Hacksaw Gaming
Hacksaw Gaming is a Malta-based studio founded that has built a strong reputation in a short time, particularly among crypto casino players. Its slots are visually distinctive, using hand-drawn or stylised illustration rather than the 3D renders that dominate the market. Wanted Dead or a Wild is the studio's most-played title and frequently cited as one of the best high-volatility slots of the post-2020 period. Hacksaw also runs a scratchcard vertical that is genuinely unusual for a slot studio of its size. Most titles carry high volatility with well-regarded RTPs.
Key takeaways
- What it makes: high-volatility video slots with stylised art and a growing scratchcard vertical; smaller catalogue than established studios but high hit rate on popular titles.
- Flagship games: Wanted Dead or a Wild, Le Bandit, and Chaos Crew are the most-played titles, all high-volatility with free-spins multiplier structures.
- Scratchcard range: Hacksaw operates a genuine scratchcard product alongside its slots, unusual for a boutique studio; the scratchcards use instant-win mechanics separate from spin-based play.
- RTP note: most Hacksaw titles publish a main RTP around 96% to 97%, with lower certified versions available for casinos to choose; confirm in the game panel.
- Crypto audience: Hacksaw is heavily distributed through crypto and offshore casino platforms, and its titles are well-suited to the high-volatility preference in that market.
Hacksaw Gaming games we've reviewed
- Wanted Dead or a Wild 96.38% RTP Read review
- Le Bandit 96.34% RTP Read review
- Chaos Crew 96.3% RTP Read review
- Hand of Anubis 96.24% RTP Read review
- Cursed Seas 96.22% RTP Read review
- RIP City 96.22% RTP Read review
A new studio that moved fast
Hacksaw Gaming was founded and had achieved significant distribution across crypto and licensed European casinos within four years. For context, studios with decades-long histories from larger parent companies often take longer to reach the same distribution footprint. The speed reflects a combination of timing, product quality, and deliberate targeting of the crypto casino vertical where distribution barriers are lower than in fully regulated markets.
The studio’s Malta base is practical for the regulatory environment: an MGA licence covers most offshore and European markets, and Malta has a developed ecosystem of casino platform providers that accelerate distribution. Hacksaw obtained UK Gambling Commission certification as well, expanding its reach into that stricter market.
Wanted Dead or a Wild and the bounty hunter mechanic
Wanted Dead or a Wild is the game that established Hacksaw’s reputation beyond niche circles. Its structure is a five-reel, four-row grid with five outlaw characters as bounty-hunter wilds, each carrying a distinct modifier. The Sheriff wild multiplies wins, the Deputy wild expands across a reel, the Outlaw wild freezes in position, and the Bandit and Gang variants carry additional multiplier combinations.
During free spins, each active character wild retains its modifier for the full round, and characters can appear on the same spin, combining modifiers. A spin with three or four character wilds active simultaneously and their multipliers combining is the source of the 12,500x maximum win. The design is coherent: the theme and the mechanics reinforce each other rather than being cosmetically separate.
Le Bandit and the Wanted Wild system
Le Bandit is a French rural heist theme using a simpler version of the character-wild system. The core mechanic is a wild that pays a multiplied win and respins the reels with the wild locked in position until a non-win stops the chain. Multipliers accumulate across the chain, which is the source of the free-spins round potential.
The game has a lower variance ceiling than Wanted Dead or a Wild and a somewhat more predictable bonus structure. It is popular among players who want Hacksaw’s visual style and higher RTP without the full extreme-variance experience of the flagship.
Chaos Crew and the co-op mechanic concept
Chaos Crew uses an urban street-art theme with two characters, Chaos and Crew, operating as distinct wild types. The mechanic assigns different multiplier values to each character type and stacks multipliers when both appear on the same winning combination.
Chaos Crew 2, a sequel, expanded the mechanic to include a free-spins mode with upgrading characters. Both versions carry the same visual identity: hand-drawn proportional characters in a loose urban style that differs clearly from the modelled 3D characters most studios use.
The scratchcard vertical
Hacksaw’s scratchcard catalogue is a genuine product line, not a marketing addition. The studio designs instant-win scratchcard games with real prize structures, published RTPs, and separate mathematics from the slot catalogue. Scratchcards appeal to players who want a defined stake, a single reveal, and no extended spinning session.
Not every casino that carries Hacksaw slots also carries the scratchcard products. If instant-win games are relevant to you, check that the casino’s Hacksaw integration includes the full range before depositing.
Where to play Hacksaw Gaming titles
Hacksaw games are widely available at crypto casinos and are standard at most platforms that carry Nolimit City and Push Gaming titles. The crypto casinos and fast-payout casinos sections here list casinos where the full Hacksaw catalogue is accessible alongside verified fast withdrawals.
High-volatility games carry real financial risk. Set a session budget before you start. Free, confidential support is available from GamCare and Gambling Therapy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hacksaw Gaming controversy?
Sweden's gambling regulator Spelinspektionen fined Hacksaw Gaming for supplying content to unlicensed websites and issued a penalty of approximately SEK 2.6 million. The studio was cited for insufficient controls over which operators could access and distribute its games. Hacksaw has since tightened its operator vetting processes. Separately, some player criticism focuses on RTP versions: casinos can run lower-certified builds of the same title, which is a broader industry issue rather than unique to Hacksaw.
What is the highest possible win on Hacksaw slots?
Wanted Dead or a Wild carries a maximum win of 12,500x stake, which is the headline figure for the studio's top-win ceiling. Other high-volatility titles like Le Bandit and Chaos Crew reach similar ranges. These maximums represent the theoretical ceiling across an extremely large number of spins; they do not describe a typical or expected session outcome. Most plays end well below the maximum.
Where can I play Hacksaw Gaming slots?
Hacksaw Gaming is widely distributed through licensed crypto and offshore casinos. The studio holds MGA and UK Gambling Commission licences, so its catalogue is available at most reputable platforms that carry Nolimit City and Push Gaming titles. The [crypto casinos](/casinos/crypto) section on this site lists verified operators where the full Hacksaw catalogue is accessible.
Are Hacksaw Gaming slots rigged?
No. Hacksaw holds licences from the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission and all titles are certified by independent testing labs. High volatility means sessions are unpredictable; that is the maths working as designed. The studio's credibility in the crypto market depends on verifiable RTP data, so operators distributing its content carry the certified figures. Check the in-game information panel at your casino for the specific RTP version being run.
What RTP do Hacksaw Gaming slots have?
Most Hacksaw titles publish RTPs between 96% and 97%, above the industry average. Wanted Dead or a Wild lists 96.38%, Le Bandit 96.26%, Chaos Crew 96.41%. Some casinos may run lower certified versions where Hacksaw has supplied them. The studio's reputation among informed players rests partly on its generally favourable published figures, but confirming the figure in the game info panel at your specific casino is always the right step.