- A festive Bullshark Games slot on a 5×3 grid with 243 ways to win and cascading wins
- Walking Wilds that step across the reels and build up a Global multiplier
- Two free spins rounds, Carrot Heist and Arctic Showdown, and a max win of 10,000x
Arctic Duel is a Bullshark Games slot released on 16 October 2026. Two rivals face off on the holiday ice: a snowman and a rabbit. Bullshark’s founder says the rivalry between the two characters is at the heart of the game, and that the studio wanted that contrast to carry through into how it plays.
The game has a volatility rating of 4 out of 5, a maximum RTP of 96.30% and a max win of 10,000x the bet. Everything is built around one number, the Global multiplier, and the Walking Wilds that push it up as they move across the grid.
Reels, Ways and Cascades
Arctic Duel plays on 5 reels and 3 rows, with 243 ways to win. There are no paylines to follow. Wins are made by matching symbols on reels next to each other.
Wins cascade. After a win is paid, the winning symbols are cleared and new ones drop in to fill the gaps, which can lead to another win on the same spin. This matters a great deal here, because the Wilds only move when they are part of a win, and each cascade gives them another chance to do that.
Global Multiplier
Every win in Arctic Duel is multiplied by the Global multiplier. It starts at 1x and applies to all wins. In the base game it goes back to 1x at the start of each new spin, so anything you build up only lasts for the cascades of that one spin.
The multiplier is raised by the Wilds, and the timing is worth knowing. When a Wild adds to the Global multiplier after a win, the higher value is used from the next win onwards, not on the win that raised it. The longer a run of cascades goes on, the more those increases have a chance to pay off.
Walking Wilds
The Walking Wild can land in the base game and in both bonus rounds. It stands in for every symbol on the paytable, and it can carry a random multiplier value.
That value comes in two types. Some Wilds carry a value that is added to the Global multiplier: 1x up to 10x, then 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x or 100x. Others carry a value that multiplies it: x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x8 or x10. When a Wild with a value takes part in a win, the value is unlocked and applied to the Global multiplier once the win has been worked out. If there is more than one, they unlock in order from left to right and top to bottom.
Then the Wild walks. After each win it is part of, it picks a direction, left or right, and steps one reel that way while staying in the same row. It does this after the win is counted and before the new symbols cascade in. If there is a win on the grid that the Wild is not part of, it stays where it is. When it is already on the edge of the grid, its next step takes it off, and it is removed.
Several Wilds can be on the grid at once, and they all move at the same time. Any Wilds still on the grid are cleared when you start a new spin. Walking Wilds cannot land on the same spin as the free spins scatters.
RECOMMENDED CASINOS TO PLAY Arctic Duel
When Two Wilds Collide
This is where the duel in the title comes in. If two Walking Wilds step onto the same position, they join together and count as a single Wild for the next win. At the same moment, they add a random value to the Global multiplier, taken from the same set of values listed above. Unlike a normal Wild value, this one is applied straight away, so the very next win already uses the higher multiplier.
Once the joined Wilds have been part of a win, they split up again. Each one carries on in its own direction, stepping one position ready for the next cascade. In a good run, the same pair can keep crossing paths and keep pushing the multiplier up.
Carrot Heist Free Spins
Landing three free spins scatters starts Carrot Heist with 8 free spins. All the base game features stay in place, but two things change.
First, the Global multiplier no longer resets between spins. Whatever it reaches stays with you until the bonus ends, so every Wild value you unlock keeps adding to the wins that follow.
Second, there is a collector next to the reels that counts the Wilds stepping off the grid. Every two Wilds that walk off give you one extra free spin. A Wild leaving the grid is no longer the end of its usefulness, since it now helps to make the round longer.
Arctic Showdown Free Spins
Landing four scatters starts the bigger bonus, Arctic Showdown, with 10 free spins. It has the same rules as Carrot Heist: the Global multiplier keeps its value for the whole round, and every two Wilds that leave the grid add one more spin.
On top of that, Arctic Showdown gives you a head start. The Global multiplier begins the round at 5x instead of 1x, and one Wild is guaranteed to land on the first spin. With two more spins, a higher starting multiplier and a Wild from the off, this is the round to hope for.
Stakes, RTP and Volatility
Bullshark Games lists default bet levels from €0.10 to €100. The max win of 10,000x works out at €1,000,000 on the top €100 bet, and Bullshark says it can be reached in every game mode.
The game comes in three RTP versions: 96.30%, 94.24% and 92.33%. Which one you get depends on the casino, so it is worth checking the game’s information screen before you play. RTP is worked out over a very large number of spins and does not tell you what will happen in a short session.
A volatility rating of 4 out of 5 puts Arctic Duel at the higher end of the scale. That fits a game where the biggest results depend on a Global multiplier building up over a long run of cascades, or across a full bonus round.
About Bullshark Games
Bullshark Games describes itself as an independent slot studio. It says it gives each game its own twist, naming mechanics like walking wilds and global multipliers, and themes like Pickle Bandits and Junkyard Kings. The studio also says every game goes through thousands of test spins before release. Arctic Duel brings its walking Wild idea to a winter setting. For more seasonal games, see our list of the top 10 Christmas slots.
Overall
Arctic Duel is a light-hearted Christmas slot with a clear plan: keep the Wilds walking and the Global multiplier climbing. In the base game, everything you build lasts only for one spin’s cascades, so the Walking Wilds and their collisions are what make a spin worth watching.
The free spins are where the game opens up. In both Carrot Heist and Arctic Showdown, the Global multiplier holds its value to the end, and Wilds leaving the grid earn extra spins, so a long round can keep getting stronger. Arctic Showdown’s 5x start and guaranteed Wild make it the better of the two.
With high volatility and a 10,000x max win that is open in every game mode, Arctic Duel suits players who are happy to wait for the multiplier to build. Just check which of the three RTP versions your casino is running before you start.