| Updated: September 24, 2025GONG Gaming Technologies, an innovative software provider, taps into the fantasy realm with its stunning creation, Empire Shields. It takes casino enthusiasts on an exhilarating journey through a fictional medieval kingdom where the top rewards can reach 12,150x the stake.
The epic action unfolds across 5 reels and 3 rows, producing 243 ways to win. There is an additional horizontal reel on top of the main grid reserved exclusively for shield icons. Once activated, the reels expand to a 5×6 configuration, yielding a total of 7,776 paylines.
With exciting gaming mechanics functioning at full capacity, this slot is guaranteed to provide a fun and rewarding experience. The stakes range from 0.20 to 20.00, catering to all gaming budgets.
Empire Shields Theme, Graphics, and Sounds
In terms of design and graphics, GONG Gaming Technologies has already demonstrated its proficiency, and Empire Shields is no exception. The release belongs to the fantasy gaming genre, so players who are thrilled by epic medieval adventures will certainly appreciate it. A look beyond the standard 5×3 grid configuration reveals a bleak, mist-clad castle with large statues of warriors guarding the gate. The animated, lightning-slashed sky above further enhances the gloomy atmosphere.
As far as the slot’s playing symbols are concerned, they are crisp and masterfully rendered, in line with the overall epic atmosphere. The 12 regular symbols can be subdivided into three different categories – 6 royals, 2 richly adorned pieces of jewelry, and 4 charismatic character figures.
Additionally, the soundtrack captures the dramatic feel and contributes to an immersive gaming experience.
Empire Shields Symbols and Payouts
Players must align at least three adjacent matching images starting from the leftmost reel to receive a reward.
The lowest-paying symbols in Empire Shields are the royals, ranging from 9s to Aces. The card symbols 9s, 10s, and Jacks pay 5x, 15x, and 30x for matching combinations of 3, 4, and 5 symbols, respectively. Queens, Kings, and Aces multiply players’ bets by 5x, 20x, and 40x when they manage to land combos of 3, 4, or 5 identical adjacent symbols on a payline.
The medium range of Empire Shields’ paytable includes two richly adorned pieces of jewelry. The first is a golden pendant decorated with a green emerald, awarding 10x, 40x, and 80x the stake for aligning 3, 4, or 5 identical symbols. A gorgeous amethyst ring delivers payouts ranging from 15x to 90x the stake value when slot mavens form combinations of 3, 4, or 5 matching symbols.
Now that we have covered the lowest and medium tiers of Empire Shields’ paytable, we can turn our attention to the highest-paying character symbols. All of them are depicted clad in detailed, tight-fitting armor. While the first two character figures are reminiscent of an angel and a demon, the others represent the magnificent Empress and Emperor of the fantasy realm. The angel-like woman warrior awards prizes ranging from 15x to 100x the stake for 3-, 4-, and 5-of-a-kind combos. The devilish male warrior brings higher returns of 20x, 70x, and 150x the stake for 3, 4, and 5 matching symbols. Three, four, or five images of the beautiful blonde Empress produce payouts as high as 20x, 80x, and 200x. The Emperor himself is the most generous symbol, bringing winnings as high as 300x the bet value.
Moving on to the Wild symbol in Empire Shields, it is represented by the letter W. In addition to substituting for all other symbols except the Scatter, five adjacent Wilds can also produce a payout.
The Scatter symbol is represented by a lion, and matching images can form winning combinations regardless of their positions on the reels.
Empire Shields Bonus Mechanics
GONG Gaming Technologies has put a lot of effort and creativity into developing the slot’s features.
We start our examination of Empire Shields’ bonus mechanics with the most distinctive element, namely the so-called Toppers, or reel modifiers. A total of five toppers are located directly above the main grid, where they can modify the reels and increase the number of potential paylines. They shift one position to the left on each spin and randomly accumulate energy. When their energy is fully replenished, four different features become available – Double Reel, Multiplier, Wild, and Expanding Wild. These features activate once a certain energy threshold is met.
First of all, players should note that the Double Reel feature requires 4 energy charges. Once this feature is triggered, the number of symbols appearing on the reel beneath it increases to 6, raising the number of paylines to 7,776.
The Multiplier feature requires 5 energy charges and can award multipliers ranging from 2x to 10x. When a Multiplier shield shifts one position to the left, its value also changes.
As far as the Wild feature is concerned, it needs 6 energy charges and, once activated, places a Wild symbol on the reel beneath the shield.
The last feature, the Expanding Wild, requires 7 energy charges and transforms the entire reel below into a Wild reel.
To initiate the Free Spins feature, players must land at least three Lion Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels in the base game. The free-spin rounds are preceded by a mini bonus game. Casino enthusiasts are presented with 20 shields, each of which reveals the Double Reel, Multiplier, Wild, or Expanding Wild feature. After selecting 5 shields, the chosen modifiers remain active until the end of the feature, and players start with 10 free spins. Landing 3 or more Scatters anywhere on the reels during the bonus game awards players 10 additional spins.
Closing Thoughts
Empire Shields is a gorgeous result of the collaboration between GONG Gaming Technologies and the pioneer of online slots, Microgaming. The game is appealing both on the surface and underneath. Players keen on the fantasy genre will certainly appreciate the stunning artwork, while the variety of implemented gaming mechanics and grid expansions delivers an enthralling and rewarding gaming experience. Available for play on mobile and desktop devices, this slot has made its way into the lobbies of various top casinos.