Circle of Life by Hacksaw Gaming: New Slot Release Coming January 15

by Kevin Lentz, 1 January 2026

Circle of Life is a new slot from Hacksaw Gaming, expected on January 15, 2026. It features a stark, darker theme with expanding Tree multipliers, respins, and tiered Free Spins bonuses (Origin, Eternal, Rebirth), with a top payout of 15,000x.

Tree multipliers and respins drive the action here.

Circle of Life in Brief:

• Release Date: 15 January 2026
• Type: Video Slot
• Theme: Dark/Mythic
• Software Studio: Hacksaw Gaming
• RTP: 96.33%
• Hit Frequency: 23.53%
• Volatility: High
• Special Features: Expanding Trees, Multipliers, Respins, Feature Buys
• Bonus Rounds: Origin, Eternal, Rebirth
• How to Trigger Bonus Round: Land 3 or more Expanding Scatter Symbols

This is not a bright, casual spinner. The tone is serious and the volatility is high, which usually means stretches of quiet followed by sudden, violent swings when the multipliers line up on the 5×4 grid. That’s the trade off when dealing with 15,000x potential.

That’s probably the reason for the after the holiday release date as faceless female figures decaying into skeletons, and eerie game play can be a bit of a Christmas downer.

All that aside, I think it has some potential and showcases Hacksaw Gaming’s innovative themes and mechanics with unique gameplay you won’t find anywhere else. Though maybe don’t play it alone late at night.

Full Rules & Information About the Circle of Life, Online Slot

We’ve got only 14 paylines here, and you can bet anywhere from a dime up to $50. The best RTP is 96.33% but check, as multiple versions are available. The main game revolves around Trees, and more specifically the Tree of Life.

The game is entirely monochrome except for the glowing Tree of Life. Its atmospheric visuals are only enhanced by the slightly haunting soundtrack, and reflections on life and death themes certainly add a feeling of gravitas.

Circle of Life Symbols & Payouts

The paytable is as usual filled with 10 through Ace for lower symbols. Premium symbols are Tree of Life or Circle of Life themed. Base game pays are modest as expected at this volatility level.

The Wild Tree symbols substitute for standard symbols, landing five Circle of Life scatters that trigger the hidden Rebirth Bonus Round. Or you can buy any of these features in the bonus buy.

Wilds pay 5x, and premium symbols top out at 5x

• All symbols: 12
• Highest-Paying Symbol: Tree Symbol
• Wilds: Substitute Wilds
• Paylines Pay: Left to Right
• Maximum Win: 15,000x

Circle of Life Bonuses & Features

The engine here is the Tree system. Tree symbols act as Wilds and reveal a multiplier (x2 to x100). When a Tree participates in any given win, it can trigger a respin and grow upward into a colourful Tree of Life, keeping the sequence alive when you land fresh wins.

When a Tree of Life fully expands, it can trigger the Circle of Life feature, a wheel-style sequence that applies increasing multiplier impact until it ends/dies. This is where the “could be nothing, could be everything” volatility Hacksaw mechanics are known for really come into play.

Tree expands upward during respins

Free Spins are triggered by 3+ expanding FS scatters.

Origins

Three symbols get you the Origin Bonus Game. Here you get a sticky tree of life symbol which persists as long as it contributes to a win.

Eternal

With four scatters we get all the mechanics from the Origin Bonus game but now if we land a Circle of Life Symbol activates the entire reel and guarantees a Tree symbol will land for the duration of the bonus round.

Rebirth

With five scatters we get the hidden bonus round with all of the mechanics of the Eternal Round but now Reel 2 and 4 are already activated with no need to land a Circle of life.

As typical in Hacksaw Games, we have a plethora of Bonus Buy options. 5x gets you increased chances of landing a bonus. 70x gets you at least two tree symbols per paid for spin. If you want to proceed directly to the Origin bonus it’s 100x, and Eternal is 300x.

Similar Games & Best Alternatives

The obvious comparison is Hacksaw’s Life and Death, since Circle of Life shares what we will call thematic DNA and a similar expanding wild multiplier. If you prefer lighter visuals but still want big feature potential, I’d look for other Hacksaw titles built around respins and multipliers like Wanted Dead or a Wild, or even Le Bandit.

Death, Decay, and the Hope of Free Spins

A mostly black and white themed slot dealing with themes around life, death, and rebirth, is simply not going to appeal to everyone, no matter how well put together the mechanics and overall experience.

That being said, it really is a compelling title in a lot of ways, the creepy factor isn’t in your face, the expanding tree of life mechanic works well, and the bonus rounds are compelling if infrequent.

The Bonus Buy feature could help address this, but they are a bit pricey to use more than a couple spins at a time. And in the end the volatility and infrequent hits, more than the difficult themes cause a bit of melancholia to settle in.