How do Legacy of Dead expanding symbols work?

Which Legacy of Dead game and sources are used here?

This answer is about Play’n GO’s original Legacy of Dead. It is a separate game from Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead, Legacy of Egypt and later Dead-series titles. We checked the supplier’s own page, Virgin Games’ GB game description, MrQ’s public description and the original game-help model on 5 November 2026.

The full help model cited below is published by Danske Spil and includes foreign or older controls and limits. We use it to identify the expansion and stake-unit rules, not to establish a current GB configuration. Virgin’s own description independently supports the eight-spin trigger and the extra expanding symbol on a retrigger.

Why does a chosen symbol sometimes fail to expand?

Selection makes a regular symbol eligible for the expansion feature. It does not make every occurrence a winning expansion. Enough of the selected symbol must appear for a qualifying combination under that symbol’s paytable rules. The required count depends on the symbol and build; check the exact paytable rather than assuming every symbol needs the same count.

The non-adjacent rule belongs to the special expanding-symbol evaluation in Free Spins. It does not turn every ordinary base-game line win into an anywhere-on-the-grid win. Read the base-game and feature rules separately.

What starts the feature, and what does a retrigger add?

Virgin Games’ GB explanation gives an initial eight free spins for three or more Scatters. Before the feature, a regular symbol is randomly selected for expansion; the Scatter is excluded. Three or more Scatters during Free Spins add eight more turns and another selected regular symbol.

MrQ’s public description states a ceiling of nine selected expanding symbols. That is a published feature description, not evidence that your next round will reach it. An additional selection does not mean that every selected symbol wins on every later turn.

Some public descriptions of this title say ten initial spins. That conflicts with the eight-spin figure in Virgin’s own description and the original help model. Our examples use the identified eight-spin model; if your game shows ten, record the exact title and rules rather than combining the two descriptions.

How do the turn counter and symbol selections change?

Here is an invented sequence showing the accounting, not a forecast. Assume the feature starts with eight turns and a card symbol is selected. Three turns are completed, leaving five. On the fourth turn a qualifying retrigger occurs and a second regular symbol is selected.

After that fourth turn, twelve turns remain in this illustration. Sixteen free spins will have been available overall if no further turns are added. The new selection expands the set of eligible feature symbols; it is not a cash award and does not put a fixed multiplier on the next spin.

A screenshot with two selected symbols but no expansion is therefore not enough to prove an error. You still need the symbol occurrences, relevant payout threshold, selected lines and the completed round record.

How do line stakes affect an expanding-symbol payout?

The original help distinguishes active paylines, coins per line and the coin denomination. Work out the amount per line before converting a paytable multiplier. Virgin describes its own version as fixed at ten lines, while the fuller help allows line selection. Do not assume the controls are identical at every operator.

The 25-times award is an assumption for teaching the calculation, not a published Legacy of Dead symbol value. If the paytable gives a coin award or a different set of qualifying lines, use those actual units. Multiplying £5 by ten again would count the lines twice.

The returned amount is also different from net profit. If this were a whole hypothetical round costing 20p and returning £5, its net result would be £4.80. A displayed feature-only total may exclude a separate triggering-spin win, so first establish what the game’s total includes.

How is this different from Book of Dead?

The shared expanding-symbol idea is why the games are easily confused. Use our separate Book of Dead answer for that game’s exact symbol thresholds, worked examples and version limits. A similar name or Egyptian setting is not a reason to reuse its entire paytable.

What do public UK listings tell you about access and RTP?

Virgin Games and MrQ publish pages for Legacy of Dead. They are starting points for locating the exact title, rather than a promise that it is accessible to every account. Our separate reviews cover the operators and their money rules.

MrQ’s captured page puts 96.58% in its HTML title but states 94.51% in its visible RTP answer. That disagreement is a reason to check the installed information panel, not to choose whichever number looks better. A public page, a supplier’s demo and your casino build need not describe the same configuration.

We have not established an installed GB RTP, a universal maximum win or how often the bonus triggers. The supplier’s public reference to a coin prize is not, by itself, a multiplier of the total amount staked. Read those labels before converting a headline into pounds.

What should you record before querying an expansion result?

• Exact title and supplier, plus any displayed version or game ID.
• The round ID, date and time, total stake and active-line setting.
• The selected expanding symbols and their paytable thresholds.
• A completed feature history, including each retrigger and payout unit.

Use the operator’s support and complaints route if the completed record appears inconsistent. Avoid interpreting an animation or a partly completed counter as the final settlement. Our game-rules guide explains what to inspect first.

Current GB online-slot stakes are capped at £2 per game cycle for adults aged 18–24 and £5 for those aged 25 or over, with lower operator or account limits possible. AutoPlay and faster-play controls shown in older or foreign help do not establish what is permitted in the GB version.