Hacksaw Gaming Slots

Hacksaw Gaming Slots

Hacksaw Gaming makes slots for players who find most slots boring. This guide covers the studio's history, technology, game catalogue, and what separates its approach from the rest of the market.

What Is Hacksaw Gaming?

Hacksaw Gaming Company Overview

Hacksaw Gaming is a Malta-headquartered game development studio that launched in 2018 with scratchcards and pivoted to video slots in 2019. The pivot worked. Within five years, Hacksaw grew from a niche instant-win supplier to one of the most commercially significant slot studios in regulated European markets, generating €137 million in revenue in 2024 — more than double its 2023 figure. The company listed on Nasdaq Stockholm in June 2025 under the ticker HACK, entering the exchange's large-cap segment with a valuation of approximately €2 billion. CEO Marcus Cordes, who joined early and steered the strategic shift toward slots, has made regulatory compliance and high-volatility game design the twin pillars of the company's identity. Hacksaw currently operates in over 35 regulated markets and powers content for more than 3,000 operator brands worldwide, including Betsson, LeoVegas, and bet365.

Hacksaw Gaming Software and Mobile-First Design

Every hacksaw gaming slot is built mobile-first. That phrase gets thrown around loosely in iGaming, but Hacksaw means it literally — games are designed for portrait-mode smartphone screens first, then scaled up for desktop. The entire catalogue runs on HTML5 with no app downloads required. The practical result is fast load times, responsive touch controls, and low data consumption. Portrait mode support is standard across all titles. Hacksaw's proprietary Remote Gaming Server handles game logic, regulatory compliance, and distribution to operators through a single integration layer. The same RGS infrastructure powers the OpenRGS platform, which third-party studios use to distribute their own games — a secondary revenue stream that leverages Hacksaw's technical plumbing without requiring additional game development.

Hacksaw Gaming History

From Scratchcards to Slots (2018–Present)

Year Event
2017 Company incorporated in Malta by a team of iGaming industry veterans
2018 Operations launch with digital scratchcards; MGA licence secured
2019 Strategic pivot to video slots under CEO Marcus Cordes; early titles include Stick 'Em and Cubes
2020 Full slot suite developed; Chaos Crew released, establishing the studio's visual identity
2021 Wanted Dead or a Wild launches, becoming a breakout hit; EGR Nordic Awards nominations
2023 OpenRGS platform launches, enabling third-party studio distribution; UKGC licence obtained
2024 Revenue reaches €137 million (104% year-on-year growth); EBIT margin at 84%
2025 IPO on Nasdaq Stockholm (ticker: HACK); valued at approximately €2 billion
The speed of this trajectory is unusual. Most slot studios spend a decade building catalogue depth before reaching Hacksaw's commercial scale. The company compressed that timeline by targeting a specific audience — high-volatility players who value visual distinctiveness and mechanical innovation over sheer game volume.

Hacksaw Gaming Awards and Industry Recognition

Hacksaw has accumulated recognition at a pace matching its revenue growth. The 2024 haul included Best Game Developer at the Kongebonus Awards (second consecutive year), Game Feature of the Year for Chaos Crew 2 at the SBC Awards, and both Best Slots Provider and Best Online Slots at the MiGEA Awards. In 2025, the studio took Medium Studio of the Year at the SlotCatalog and SBC Europe Awards. Wanted Dead or a Wild was inducted into the Kongebonus Hall of Fame — a distinction typically reserved for games with years of sustained player engagement.

Hacksaw Gaming OpenRGS Platform

OpenRGS is Hacksaw's content distribution platform, launched in 2023. It allows third-party studios to build and distribute games through Hacksaw's regulatory infrastructure and operator network. For smaller developers, this solves the two hardest problems in iGaming: getting licensed across multiple jurisdictions and getting integrated with major operators. The model mirrors what Evolution achieved by funnelling Red Tiger slots and NetEnt content through a shared integration layer — except Hacksaw built it as an independent platform rather than through acquisition. Studios like Pineapple Play and Backseat Gaming already use OpenRGS to reach Hacksaw's operator network.

Hacksaw Gaming Slots List

Full Portfolio Overview

The hacksaw gaming slots list now exceeds 250 titles. The studio releases between two and four new games monthly, maintaining one of the faster production cadences in the industry. The catalogue breaks down across several categories.
Category Approximate Count Characteristics
Video Slots 200+ High volatility dominant; HTML5; portrait-mode optimised
Scratchcards 60+ Digital scratch-and-win; prizes up to €500,000
Instant Win Games 15+ Includes crash games (Speed Crash), Plinko, Mines, Hi-Lo
Roughly 49% of all hacksaw gaming slot games carry Hacksaw's maximum volatility rating of 5/5. This is not an accident — the studio deliberately designs for the segment of the market that wants aggressive variance and high max-win potential. Average RTP across the portfolio sits slightly above 96%, in line with industry norms, though operator-configurable RTP settings mean the exact figure can vary by casino.

Best Hacksaw Gaming Slots

These are the titles that define the studio's reputation. Each one demonstrates a different facet of Hacksaw's design philosophy.

Wanted Dead or a Wild

Wanted Dead or a Wild slot
The game that put Hacksaw on the map. Released in 2021, this Wild West slot plays on a 5x5 grid with 15 paylines and introduced the DuelReels mechanic — VS symbols expand into wild reels, and the winning outlaw's multiplier applies to the entire reel. Three distinct bonus modes (Great Train Robbery, Duel at Dawn, Dead Man's Hand) give the game mechanical depth beyond its theme. RTP: 96.38%. Volatility: 4/5. Max win: 12,500x.
Wanted Dead or a Wild consistently tops operator popularity charts years after release — a rare feat in a market where most slots peak within weeks of launch.

Chaos Crew

chaos-crew-slot Chaos Crew (2020) established Hacksaw's visual identity: neon-soaked, graffiti-styled, unapologetically loud. The 5x5 grid with 19 paylines features Cranky and Sketchy — two characters whose multiplier upgrades drive the free spins mechanic. RTP: 96.30%. Max win: 10,000x. The game spawned two sequels, with Chaos Crew 3 pushing max win potential to 30,000x.

Hand of Anubis

Hand of Anubis slot A moody Egyptian slot that avoids the usual gold-and-scarab clichés. Hand of Anubis uses cascading cluster wins across five reels and six rows, with dual multipliers and a dynamic symbol drop feature. High volatility, with player-reported wins exceeding 8,600x. RTP: 96.29%. Max win: 10,000x.

Le Bandit

le-bandit-game-slot The game that launched Hacksaw's enormously successful Le Series. Le Bandit features cascading reels, multiple bonus rounds, and a Luck of the Bandit feature triggered by three scatters. The All That Glitters Is Gold mode, triggered by four scatters, awards 12 free spins with re-triggers. RTP: 96.34%. Max win: 10,000x. Medium-high volatility — slightly more accessible than the studio's most extreme titles.

Dork Unit

dork unit slot
A quirky, carnival-themed slot with expanding symbols, sticky wilds, and a visual style that sits somewhere between Saturday morning cartoons and underground comics. Dork Unit appeals to players who want Hacksaw's mechanical depth without the dark or gritty aesthetic that dominates much of the catalogue. RTP: 96.29%. Max win: 10,000x.

RIP City

Urban crime caper starring Ro$$ the Cat and Maxx the Mouse. The Wild Cat symbol expands to cover entire reels with multipliers, and two character-specific bonus modes (Ro$$ Bonus and Maxx Bonus) deliver different risk-reward profiles within the same game. RTP: 96.30%. Max win: 12,500x. RIP City's popularity among slot streamers has given it sustained visibility well beyond its release window.

The Bowery Boys

Holds the highest RTP in Hacksaw's catalogue at 96.41%. Set in a 1920s gangster aesthetic, The Bowery Boys uses a neighbourhood-based bonus system where different areas of the game world trigger different features. The slightly higher return rate, combined with Hacksaw's signature volatility, makes it a frequent recommendation for players who track RTP data closely.

Joker Bombs

The single highest RTP in the portfolio at 96.48%. Joker Bombs uses a cluster mechanic where bomb symbols explode to clear sections of the grid, creating chain reactions. The design is deliberately retro — bright colours, simple animations — which gives it broader appeal than Hacksaw's more visually intense offerings.

Double Rainbow

A gentler entry point into the Hacksaw catalogue. Double Rainbow's medium volatility and colourful aesthetic make it one of the few titles the studio has produced that works for casual players rather than volatility chasers. The rainbow mechanic triggers expanding wilds across the grid. RTP: 96.25%.

Cursed Seas

Pirate-themed slot with a ship battle mechanic that functions as the primary bonus trigger. Cannon fire destroys treasure chests to reveal cash prizes and multipliers. For players drawn to nautical themes, Hacksaw's take on the genre is darker and mechanically more complex than traditional pirate slots from other studios. RTP: 96.29%. Max win: 10,000x.

Hacksaw Gaming Le Series Slots

The Le Series has become Hacksaw's most commercially consistent franchise — a collection of high-volatility slots that share a structural template (cascading reels, multi-tiered bonus rounds, 10,000x–25,000x max wins) while varying themes and visual treatments.

Le Pharaoh

Egyptian mythology with cascading symbols and a multi-level free spins structure. Le Pharaoh adds a tomb exploration mechanic where deeper progression unlocks higher multiplier tiers. Max win: 10,000x.

Le Cowboy

Wild West theme with the second-highest max win in the Le Series at 25,000x. Le Cowboy uses the series' cascade-and-collect framework but adds a bounty hunt bonus where target symbols carry escalating multipliers.

Le Viking

Norse theme with shield-wall mechanics and progressive multiplier collection during free spins. Volatile even by Le Series standards. Max win: 10,000x.

Le King

Medieval court setting with a throne room bonus mechanic. Reaching the king triggers maximum multiplier potential. Max win: 20,000x.

Le Zeus

Greek mythology with lightning-strike wild generation and Olympus-themed free spins. Released September 2025, it quickly became one of the series' strongest performers. Max win: 20,000x.

New Hacksaw Gaming Slots

Latest Releases and Upcoming Titles

Hacksaw maintains a release schedule of two to four titles per month — a pace that keeps the catalogue fresh without sacrificing the mechanical polish that distinguishes each game from generic filler content. Recent and upcoming titles continue the studio's pattern of combining distinctive art direction with high-volatility mathematics.

Circle of Life

A nature-themed departure from Hacksaw's predominantly urban and mythological aesthetics. Circle of Life uses a seasonal cycle mechanic where the game world transitions through spring, summer, autumn, and winter phases, each triggering different bonus behaviours. The shift in visual tone suggests Hacksaw is testing whether its mechanical DNA can sustain broader thematic range.

Power of Ten

A mathematics-themed slot built around a base-10 multiplier system where symbol values increase by powers of ten during bonus rounds. The concept is mechanically clean and demonstrates Hacksaw's willingness to build games around abstract numerical concepts rather than relying solely on narrative themes.

Hacksaw Gaming Slot Features and Mechanics

High Volatility and Max Win Potential

Hacksaw's design philosophy centres on concentrated variance. The studio builds games where the base game can feel punishing, but bonus rounds carry explosive upside. Average max win across the catalogue sits around 10,000x, with titles like Chaos Crew 3 (30,000x), Le Cowboy (25,000x), and Le King (20,000x) pushing significantly higher. This approach self-selects for experienced players with appropriate bankroll management. It also explains why Hacksaw titles perform disproportionately well on streaming platforms — the dramatic swing between prolonged dry spells and sudden large wins creates compelling viewing.

Bonus Buy and Featurespins

Hacksaw pioneered the Bonus Buy mechanic alongside Nolimit City, allowing players to skip the base game and purchase direct entry to bonus rounds at a premium cost (typically 50–100x the base bet). The FeatureSpins system evolved from this — an ante bet that adjusts volatility and increases bonus trigger probability without bypassing the base game entirely. Note: Bonus Buy is prohibited in the UK market under current UKGC regulations. UK players access the same games but trigger bonuses organically through base game play.

Cluster Pays and Cascading Reels

Several Hacksaw titles use cluster pay mechanics (Hand of Anubis, Joker Bombs) where wins form through adjacent symbol groups rather than traditional paylines. Cascading reels — where winning symbols disappear and new ones fall into position — are a recurring feature across the Le Series and many standalone titles. The cascade mechanic creates chain-win potential that amplifies the studio's high-volatility mathematics.

Multiplier Wilds and Expanding Wilds

Wild symbols in Hacksaw games rarely function as simple substitutes. The DuelReels mechanic (Wanted Dead or a Wild) turns wilds into full expanding reels with attached multipliers. Wild Cat symbols (RIP City) expand vertically with stacking multipliers. Global multipliers that accumulate during free spins are a catalogue-wide signature. This layered approach to wild mechanics is what separates Hacksaw's bonus rounds from studios that treat wilds as a cosmetic feature.

Hacksaw Gaming RTP

Highest RTP Hacksaw Gaming Slots

Rank Title RTP Volatility Max Win
1 Joker Bombs 96.48% High 10,000x
2 The Bowery Boys 96.41% High 10,000x
3 Frutz 96.40% High 10,000x
4 Eternal Duel 96.42% High 15,000x
5 Cash Compass 96.42% Medium-High 10,000x
6 Wanted Dead or a Wild 96.38% High 12,500x
7 Aztec Twist 96.36% High 10,000x
8 Buffalo Stack'N'Sync 96.36% Medium-High 10,000x
9 Harvest Wilds 96.35% Medium-High 10,000x
10 Le Bandit 96.34% Medium-High 10,000x
The RTP spread across Hacksaw's catalogue is narrower than many competitors — most titles cluster between 96.20% and 96.45%, which is above the industry average but not dramatically so. The key distinction is that Hacksaw pairs these return rates with extreme volatility distributions, meaning the practical experience of playing a 96.3% RTP Hacksaw slot feels fundamentally different from playing a 96.3% RTP low-volatility game from NetEnt or another established provider.

How Hacksaw Gaming Volatility Works

Hacksaw rates its games on a 1–5 volatility scale. Nearly half the catalogue sits at 5/5. This matters for bankroll planning — a volatility-5 Hacksaw slot can deliver hundreds of spins without a meaningful return before a single bonus round reverses the entire session. Players who prefer steady, predictable payouts will find very few Hacksaw titles that match their preference. Players who understand that and manage their bankroll accordingly will find the bonus round design among the most rewarding in the market.

Hacksaw Gaming Slots Demo and Free Play

Hacksaw Gaming Free Slots

Demo mode is available at most UK-licensed casinos carrying Hacksaw content. The demo versions run identical mathematical models to real-money play — same RTP, same volatility, same bonus trigger probability. For a studio whose games are this volatile, demo play is genuinely useful. It lets players experience the rhythm of a Hacksaw session — the extended base game phases, the bonus trigger frequency, the win distribution pattern — before committing real stakes.

Hacksaw Gaming Pocketz Series

The Pocketz range is Hacksaw's micro-bet product line — simplified slot formats designed for very low stakes and shorter sessions. These games strip away the mechanical complexity of the studio's flagship titles in favour of quick, accessible play. The Pocketz series exists primarily for mobile casual players and represents Hacksaw's acknowledgment that not every player wants the intensity of a volatility-5 experience.

Hacksaw Gaming Scratchcards and Instant Win Games

Best Hacksaw Gaming Scratchcards

Scratchcards were Hacksaw's original product and remain a significant part of the catalogue. Over 60 digital scratchcard titles are available, ranging from £0.10 to £4 per card with prizes up to €500,000. Themed variants tie into existing slot IPs — Chaos Crew Scratch, for instance, brings the neon aesthetic into a scratch-and-win format. The studio won Instant Win of the Year at the 2019 Malta Gaming Awards for this category.

Dare2Win Instant Win Games

Beyond scratchcards, Hacksaw produces instant win titles including crash games (Speed Crash), Plinko, Mines, and Hi-Lo. These games operate on simpler mathematical models than the slot catalogue but share the studio's emphasis on clean mobile design and fast gameplay loops. They serve as catalogue diversifiers that broaden the audience beyond dedicated slot players.

Where to Play Hacksaw Gaming Slots

Best Hacksaw Gaming Casinos UK

Hacksaw gaming slots are available at the majority of major UK-licensed casino operators. The studio's UKGC licence, obtained in 2023, ensures that every title available to UK players meets the Commission's standards for game fairness, fund protection, and responsible gaming provision. Operators like Betsson, LeoVegas, and bet365 carry extensive Hacksaw catalogues. When evaluating where to play, the same principles apply as with any provider: verify the operator's UKGC licence status, test withdrawal processing with a small initial transaction, and confirm that responsible gaming tools — including access to GAMSTOP self-exclusion — are accessible from your account dashboard.

Hacksaw Gaming Casino Bonuses

Welcome offers at UK operators sometimes include free spins on Hacksaw titles, though Starburst and other NetEnt games still dominate the promotional landscape. Hacksaw's high volatility means that bonus wagering on these games can be unpredictable — a 30x wagering requirement plays very differently on a volatility-5 Hacksaw slot than on a low-volatility alternative. Players who want to minimise the impact of that variance on bonus play should look for low wagering casino bonus offers, where reduced playthrough requirements mean less exposure to extended losing streaks before withdrawal becomes possible.

Hacksaw Gaming Free Spins

Free spins promotions on Hacksaw titles are becoming more common as operator awareness of the brand grows. Wanted Dead or a Wild and Chaos Crew are the most frequently promoted titles. As with all bonus offers, free spin winnings are typically subject to wagering requirements and withdrawal caps. The volatile nature of Hacksaw games means free spin outcomes will vary wildly — a handful of spins might return nothing, or they might trigger a bonus round worth hundreds of times the base stake.

Hacksaw Gaming Licensing and Fair Play

MGA and UKGC Licences

Jurisdiction Regulator Status
Malta Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) Active (since 2018)
United Kingdom UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) Active (since 2023)
Sweden Spelinspektionen Active
US States New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia Active
Other Romania, Greece, Denmark, Isle of Man, Ontario Active
The MGA and UKGC licences are the most significant for European players. Both impose strict requirements around game fairness, fund segregation, anti-money laundering compliance, and responsible gaming provision. Hacksaw also holds ISO 27001 certification for information security management — a credential that most slot studios of comparable size do not carry.

RNG Testing and Responsible Gaming

Hacksaw's Random Number Generator is tested by independent laboratories to confirm that outcomes conform to published probability distributions. All games are certified for fairness across every jurisdiction where they operate. On the responsible gaming side, Hacksaw's platform-level tools include session time reminders, deposit limits, and loss limits that operators cannot disable. UK players have access to GAMSTOP self-exclusion, which blocks access to Hacksaw games at all participating UKGC-licensed operators. Additional support is available through GamCare (helpline, live chat, and counselling referrals) and BeGambleAware (National Gambling Helpline and treatment referral services). Given that Hacksaw deliberately designs high-volatility games that can produce extended losing streaks, these responsible gaming tools are not decorative — they serve a practical function for players managing their relationship with a product category built around extreme variance.

Why Hacksaw Gaming Slots Stand Out

Hacksaw occupies a specific position in the market that very few studios have successfully claimed. The company builds games for players who already understand slot mechanics and actively seek out high volatility, high max-win potential, and mechanical innovation. That is a deliberate narrowing of audience — and it works precisely because it is deliberate. The visual identity is immediately recognisable. A Hacksaw slot looks like a Hacksaw slot, whether the theme is Wild West, ancient Egypt, or neon-punk street art. That consistency of design language builds brand recognition in a market where most studios' games are visually interchangeable. The mechanical depth — DuelReels, cascading multipliers, multi-mode bonus rounds — gives each title a learning curve that rewards repeated play. The commercial trajectory speaks for itself: €137 million in 2024 revenue, a Nasdaq listing at €2 billion valuation, and expansion into North American regulated markets. Whether Hacksaw can sustain this growth rate as the catalogue matures and competitive pressure from studios like Nolimit City and Push Gaming intensifies remains the open question. For now, the studio's combination of focused design philosophy, technical infrastructure, and regulatory depth has produced one of the most distinctive catalogues in online slots — and one of the fastest growth stories in iGaming's recent history.

Hacksaw Gaming Slots FAQ

Hacksaw Gaming is a Malta-headquartered game development studio that launched in 2018 with scratchcards before pivoting to video slots in 2019. The company has grown rapidly, reaching €137 million in revenue in 2024 and listing on Nasdaq Stockholm in June 2025 at a valuation of approximately €2 billion. Hacksaw operates in over 35 regulated markets and supplies content to more than 3,000 operator brands, building its reputation on high-volatility slot design and a distinctive visual identity.
The highest-RTP Hacksaw Gaming slots include Joker Bombs at 96.48%, Eternal Duel at 96.42%, Cash Compass at 96.42%, The Bowery Boys at 96.41%, and Frutz at 96.40%. Most titles in the catalogue cluster between 96.20% and 96.45%, which is above the industry average. However, Hacksaw pairs these return rates with extreme volatility, so the practical experience differs significantly from low-volatility games with similar RTPs. Operators may also deploy reduced-RTP variants, so always verify the in-game RTP at your chosen casino.
Bonus Buy is a mechanic Hacksaw pioneered alongside Nolimit City that allows players to skip the base game and purchase direct entry to bonus rounds at a premium cost, typically 50–100x the base bet. However, Bonus Buy is prohibited in the UK under current UKGC regulations. UK players access the same games but must trigger bonuses organically through base game play. Hacksaw also offers FeatureSpins, an ante bet system that increases bonus trigger probability without bypassing the base game entirely.
Yes. Demo mode is available at most UK-licensed casinos carrying Hacksaw content. Demo versions run identical mathematical models to real-money play — same RTP, same volatility, same bonus trigger probability. Given that Hacksaw's games are predominantly high volatility, demo play is particularly useful for experiencing the rhythm of a session — extended base game phases, bonus trigger frequency, and win distribution patterns — before committing real stakes.
Hacksaw deliberately designs for players who seek high volatility, high max-win potential, and mechanical innovation. Nearly half the catalogue carries the studio's maximum volatility rating of 5/5, with average max wins around 10,000x and some titles reaching 25,000–30,000x. The visual identity is immediately recognisable across all titles, and mechanics like DuelReels, cascading multipliers, and multi-mode bonus rounds give each game a learning curve that rewards repeated play. All games are built mobile-first for portrait-mode smartphone screens.
Martin Green
Written by

Martin Green

Senior Slots Editor

Ten years covering slot releases across the UK market, with a focus on game mechanics, studio output patterns and separating genuine innovation from recycled formats.

About the Author