Broadly, as we move through the final quarter, how do you reflect on Iconic21's progress in 2026?
2026 is the year we moved from proving we could deliver, to proving we could do it again and again. We wanted to prove that we are a lean content provider that builds dedicated studios fast and lets operators shape every detail.
The Stake partnership, an 18-table fully branded studio for the world's leading brand in the online entertainment category, was the clearest proof of this. Our growing release schedule has also proven this point.
Our AI-powered dealer, iDealer Blackjack went live, Mythic Link: Monkey King opened a new slot series, and Gravity Poker joined the Gravity Series in October. Our full portfolio across live casino, slots and RNG is now available through Blue Ocean Gaming's operator network.
Another highlight was the opening of our Vilnius hub, with more than 1,400 square metres of office and studio space across two floors. We’re so excited about the progress and cannot wait to grow more in 2027!
What do you think is required to successfully grow an iGaming franchise under current market conditions, and how has this changed in recent years?
Growing a franchise used to mean shipping a sequel with a similar theme. That no longer works. Operators run lobbies with thousands of titles, and each instalment has to earn its place on its own merits.
Gravity Poker takes the series to a fifth live format
Operators want to see that a mechanic travels: that it works on roulette, holds up on blackjack, then on sic bo, without each release taking attention from the last. At Iconic21, we came up with a core idea simple enough to recognise instantly and flexible enough to sit on very different structures– which is how we came up with our Gravity Series, which centres on a single gameplay principle: dynamic multipliers applied to familiar formats.
How does Iconic21 approach introducing new features and mechanics to existing games without alienating players?
Players choose a format because they already understand it, and that familiarity is the main thing we focus on. Anything we add cannot change the game too much, otherwise players won’t recognise it.
Our latest addition to the Gravity Series, Gravity Poker shows how the core is a Texas Hold'em-style game, where players play against the dealer, and after the flop they simply call or fold.
The multipliers attach to two optional side bets, settled independently of the main game. A player who skips them still gets the game they know. At Iconic21, any feature that confuses at the table or slows the round gets reworked or cut.
In your opinion, what makes a flagship product in today's gambling market?
Three things make a flagship product. It must be instantly understandable, so a player understands what makes it different within one round. It has to perform across markets, not just in one region or in one lobby.
However, what is most often overlooked, is that it has to give the operator something to work with: branding, configuration, promotional hooks. A flagship that can't be adapted is a short-term hit; one that operators can make their own becomes part of how they present their casino.
We hear you have a new instalment to the Gravity Series, Gravity Poker. Tell us all about it!
Gravity Poker launched on 22 October and is available to operator partners now, on both desktop and mobile.
Each player gets two-hole cards and builds the best five-card hand with them, along with five community cards. The two side bets each have their own role. AA+ pays on the strength of the hole cards and the flop, while The Pocket looks only at the first two-hole cards, paying on qualifying combinations including pairs.
Players choose a format because they already understand it, and that familiarity is the main thing we focus on
Then comes the Gravity layer: before each round, one qualifying side-bet outcome is selected and given a multiplier between 10x and 1,000x.
What was the design and decision-making process behind developing the game, and how do you hope it will fit into the wider Gravity Series?
It started with the question we ask of every Gravity title: does the mechanic add something, or does it just add noise? Hand rankings and decisions already carry a lot of weight, so the multiplier had to work around them rather than compete with them.
Placing it on the side bets, and showing the boosted outcome before the round begins, kept the main hand clean and the feature transparent. Gravity Poker takes the series to a fifth live format, alongside roulette, blackjack, sic bo and wheel. The aim is coherence: an operator should be able to run several Gravity titles side by side as one recognisable family.
Director of Business Development, Gary Francis, was featured in Global Gaming Insider's expert roundtable, where he discussed the future of live casinos
