Wild Swarm 2 (Push Gaming) RTP review: 96.67% (configurable)
Sequel to the studio's value legend
The original Wild Swarm (2018) built its reputation on an inverted trade — tiny ceiling, sector-leading 97.03% return. Wild Swarm 2 (2023) is Push renegotiating that deal for the modern market: the board grows to a 6×5 ways format, the cap rises to 10,000x (more than triple the original's reference figure), volatility climbs to the studio maximum, and the default return steps down to 96.67%. It is, in effect, the same apiary rebuilt for players the first game was famous for not chasing. Judged on its own terms rather than its parent's, the figure remains comfortably above average — and the buy configuration's certified 96.88% is quietly one of the better purchasable numbers in the catalogue.
The hive, promoted to management
The Bee Hive meter returns as the game's spine, now feeding a more hierarchical economy: Worker Bee wilds handle the routine, Queen Bee wilds anchor the premium moments, and a filled meter unleashes Swarm Mode — this time armed with reel multipliers running x2 to x8 that stack the mode's stickiness with genuine amplification. The chest feature persists as the mid-tier interruption. Where the original's Swarm Mode was an extended gentle event, the sequel's is a proper crescendo; the x2–x8 reel values are what carry results toward the 10,000x cap. Meter thresholds, multiplier rules and buy terms (Great Britain excluded from buys, as standard) are all specified in the paytable.
Choosing between the generations
The comparison is unusually clean: identical theme, same meter psychology, opposite priorities. The original remains the value pick — 97.03% with modest stakes of outcome; the sequel is the excitement pick — deeper certified ladder (six rungs to 88.79%), triple the ceiling, top-scale variance. Splitting a bankroll by mood between them is entirely reasonable; confusing one for the other is the only real mistake.
Hive inspection
- 96.67% default, 96.88% via buy — and certified rungs descending to 88.79%. Verify in-game.
- Queens over workers: premium wilds and reel multipliers decide Swarm Mode's worth.
- Meter progress shapes sessions — know your stage before planning an exit.
- Not the original's maths: come for the bigger game, not the legendary figure.
Strengths & weaknesses
Strengths
- Swarm Mode with x2–x8 reel multipliers is a real escalation of the formula
- Buy configuration certified at a strong 96.88%
- Meter-driven sessions keep the original's sense of progress
Weaknesses
- Default return trails the original by a third of a point
- Six certified builds, bottoming at 88.79%
- Maximum volatility replaces the parent's approachability
How Wild Swarm 2 compares
The sequel hive placed among the maximum-volatility class of 2023.
| Slot | Provider | RTP | Volatility | Max win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Swarm 2 (this slot) | Push Gaming | 96.67% | High | 10,000x |
| Wild Swarm | Push Gaming | 97.03% | Med-High | 3,069x |
| Boss Bear | Push Gaming | 96.47% | High | 25,000x |
| Mad Blast | Push Gaming | 96.34% | High | 10,000x |
| Land of Zenith | Push Gaming | 96.29% | High | 21,003x |
Against the 2023 cohort the sequel holds the strongest default in the table, and its parent's legendary figure hovers just off-screen as the asterisk. Boss Bear is the natural rival row — same era, similar systems density, deeper documented floor.
Our verdict on Wild Swarm 2
Skip if: the original's 97.03% was the whole point for you; it still exists, and it still wins on maths
Wild Swarm 2 is a well-judged renegotiation rather than a betrayal. The meter loop that made the original sticky survives intact, the multiplier-armed Swarm Mode gives it the crescendo the first game deliberately lacked, and 96.67% remains above-average pricing for a 10,000x, maximum-variance package — with the 96.88% buy an under-discussed bargain where legal. The honest footnote is that its parent still offers the better pure deal, and the sequel's deeper ladder (to 88.79%) demands the ritual info-screen check. Two good games, one hive; pick by appetite.