DuelReels explained

DuelReels in one paragraph

Hacksaw Gaming's launch material for Eternal Duel sets out the core rule: when a VS symbol lands as part of a winning combination (opens in a new tab), it expands to cover the whole reel and two characters duel. Whoever wins, their multiplier is applied to the reel. The win the VS symbol joined is then paid with that multiplier. In plain terms, DuelReels is a reel-wide multiplier whose size is decided by a short animated contest instead of a number simply appearing.

Hacksaw Gaming launched in September 2018, is based in Malta and holds a Gambling Commission licence (ref. 000-054059). Its parent, Hacksaw AB, has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since 25 June 2025. You can see its other games on our Hacksaw Gaming studio page, and the full list of mechanics we explain is in the slot features hub.

How a DuelReels round plays out

1. You spin, and a VS symbol lands on a reel.
2. The game checks whether the VS symbol is part of a win. If it isn't, nothing more happens.
3. If it is, the symbol expands to fill the entire reel.
4. Two characters appear on the reel, each showing a multiplier, and they duel.
5. The winner's multiplier is applied to that reel; with more than one DuelReel in the same win, the multipliers combine as the game's rules set out.
6. The win is paid with the final multiplier, and the next spin starts fresh.

Because the VS symbol must be part of a win, a duel never happens on a spin that would otherwise pay nothing at all. That shapes the game's maths: DuelReels doesn't create wins from nothing, it makes existing wins larger. An expanded VS reel also helps the win itself. In Bullets and Bounty, reels expanded by DuelReels act as wilds, so the duel reel can extend a line as well as multiply it. Our expanding wilds guide covers that reel-filling idea more generally.

DuelReels multiplier ranges by game

This is the part people most often get wrong online: there is no single DuelReels range. Each game sets its own, so quote the one in the game you are playing.

The Bounty DuelReels twist in Bullets and Bounty (opens in a new tab) is worth a closer look. Instead of a single duel, the Bounty Hunter can fight up to three outlaws in turn and absorb each defeated opponent's multiplier, so the reel's value can build across the sequence. For the reported Phoenix range, see the Phoenix DuelReels listing (opens in a new tab); the same listing gives two different release dates, so we don't state one.

DuelReels maths: what a multiplied reel pays

Hacksaw doesn't publish how often each character wins a duel or how often each multiplier appears, so we can't give an average DuelReels value. What we can show is the effect of the multiplier on a given win. The table uses a line win of 0.5x your stake and a 20p spin.

When two or more DuelReels sit in the same win, Eternal Duel and Bullets and Bounty say their multipliers combine. The help screen tells you whether they add or multiply, and that changes a lot. Two x10 reels added make x20, but multiplied they make x100. Read that rule before judging how big a game's swings can get, and see our expected value page for why a big top multiplier doesn't make a game better value.

Large multipliers are paid for by many spins that pay little or nothing. The published RTP already includes every duel outcome.

DuelReels RTP: why the version matters more than the duel

Slayers Inc, the DuelReels game we review, is supplied in four RTP versions: 96.28%, 94.36%, 92.40% and 88.22%. The casino chooses which one to run, and the duel looks identical in all of them. The difference only shows up in the long-run cost, and it is large.

The lowest version costs more than three times as much as the highest for the same play. Short sessions swing far more than these averages, because Slayers Inc is rated high volatility, but over time the gap shows. Our explainer on why slot RTPs differ between casinos shows how to find the figure, and the slot RTP guide explains what it does and doesn't promise.

DuelReels volatility and session budgets

A mechanic that multiplies existing wins by up to 100x or more is, by design, a high-variance feature. Most VS symbols arrive on small wins and produce modest multipliers; the rare big duel on a strong win is where most of the return sits. Slayers Inc carries a high volatility rating and a 15,000x stake max win, which tells you how lopsided the payout spread can be.

For a £20 budget, that means a 10p stake gives you 200 spins of exposure, while £1 gives you 20. Neither changes the average cost per pound, but with only 20 spins on a high-volatility game you are far more likely to finish with nothing before a big duel lands. Our volatility explainer and the page on high volatility slots go further into stake sizing.

DuelReels myths worth dropping

• You can pick the winner. You can't. The duel's result is decided by the random number generator; the characters only act it out.
• A run of low multipliers means a big one is due. Each spin is independent, and the gambler's fallacy explains why streaks don't change future odds.
• Higher stakes mean bigger multipliers. Stake scales the money won, not the multiplier range.
• All DuelReels games share one range. Ranges are set per game, as the table above shows.

UK rules for DuelReels slots

Hacksaw's DuelReels games follow the same British rules as other online slots. The Gambling Commission's stake limit guidance (opens in a new tab) caps stakes at £5 a spin for adults aged 25 and over and £2 for those aged 18 to 24, as our stake limits page explains. Each spin must take at least 2.5 seconds, there is no turbo or slam-stop, and autoplay has been banned on slots since 31 October 2021.

Hacksaw is known abroad for bonus-buy menus. Since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, feature buy-ins are not offered to British players, so those menus don't appear in UK versions. Our page on UK game design rules covers the full set of design standards.

Other Hacksaw slots we cover

If you like Hacksaw's style, our reviews of Wanted Dead or a Wild, the studio's best-known slot, and Chaos Crew 2 set out their RTPs, volatility and max wins from our checked data. Hacksaw's western-themed slots we review are grouped on our Wanted series page, which suits anyone drawn to the gunfight theme of Bullets and Bounty.

Where to play DuelReels slots in the UK

Our partner welcome offers are slot spins on named or selected games, not DuelReels titles, so check each casino's game lobby for Hacksaw slots. 18+ and terms apply.

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Coral and Ladbrokes are run by the same company, LC International Limited, so you may only be able to take one of those offers. Our Ladbrokes review covers licences, payments and safer-gambling tools. Slots are built to keep a share of every pound staked, so play only with money you can afford to lose.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.