Black Wolf Hold and Win 2 slot review
3 Oaks Gaming released Black Wolf Hold and Win 2 in 2023, taking players back to the wilderness. Like the prequel slot, it has a 5×4 layout and medium volatility, but this time, an RTP of 95.54%.
The Hold and Win bonus game is still the highlight feature, this time with a new Fortune Slide and an increased Grand Jackpot of 2,000x. My Black Wolf 2 slot review breaks it down for you below.
Highlights
Expert verdict
The Black Wolf Hold and Win 2 slot is the sequel to 3 Oaks Gaming’s popular Black Wolf slot. Like its predecessor, it has brilliant audiovisuals, engaging bonus features, and a decent hit rate. It’s an enjoyable game to play, but while reviewing it, I found there was a bit more to uncover.
In a few ways, the Black Wolf 2 slot let me down. The biggest factor here was reduced payout potential, with the same symbols all paying out less than they did on Black Wolf 1. For instance, the payout for five Wilds on a bet of $1 was $20 on Black Wolf 1. This is now just $12. Although the hit rate was surprisingly better, the average wins weren’t what I hoped for in a sequel slot.
The bonus features are still the strongest aspect of the Black Wolf series, although there’s not much that’s been developed from the original slot. The Hold and Win bonus game is the highlight of this slot and is its most lucrative feature.
Filling up the grid with as many bonus symbols as possible is a nice and engaging way to boost your bankroll, and hitting all 20 will award the Grand Jackpot. The Grand Jackpot is now 2,000x the current bet, which is great, although the other jackpots have retained the same values. I also appreciated the new Fortune Slide, which adds something extra to the bonus game.
I was disappointed to find that critical information is still missing from the paytable, specifically the slot’s RTP, volatility, and maximum win. These are essential pieces of information on the slot. The rest of the game layout is fine, and the slot has kept the same stunning visuals from Black Wolf 1.
- Four jackpots
- Innovative Fortune Slide feature
- Lucrative bonus game
- Lower average payouts
- Bet range of $0.25–$30
- 95.54% RTP
Where to play Black Wolf Hold and Win 2
The Black Wolf series is widely popular, especially in sweepstakes casinos. For top-rated sweepstakes casinos, I recommend Spree and MegaBonanza.
| Casino Logo | Rating | Bonus | Go-to-casino button | Show more | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1
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89/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 79% Playscore based on |
1,000,000 Gold Coins + 2.5 Spree Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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5 payment methods 
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2
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94/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 91% Playscore based on |
1.5 million WOW Coins + 35 free Sweepstakes Coins
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8 payment methods 
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3
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82/100 Expert rating by Denise M. 83% Playscore based on |
7,500 Gold Coins + 2.5 Sweepstakes Coins
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5 payment methods
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1
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94/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 91% Playscore based on |
1.5 million WOW Coins + 35 free Sweepstakes Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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8 payment methods
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2
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89/100 Expert rating by Dasha G. 89% Playscore based on |
400% Welcome Package Discount, 1M FC + 1M GC Raffle Entry, 20 Weekly Free Spins
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6 payment methods
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3
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89/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 87% Playscore based on |
Up to 120,000 Gold Coins + 10 Sweeps Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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3 payment methods
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4
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89/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 79% Playscore based on |
1,000,000 Gold Coins + 2.5 Spree Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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5 payment methods
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5
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89/100 Expert rating by Vule P. 79% Playscore based on |
500 Gold Coins + 3 FREE Sweeps Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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8 payment methods
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6
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89/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 81% Playscore based on |
10,000 Gold Coins + 2 Sweeps Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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10 payment methods
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7
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88/100 Expert rating by Dasha G. 87% Playscore based on |
2,000,000 Gold Coins and 2 FREE Sweeps Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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9 payment methods
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8
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88/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 90% Playscore based on |
57,000 Gold Coins + 27.5 free Sweeps Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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4 payment methods
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9
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88/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 96% Playscore based on |
250,000 Gold Coins + $25 Stake Cash
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Play now players accepted |
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10 payment methods
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10
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87/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 86% Playscore based on |
100,000 Crown Coins + 2 FREE Sweeps Coins
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Play now players accepted |
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7 payment methods
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Black Wolf 2 slot RTP and volatility
Black Wolf Hold and Win 2 has an RTP of 95.54% with medium volatility. There are 25 fixed paylines on five reels and four rows. Symbols must land on the paylines starting from the leftmost reel for a win.
Payout facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 95.54% |
| Maximum win | 2,000x |
| Highest-paying symbol | Moose/Wild |
| Volatility | Medium |
There are eight paying symbols plus the Wild and scatter symbols. The symbols are a mixture of card symbols and forest animals.
The card symbols are the lowest-paying symbols in the game. These are the J, Q, K, and A symbols. All four symbols have the same payout values, awarding $0.20 for three symbols and $1.60 for five when the bet is set to $1.
The higher-paying symbols are the forest animals, and these are the owl, the eagle, the lynx, and the moose. The eagle is the middle-of-the-road symbol, awarding a payout of $0.20 for three symbols and $6 for five when the bet is set to $1. The highest-paying symbol out of these eight symbols is the moose, which awards a payout of $10 for five symbols and is the only symbol that awards a payout of $0.60 for three symbols.
The Wild, which is the wolf symbol, is the highest-paying symbol in the game, awarding $12 for five symbols on a bet of $1. The scatter, which is the huntswoman symbol, only pays out $2 for three symbols.
Payouts rating
- Medium volatility
- Below average RTP of 95.54%
- Low-paying symbols have same payouts
- Lower base game payouts
The payouts on the Black Wolf 2 slot are a bit of a mixed bag for me. While the hit rate seems better than Black Wolf 1, the payouts are less which was disappointing.
On Black Wolf 1, five Wilds pay out $20 on a bet of $1, whereas on Black Wolf 2 the payout is just $12. I also noticed that all the symbols, except for the Wild, Scatter, and moose, pay out the same value when three symbols land on the reels. On a bet of $1, that’s just $0.20. On Black Wolf 1, the lynx awards a payout of $0.80 for three symbols.
On the first slot there’s a lot more variation from the lowest to the highest paying symbol, so this overall reduction on payouts was surprising. Especially since the payouts on Black Wolf 1 weren’t that high to begin with.
The hit rate is better overall, so I landed more frequent wins over time. I didn’t expect this, since the RTP was below average at 95.54%. The Wild lands quite frequently, and often fills full reels, which really helped to maximize my wins.
If you’re looking for a Hold and Win slot with higher average payouts, why not try Evoplay’s Temple of Thunder 2 Hold and Win. Although there are fewer paying symbols, the average payouts make up for it, with the highest-paying symbol awarding a payout of 15x your bet for five symbols. The lowest-paying symbols award a payout of 4x your bet for five symbols.
Black Wolf 2 slot stakes
To work with the most accurate value, I played 3 Oaks’ Black Wolf 2 demo, which had a bet range of $0.25–$30. I came across some other versions and demos that worked with a maximum bet of $60 or $80, and some with minimums of $0.10, so be aware that the betting values can range.
Stake facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum bet | $0.25 |
| Maximum bet | $30 |
| Adjustable paylines | No |
| Bet per line | N/A |
| Buy feature | N/A |
You can adjust your bet quickly by clicking on the coins symbol and choosing the bet value you want from the list. The increments start small before becoming much bigger: 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, 1.75, 2.00, 2.25, 2.50, 3.00, 4.00, 5.00, 7.50, 10.00, 12.50, 15.00, 20.00, 25.00, and 30.00.
Stake limits rating
- Decent betting increments
- Easy to adjust your bet
- Bet range of $0.25–$30
- Lower maximum bet
I was disappointed to find that 3 Oaks lowered the maximum bet from $80 on the original Black Wolf slot to just $30. When the full bet range is just $0.25 to $30, high-rollers won’t be satisfied with the outcome of their games. Players with a smaller budget might have a more enjoyable experience on this slot, since the lower stakes are more accessible.
Keeping the minimum bet at $0.25 is also a letdown. It’s high when compared to slots with a much lower starting bet. Even Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania has a starting bet of $0.15.
3 Oaks has made it simple to change your bet through the coins button, and despite the narrow bet range, there’s a decent number of betting options available. I was glad to see the increments still start off small, meaning there’s room to build up your bet slowly until the maximum of $30.
Bonus features on Black Wolf 2
There are eight bonus features on Black Wolf 2, including the Wild, bonus games, and a variety of special symbols.
The wolf symbol represents the Wild, and it can substitute for all paying symbols except the scatter, mystery symbol, bonus, or Boost symbols. The Wild can also award its own payout values.
The scatter symbol triggers the free spins round. This happens when three scatter symbols land on the reels. The scatter can only land on reels 1, 3, and 5 and awards eight free spins. If three scatter symbols land on the reels during free spins, then the free spins round is re-triggered and a further eight free spins are awarded.
More Boost, bonus, and mystery symbols are added to the reels during the free spins round.
Feature facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Wilds | Yes |
| Scatters | Yes |
| Other special symbols | Mystery symbol, Boost symbol |
| Gamble feature | No |
| Reel features | N/A |
| Free spins | Yes |
| Respins | No |
| Multipliers | No |
| Other bonus features | Four jackpots, Fortune Slide, Hold and Win bonus game |
The Boost symbol is the glowing orb with the word Boost on the front. The Boost symbols land on the third reel during the base game and free spins round, as well as on the Fortune Slide during the bonus game.
When it lands on the reels, the Boost symbol collects all the values from any bonus symbols on the reels and adds their total to the total win of that spin. This happens in all game modes, even when there is no win from paying symbols on that spin.
The mystery symbol is the purple moon. This can transform into high-value bonus symbols, or the Mini, Minor, and Major jackpot symbols. The value of the mystery symbols is revealed when the Boost feature is active.
The bonus symbols are the full moon symbols, which have paying values on the front. The bonus symbol values range from 1x to 15x the current total bet. When these symbols land on the reels during the base game, their values are collected by the new moon in the background. As the moon collects bonus symbols, it moves through the different phases of the moon before becoming a full moon, which triggers the bonus game.
The bonus game can also be triggered when six or more bonus, mystery, or Boost symbols land on the reels in the base game. This doesn’t affect the moon in the background, and doesn’t interfere with the moon triggering the bonus game later on. There are only mystery and bonus symbols on the reels during a bonus game.
At the start of the bonus game, players are awarded three re-spins, but each new bonus symbol that lands on the reels will reset the re-spins to three. The aim of the bonus game is to fill up as many of the symbol positions as possible for a bigger win. If all 10 positions are filled, this will trigger the Grand Jackpot. When the bonus game ends, the values of all the bonus symbols are added together for the final win.
The Fortune Slide is only active during the bonus game. This is a slide on the left of the grid that’s filled with high-value bonus, jackpot, and boost symbols. When a mystery symbol lands on the grid, the first symbol in the queue on the Fortune Slide takes its place.
There are four jackpots in Black Wolf 2: the Mini, the Minor, the Major, and the Grand. The Mini is 20x the current bet, while the Minor is 50x, and the Major is 100x. The Grand jackpot is 2,000x.
Bonus features rating
- Innovative Fortune Slide
- Bonus game can create big wins
- Free spins don’t trigger often
- Only eight free spins
I was glad to see that nothing was removed in Black Wolf 2, since Black Wolf 1 had a strong variety of bonus features. I was hoping to see more features or further developments to the bonus features that were already there, but nothing has really changed.
The Fortune Slide is a cool addition to the bonus game. It’s a good way of giving the mystery symbol a more dynamic role, and players can see what’s waiting in the queue, making it more engaging. Mystery symbols don’t land that often during the bonus game, so the slide, on average, is used once or twice, but I still enjoyed the feature.
The bonus game is still the most lucrative element of the Black Wolf slot, and I found I had better success with it than in the original slot. On one round, with a bet of $10, I won $560 through the bonus game. On another, I had 18 symbols, so I came very close to triggering the Grand Jackpot.
Jackpot symbols land much more frequently in Black Wolf 2, and I won the Mini jackpot four times, two of them through free spins.
The free spins take a long time to trigger, so it’s a bit frustrating. Two scatter symbols land frequently, but that third symbol is hard to come by. Eight free spins is also a bit limited, and players would benefit from having at least 10. Immortal Romance, with four types of free spins rounds, awards 10 during the first round. Each round after that has an increased number of free spins.
The boost symbols are always welcome in Black Wolf. On spins where I had no wins, the boost symbols collected any bonus symbols, and I was awarded the paying values, which helped to boost my bankroll.
Black Wolf 2 audiovisuals
Black Wolf 2 has a rich slot design, with high-quality visuals and bold colors. The background of the game window shows a wilderness scene, with cliffs, forests, and mist. The evening sky above has small animations, like twinkling stars and the mist moving.
The bonus game takes place in the star-filled sky and during the free spins round, the wilderness scene moves from dusk to nighttime.
The new moon sits on the left of the grid, moving through the different phases of the moon each time a bonus symbol is collected.
Audiovisual facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Wilderness |
| Graphics | Deep colors, strong illustrations |
| Animations | Good |
| Sound quality | Good |
| Mobile compatibility | Excellent |
Black Wolf 2 has retained the dramatic background track from the first Black Wolf slot, including the sound of howling wolves.
Animations are frequent but subtle. The Wolf Wild is animated to look like the wolf is breathing, and the same applies to the huntswoman scatter. Any bonus, Boost, and mystery symbols glow anytime they fall on the reels.
Audiovisuals rating
- Strong visual details
- Charming animations
- Identical audiovisuals from original slot
The Black Wolf 2 slot is stunning. Its visuals are memorable and high-quality, with subtle animations and sounds that give it a lot of life. The twinkling stars and phases of the moon are small examples of what a game provider can do to make its slot more dynamic and immersive.
It was a shame that not much has changed from the first slot, except for the lynx and owl symbols, which are now seen from the side instead of head-on. All the other symbols are identical to Black Wolf 1. With such a beautifully crafted first slot, there was room to build it further, but 3 Oaks has stuck to what they know.
The music is also the exact same track from Black Wolf 1, which, although it is a great choice for this slot, can become repetitive after some time. Fortunately, I quite like the howling wolf sounds, but I was expecting some further development in the audiovisuals in general to show this is a different slot.
Black Wolf 2 game layout
The Black Wolf Hold and Win 2 slot has a 5×4 grid, which displays 20 symbols at once. The game layout is functional and clean, with clearly identifiable buttons. The buttons are the mute button, paytable, spin button, autoplay, bet button, and quick spin.
Game-layout facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Reel layout | 5×4 |
| Autoplay | Yes |
| Turbo mode | Yes |
| Ease of use | Very easy |
| Game history | No |
Autoplay is activated by holding down the button, and turbo spin is similarly activated by holding down the spin button. There aren’t any additional settings or limits for autoplay, allowing for infinite autospins.
The paytable and common game rules contain all the information on symbols, bonus features, and how to play the game. Unfortunately, the RTP, slot volatility, and max win aren’t included.
The slot works well on mobile, adapting to both portrait and landscape modes comfortably.
Game layout rating
- Clean slot navigation
- Autoplay and turbospin
- RTP, volatility, and max win missing
- No additional autoplay settings
The game layout, like most of this slot, is identical to Black Wolf Hold and Win. Meaning it has the same strengths and the same weaknesses.
Black Wolf 2 is very user-friendly, and since I was already familiar with the first slot, I had no trouble finding my way round. Even if you aren’t familiar with Black Wolf 1, the game layout is very straightforward.
What’s disappointing is, like in the original slot, the RTP, volatility, and maximum win, are still not included in the game rules or paytable. They aren’t available on 3 Oaks’ website either and so I had to find these online. I shouldn’t have had to, as these are essential pieces of information that give insight into how the slot operates. Not having them feels misleading.
Black Wolf 2 has the same infinity autoplay, which is still problematic because it’s lacking any kind of safety net. Not all slots come with additional settings to stop autoplay on a loss or win limit, but most come with a limited number of autospins. Black Wolf has the potential to run until you can’t sustain the current bet value anymore, which can put players in dangerous situations.
