Hot Ross by Hacksaw Gaming: New Slot Release Preview

by Kevin Lentz, 25 February 2026

Hot Ross by Hacksaw Gaming claws its way back on February 26, 2026, with Ross the cat making another appearance. This sharp-edged follow-up to RIP City features wild reels, three free spin modes and a 15,000x max win.

Hot Ross is back, baby.

Hot Ross in Brief:

• Release Date: 26 February 2026
• Type: Video Slot
• Theme: Cartoon, Urban, Cats
• Software Studio: Hacksaw Gaming
• RTP: 96.32%
• Hit Frequency: 20.7%
• Volatility: High
• Special Features: Expanding Wilds, Bonus Buys, Mutlipliers
• Bonus Rounds: Cat Calls, Nine Lives, Bigg Boss Ross
• How to Trigger Bonus Round: Land 3 or more Scatter Symbols

Hot Ross returns to the original 5×5, 19-payline layout used in RIP City, though the max win is slightly higher. Maxx the mouse is sitting this one out, leaving Ross to prowl alone.

Styled in Hacksaw’s usual stripped-back aesthetic, don’t look for a vibrant color palette here; muted greys and washed-out whites dominate in this late-night street scene. Bets range from 10 cents up to $50.

The same expanding Ro$ Wild mechanic will bring back memories, but this version seems a bit tighter and punchier, without that pesky rodent around.

Full Rules & Information About the Hot Ross Online Slot

Hot Ross runs on the old 19-payline structure, which pays left to right and requires three or more matching symbols. RTP can vary widely, to as low as 86.16% so make sure and check your version.

While the 15,000x is possible in any mode, it’s going to be strongly tied to landing heavy Ro$ multipliers during the free spins.

You’re looking at very high volatility here, as with most Hacksaw Gaming titles, and your hit rate of only one in five roughly will mean the base game can drag. But when those Ro$ wilds start expanding, and the multipliers stack up to 200x, things can escalate quickly.

Hot Ross Symbols & Payouts

The lower symbols are the usual ten through Ace. In accordance with the urban setting, we have a banana, a fish skeleton, a can of spray paint, dice, and an eight ball for the higher-paying symbols.

Five of those eight balls in a payline gets you 20x your bet. The bomb wild symbol substitutes for all symbols. Land five of these on a payline and it’s 25x your bet. But the real payday comes with the Ro$ and Hot Ro$ symbols, which expand across the reel and collect multipliers when they pass through other wilds.

15,000 max win is possible

• All symbols: 13
• Highest-Paying Symbol: Bomb Wild
• Wilds: Expanding Ro$ Wilds
• Paylines Pay: Left to Right
• Maximum Win: 15,000x

Hot Ross Bonuses & Features

We’ve got three bonus games available here, all accessed by landing three, four, or five FS scatter symbols.

Cat Calls

With three scatters, we get ten free spins, along with an increased likelihood of Ro$ and Hot Ro$ symbols. Land more scatter symbols during this round to get more free spins.

Nine Lives

Still just ten free spins, but now land a Ro$ or Hot Ro$, and they become sticky. You are guaranteed to get one or the other on that wheel each spin remaining in that round. More scatters award more free spins.

Big Boss Ross

Ten free Spins but now we are guaranteed to have two Hot Ro$ symbols and a wild every spin, and that adds up very, very quickly. If there was ever a time to land more scatters for more free spins, this round would be it.

1,000x cost for a bonus buy may be a new record.

This title offers a whopping six different bonus buy games, from 3x to 1,000x your bet. A little something for every pocketbook, we suppose. The Bigg Boss Ross round is the feature buy that costs 1,000x, so that gives you some idea of how valuable it is to land one without having to buy it.

Similar Games & Best Alternatives

Clearly, fans of RIP City or Radd Maxx will feel right at home, as the expanding Wild screams Hacksaw. If even higher volatility is your thing, Wanted Dead or A Wild can deliver you some extra punch.

For medium volatility, with cluster pays and coin collecting, you might try any of the recent “Le” titles from Hacksaw.

Ross Roars Back

Ross isn’t treading new ground, and that’s fine. Both RIP City and Hot Ross show that you don’t need fancy mechanics or innovative themes or even, say, basic colors to make a game that’s fun to play.

If you enjoy high-volatility low-hit frequency slots with lots of earnings power in the bonus rounds, then odds are that Hot Ross can scratch your itch.