Hacksaw's New Slot Flips the Script on Its Most Famous Mechanic

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-01

Hacksaw Gaming just dropped a new slot called Buried by Night, and it's not your typical Western shoot-'em-up. The studio took its beloved VS mechanic—the one you've seen in Gladiator Legends and Undead Fortune—and gave it a serious twist. Instead of expanding vertically like it always has, those wild multipliers now stretch horizontally. It's a small change that makes a big difference in how wins pile up. ### From DuelReels to DuelRows: What's Different? In the old setup, when a VS symbol landed on reels 2, 3, or 4, it would expand upward or downward, creating a vertical duel. Now, it expands sideways into what Hacksaw calls a DuelRows symbol. Two symbols face off, and the winner slaps its multiplier—anywhere from x2 to x100—onto the entire symbol. That might not sound like much, but it changes how you build winning combinations across the grid. You're not just looking at vertical stacks anymore; you're scanning horizontally, which opens up new possibilities. ### Why This Rework Matters Hacksaw isn't retiring its VS engine—it's evolving it. The studio clearly sees value in keeping a familiar framework while giving each game its own flavor. For players who've spent hours on previous VS titles, Buried by Night feels instantly recognizable yet fresh. And for Hacksaw, it's a smart product-line strategy: iterate on what works instead of reinventing the wheel every time. > "The horizontal shift gives the release a distinct identity within that lineage." That's the kind of move that keeps a studio's catalog cohesive without becoming stale. ### Big Win Potential and Bonus Buys The headline number here is 15,000x your bet—and you can hit it in any mode. That puts Buried by Night squarely in high-volatility territory, which is exactly where Hacksaw's VS games usually live. If you're the type who likes a shot at massive payouts, this one's for you. And yes, there are feature buys. For 2x your bet, you can trigger BonusHunt FeatureSpins, which triples your chance of hitting a bonus. Or you can straight-up purchase either of the two main bonus rounds. It's a flexible setup that lets you control your risk and pace. ### Where It Fits in Hacksaw's Western Lineup Hacksaw first went West back in 2021 with Wanted Dead or a Wild, and they've returned to the theme several times since. Buried by Night joins the likes of Bullets and Bounty and Duel at Dawn, reinforcing a Western strand that runs through the catalog. But this isn't just another cowboy slot—it's a mechanical experiment that could shape future releases. ### The Bottom Line Buried by Night is more than a reskin. It's a deliberate rework of a flagship mechanic, wrapped in a proven theme. If you're a fan of Hacksaw's VS games, you'll feel right at home. If you're new to them, this is as good a place as any to see what the fuss is about. Either way, it's a slot that rewards attention to how wins form—and that 15,000x max win is always lurking.