Gladiator Legends

Gladiator Legends Slot Review

Slot Provider: Hacksaw Gaming

RTP: 96.31% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 10,000x

Our Score: 8.2

Play at Duelz Casino

WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.

About Gladiator Legends

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 7th February 2023

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

Gladiator Legends, released in April 2022, was the second slot from Hacksaw after Warrior Ways to feature their DuelReels mechanic where multipliers battle it out to become wild multiplier reels. The concept is a simple one but it works and particularly when applied to the Gladiatorial Arena setting here, creating the perfect format for a high variance game. Like many Hacksaw slots, this one is all about accumulating multipliers in the bonus rounds to unlock big wins.

It’s a very tough play, but it can deliver big time.

Gladiator Legends Game Information

  • Release Date: April 2022
  • RTP: 96.31%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 4
  • Paylines: 10
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Theme: History
  • Features: Wilds, Multipliers, DuelReels™

What We Liked

  • DuelReels™ with 100x wild multipliers
  • Massive multiplier opporunities
  • Epic theme, fun soundtrack and design
  • Epic Coins produce big multpliers!

What We Didn't like

  • Very tough to break down
  • Reel multipliers can lose value

Gladiator Legends Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 9
  • RTP and Variance 7
  • Maximum Win 8
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 9

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"A superb high variance slot with epic theme and epic, brutal gameplay!"

Overall Score: 8.2

Theme & Design

Our Score 9

Gladiator Legends is a game that is positively dripping with the blood of ancient Roman soldiers – you can hear their cries in the background as the reels spin and ash, smoke and flames lick the horizon. There is no respite here – from start to finish you are immersed in conflict. Anyone with an interest in ancient Rome will love it – this game is big on atmosphere and genuinely invokes a feeling of warrior combat from that era. But it is also a slot with very little color – dark granite and black are most of what you see whether you are in the base game or bonus round. Don’t expect rainbows and sunshine!

Meanwhile, alongside those battle cries the gameplay is backed by a stirring, epic soundtrack interspersed with the sound of clanking metal and bloodshed every time a duel takes place.

If you enjoy dark, cinematic slots then this is for you.

RTP and Variance

Our Score 7

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

Gladiator Legends has four possible RTP settings: 96.31%, 94.44%, 92.66% and 88.19%. Which you play at is at the discretion of your casino. We checked the settings at five of our favourite UK slot sites and this is what we found:

For the best return on your wagering we therefore recommend that you play this game at MrQ casino.

This is also one of Hacksaw’s most volatile slots, on a par with games like Rotten and Hand of Anubis. It will not break easily, though the potential for epic win sequences is there in the two bonus rounds where multiplier mayhem can kick in at any time.

Maximum Win

Our Score 8

What Is Maximum Win?

Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.  

Gladiator Legends has a maximum win of 10,000x. This is standard for Hacksaw Gaming. You don’t find many games by this operator with higher potential. If you are looking for higher you could try RIP City, Wanted Dead or a Wild or Hop n Pop (all capped at 12,500x).

Explore Games With Similar RTP, Variance and Maximum Win

Like the numbers? Here are some more games you might want to try.

Slot SiteSupplierRTPVarianceTop Payout
Gladiator LegendsHacksaw Gaming96.31%High10,000xPlay Here
BloodthirstHacksaw Gaming96.19%High10,000xPlay Here
Hand of AnubisHacksaw Gaming96.24%High10,000xPlay Here
IteroHacksaw Gaming96.18%High10,000xPlay Here
Outlaws IncHacksaw Gaming96.23%High10,000xPlay Here

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

The game plays out on a 5 reel and 4 row grid with just 10 active paylines in play at all times. To trigger wins you’ll need to land three more more identical symbols across the reels from left to right on a payline.

Symbol values are not particularly high until you hit the top end of the premiums. However, this game deliver when the multipliers kick in so these values can be considerably enhanced.

Low value symbols are the cards, 10 through to Ace. Three 10s will earn you a 0.1x win whilst five Aces gets you a 1x win. Everything else falls somewhere in between. The premiums are represented by the warrior weapons: hammer, two axes, a dagger and a sword and shield. The hammer is worth 0.5x for three on a line. The highest value sword and shield is worth 30x for five on a line.

There is also a Wild that completes paylines by substituting for other symbols AND pays out 30x for five on a line.

Special symbols include VS that activates Duel Reels,  and an Arena and Beast scatter, each of which triggers its respective bonus round.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 9

Gladiator Legends is not short of feature-action.

Throughout the game the Duel feature takes centre stage. The VS symbol required to trigger it is a Wild. When it lands, IF by expanding to full reel height it would form part of a win, then it does so, creating a DuelReel™. Then, a Gladiator Multiplier appears at each end of the reel and they duel to decide which multiplier prevails. The higher value one always wins.

The winning multiplier is then applied to every row on the reel before wins are evaluated and paid out.

In the base game the multiplier values for DuelReels™ are from 1x up to 100x.

Free Spins Bonus Rounds Come With Epic and Multiplier Coins

The bonus rounds here are epic, so be ready for them when they drop! You have two possibilities – the Champions of the Arena round unlocked by 3 Arena scatters and the Unleash the Beast round triggered by 3 Beast scatters.

Champions of the Arena With Epic Coin Multipliers

In Champions of the Arena, the round starts with 3 spins and re-sets every time a VS symbol lands. You can only land VS, non-winning skulls and multiplier coins in this round.

Each reel has its own multiplier value. When a VS lands on a reel a duel ensues and when its complete, the prevailing multiplier value replaces that at the top of the reel. But beware, because this means that your reel multiplier may go down as well as up after a duel!

Additionally, two types of Coin Multiplier appear on the reels. When a Normal one lands, then the reel multiplier value of the reels it lands on is multiplied by its own value of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x. But if an Epic Coin Multiplier lands, then it multiplies ALL reel multipliers.

The objective here is to keep building up your reel multiplier values as high as possible because at the end of the round the game will total them all up and apply them to the current stake level to calculate your win.

In Champions of the Arena the multiplier values for DuelReels™ are from 1x up to 1,000x.

Unleash the Beast With Special Beast Duel Reels

Things get heavier still in the second bonus round – land 3 Beast Scatters to Unleash the Beast!

Same rules apply here, but reel 3 is locked to start. It only comes to life when a VS has landed on each or reels 1, 2, 4 and 5. It can then become a Beast DuelReel whose multiplier is applied to ALL other reels multipliers before they are applied to the reel multipliers at the top of each reel.

In Unleash the Beast the multiplier values for DuelReels™ are from 1x up to 250x for reels 1, 2, 4 and 5 and 2x to 20x for reel 3.

The Final Verdict

Gladiator Legends and slots like it have helped cement Hacksaw’s place as a great developer of high variance slots. Alongside the stylish design and sounds of battle and warriors being slain, the action on the reels is compelling. For a high risks slot, in our tests at least, it was a pacey game with plenty of small wins, including VS symbols, to keep us interested whilst waiting for something bigger.

The bonus rounds are strong but the added jeopardy of duels bringing up multipliers that can drop your reel value as well as increase it is a touch that will frustrate many. Still, that’s all part of high-risk gaming and the just the flip side of the big win coin.

Compare Gladiator Legends With Similar Slots Picked By Us

Here are more games like Gladiator Legends compared on configuration and features. Click through to read a review of each one.

Slot GameProviderThemeMin. StakeMax. RTPVariancePaylinesTop PayoutJackpot
Hacksaw GamingNorse£0.1096.41%High1412,500xNo
Hacksaw GamingPirates£0.1096.22%High2612,500xNo
Hacksaw Gaming£0.1096.19%1010,000xNo
Hacksaw Gaming£0.1096.23%Win Ways10,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingAfrican£0.1096.3%High2010,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingHorror£0.1096.27%High3510,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingAmerican Prairie£0.1096.36%High1010,000xNo
Hacksaw Gaming£0.1096.24%Cluster Pays10,000xNo

Who Made Gladiator Legends?

  • Name: Hacksaw Gaming
  • Established: 2018
  • UK License: 54059
  • Total Games: 50 +
  • Known For: Dark, high variance output and bonus rounds driven by combining multipliers
  • Popular Slots: Hand of Anubis, Itero, Gladiator Legends, Break Bones
Find More Hacksaw Gaming slots

Allslotsites.com - Trusted and Independent Online Slot Reviews

Allslotsites.com has been publishing online slot reviews since 2018. It’s fair to say we know a thing or two about what makes a good game – that magic mix of theme, style, gameplay and payout potential. For each slot we review we take you on the full journey through its narrative and design, reel configuration, key numbers including RTP and max win, volatility level, gameplay, and finally an expert verdict. You can also check our comparison tables to see how each slot matches up against others handpicked by our reviewers and check our tips on hitting that winning streak.

We are not paid by the developers whose games we cover. We are independent and our views of each game are honest. That is why you can trust us!

Learn, explore and find your next slots adventure with us!!