atomic City as their layered bonus rounds and experimental modifiers have become defining aspects of their game-craft.
This is all without mentioning the inventive themes they implement into each of their new slot games, too, capturing distinctive aesthetics through impressive graphic design. With titles such as Big Fishin Bounty, Scarab Rising and Nest Egg Trio Bonus already under their belt, Atomic City seemingly is going from strength to strength.
Fat Panda
Also founded in 2024, Fat Panda is another studio that has caught the attention of the industry over the last year. Creating new and experimental games exclusively for industry giants Pragmatic Play, this alone has seen their notoriety rise significantly. Even though they have only been operating for a short period of time, several of their games have already proven especially popular.
Titles like Pig Farm, Lucky Monkey and Fortune of Aztec all bring their own bold aesthetics, creative bonuses, and Pragmatics tried and tested game engine with them. It is their consistency in both the graphical and game mechanics departments which really highlights the expertise of this sub-studio; however, all of their games exude a premium feel whilst balancing refinement with innovation simultaneously.
Wishbone
Cardiff-based Wishbone Games was founded in 2023 and is already gaining serious traction in the iGaming scene today. Making a name for themselves by reinventing some of their most popular releases, their games often take popular concepts that have been flipped through a series of creative twists. Experimental visual fusions, new mechanics and layered modifiers are all common in their games, with these components being what has seen their game craft become rather renowned.
Early standouts such as the Kingfisher series, Devils Catch and Ammit Unleashed have already shown that Wishbone are confident in exploring different lanes. It is this creative versatility which many consider to be the most exciting aspect of Wishbone, hence why many are eager to see what else they have in store for 2025.
Prospect Gaming
Another development team which is positioning itself as a forward-thinking studio in 2025 is Prospect Gaming. Part of the 1X2 network, the UK group has steadily been growing since 2023, both in terms of its status and game library. Although they are yet to have an abundance of releases to their name, there are a couple of series which have already become well known. Prospector Wilds and its myriad of spin-offs are just one example, with the Hot Joker Fruits and Arabia Heat franchises also having a handful of instalments too.
Their focus on diversifying their catalogue from the get-go ensures that no two of their games are the same in terms of bonuses, despite them sharing some familiar thematic elements. Even though their volume of games might not be so advanced, Prospect Gaming’s creativity certainly is!
Barstruck
The last of the up-and-coming development teams to watch out for in 2025 is Barstruck, a Stockholm-based team founded by former veterans of NetEnt. This development studio is arguably the freshest out of the bunch we have mentioned so far, with them yet to break into double digits in terms of their releases. Despite this being the case, the small handful of games they have published so far have been nothing short of top-tier.
Flaming Wolf and Flaming Joker are two of their founding games, both of which incorporate the extremely dynamic Link & Win respin mechanic. Barstruck have already leveraged a number of other popular game engines too, as is clear to see in Explode the Toad Megaways and its constantly changing set of reels. Although their game formats offer a plethora of layers, this does not detract from their impressive attention to detail visually, either, as all creations boast immersive, varied themes too. This excellent execution is what makes them a name to watch out for in the coming years.