ELK Studios NZ
ELK Studios is the Swedish studio that has made pokies since 2013 and launched Pirots in 2023. Here’s the short version on the studio, its licences and its ideas.
ELK Studios at a glance
| Feature | ELK Studios |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Owner | Light & Wonder, since 2021 |
| CEO | Robin Smith, since 2024 |
| Licences | UKGC (40844), MGA (MGA/B2B/605/2018), Romania, AGCO Ontario, Greece |
| Certification | Trisigma, Gaming Laboratories International |
| Mechanics | CollectR™, X-iter™ |
| Pirots games | 6 games, 2023–2026 |
| Website | elk-studios.com |
Who ELK Studios is
ELK Studios is a Swedish game studio founded in 2013. Its games are built by an in-house team in Sweden and designed for phones first. The game client detects your device and adapts to desktop, tablet or mobile.
In 2021 the studio was bought by Scientific Games, now Light & Wonder. ELK still runs as its own brand. Before Pirots it was best known for Wild Toro and other pokies with walking wilds.
ELK Studios year by year
The short timeline, from day one to the fifth Pirots game.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Studio founded in Sweden |
| 2019 | Malta Gaming Authority B2B licence (MGA/B2B/605/2018) |
| 2021 | X-iter launches; Scientific Games, now Light & Wonder, buys the studio |
| 2023 | Pirots and the CollectR mechanic, then Pirots 2 in November |
| 2024 | Pirots 3 and Pirots X; Robin Smith becomes CEO |
| 2025 | Pirots 4 with three worlds |
| 2026 | Pirots 5 with Cursed Temple, The Kraken and City of Gold |
The Pirots series in the ELK catalogue
Pirots is ELK’s biggest hit of recent years: six games in three years. Here they are in order.
| Game | Released | What’s new |
|---|---|---|
| Pirots | March 2023 | The first CollectR game, 5×5 grid |
| Pirots 2 | November 2023 | 7 levels, dinosaurs, a meteor |
| Pirots 3 | June 2024 | Duels, a train heist, coin game |
| Pirots X | October 2024 | Clusters and multipliers, no CollectR |
| Pirots 4 | July 2025 | Three worlds, a space station |
| Pirots 5 | July 2026 | Portals, traps, catacombs |
All ELK Studios Pirots pokies
Every game has a full review on our site. Each tile shows what’s new, plus a link to the review and demo.
Start herePirots
Where CollectR began. Four parrots, a 5×5 grid, five gem levels and bombs that push the board out to 8×8. The easiest way to learn the rules.
Dino eggsPirots 2
Seven amber levels for the first time, eggs that hatch dinosaurs, popcorn for empty cells and a red button that calls a meteor. Volatility 8 out of 10.
Gun duelsPirots 3
Birds shoot it out in duels, a train drops up to three feature symbols and the bandit breaks out of jail. New coin game with scorpions and money bags.
3 worldsPirots 4
Three worlds in one game, a black hole that reshuffles the board, a space station with portals and Power Clash when three birds meet.
Cluster paysPirots X
The spin-off without CollectR. Clusters of 5+ pay, wilds split and merge into multipliers, and the global multiplier sticks for the whole bonus.
Traps & portalsPirots 5
The newest chapter. Three worlds, portals in the walls, traps and catacomb fights. RTP depends on the casino (87–96%), so check the game info first.
CollectR and X-iter: two ELK ideas
CollectR
CollectR replaces reels and paylines. Birds walk the grid, collect their own colour, and every symbol pays straight away. It debuted in Pirots in 2023 and runs through every CollectR game since.
X-iter
X-iter is ELK’s bonus buy system, introduced in 2021. Pirots games have five modes: from 3× your bet for a bigger chance at the bonus up to 500× for a guaranteed Super Bonus. In Pirots 5 the Super Bonus costs 250×.
What sets ELK pokies apart
Games are designed for mobile first, then scaled up. The Pirots grid is just as clear on a phone.
No standard reels. CollectR and the Pirots X clusters are ELK’s own ideas, not copies.
Birds running from dinosaurs and fighting mummies. The story carries on from game to game.
Every game has a data sheet with RTP, volatility and hit frequency.
Bonus buys with several levels, from 3× to 500× your bet.
Pirots games swing hard. Budget for long sessions.
How ELK Studios tests its games
Every game is certified before release by independent labs such as Trisigma and Gaming Laboratories International. Players only get it through operators licensed in their market.
A practical tip from us: open the game info before your first bet. It shows the RTP and the rules. That matters most in Pirots 5, where RTP versions run from 87% to 96%.
How to try ELK pokies without risk
- Open the demo. Every Pirots page on our site has a “Play demo” button. No account needed.
- Read the rules in game. The menu shows the paytable and the RTP.
- Test X-iter. Buy the Super Bonus with the demo balance and see how it ends.
- Then real money. Once the rules make sense, play small at a casino.
Your ELK Studios questions, answered
Yes. ELK Studios lists licences from the UK Gambling Commission (account 40844), the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA/B2B/605/2018), Romania, Ontario’s AGCO and the Hellenic Gaming Commission. Its games reach players through licensed casino operators.
Since 2021 ELK Studios has been owned by Light & Wonder, formerly Scientific Games. After the deal the studio kept working as its own brand in Stockholm.
CollectR is an ELK Studios mechanic that first appeared in Pirots in 2023. Instead of reels, birds walk the grid and collect symbols of their own colour, and every collected symbol pays straight away.
ELK Studios games are certified by independent test labs such as Trisigma and Gaming Laboratories International. The RTP of every game is shown in its info screen.
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