Marlin Masters: Atlantis
Hacksaw Gaming have built a reputation for catch-and-collect mechanics done with personality, and the Marlin Masters series has become one of their more recognisable fishing-themed franchises. Marlin Masters: Atlantis is the third entry, arriving after the original and Marlin Masters: The Big Haul, and it sets the series against the mythological backdrop of the lost city of Atlantis. The shift in setting brings a genuine visual upgrade. Loading it up for the first time, I was struck by the curbside appeal – white-columned architecture, marble statues, and an underwater civilisation rendered with enough detail to make a strong first impression. It’s the kind of theming that should appeal to players drawn to mythology-heavy slots alongside the established fishing mechanics.
RTP sits at 96.27% for the standard game, which is a solid return above the industry average. Volatility is rated medium-high (3/5), meaning the game aims to balance reasonable hit frequency with meaningful win potential. The max win is capped at 10,000x the bet, delivered through a four-tier jackpot structure. Bets run from £0.10 to £100 per spin, and the game releases on 23 April 2026.
Base Game & Features
The game runs on a 5×4 grid with 26 fixed paylines. Visually, Hacksaw have dressed their familiar Fisherman up as Poseidon, complete with trident, and the fish symbols that populate the reels carry real personality – funny, charming, and unmistakably in line with the Atlantis theme. The audio matches well too: a stringed harp-like twang that sits comfortably in the background, fitting for the setting without being intrusive.
Where Atlantis distinguishes itself from some fishing-themed competitors is in the density of the base game. There are multiple routes to winning on any given spin, and I found this made sessions feel more active than titles where the base game exists purely as a bonus trigger. Fish symbols carry cash values and can reach up to 100x, while Marlin symbols display cash values that pay out when collected. Every spin carries potential through the jackpot system and multipliers, rather than a pure wait-for-scatter dynamic.
LootLine
The LootLine mechanic pays out Marlin symbol cash values when those symbols align on a payline. It functions similarly to a standard line win – these don’t land with high frequency, but when Marlin symbols carry strong values or Jackpot Marlins form part of a winning combination, the payout is more substantial.
Fisherman Collect
When a Fisherman symbol lands on the grid, it collects all Marlin and Jackpot Marlin symbols present. Fisherman symbols can carry a random multiplier of up to 20x, applied to all collected Marlin values. This is a proper high-moment feature within the base game. With random multipliers in play from the start, I was not solely relying on progressive mechanics to generate returns – there’s a baseline of excitement available even before any bonus trigger.
Kraken Collector
The Kraken Collector is a new addition to the Atlantis entry. It lands on reel one only and cannot appear alongside a Fisherman symbol. When it triggers, the Kraken expands to fill its full reel, locks in any Marlin and Jackpot Marlin values already present, then re-spins the remaining reels until no further symbols land. The key distinction from Fisherman Collect is the potential for accumulation: each re-spin can add further cash values, including Jackpot Marlins, creating opportunities that a straightforward Fisherman collect cannot match.
Four-Tier Jackpot
Four jackpot prizes are displayed alongside the grid: Mini (25x), Major (100x), Mega (500x), and Max Win (10,000x). They’re triggered when Jackpot Marlin symbols form a LootLine or are collected by a Fisherman or Kraken Collector. When a Jackpot Marlin lands, the jackpot display lights up and one is selected at random, which creates genuine tension – the Mega jackpot alone can deliver a meaningful return, and the Max Win sits in the background as the ceiling. The jackpots aren’t the core focus of the game, but they add an extra layer of reward opportunity on top of the collection mechanics.
Marlin Masters: Atlantis Bonus Features
Two free spins modes are available, both built around the same progressive Trident Bar mechanic above the grid. Every Fisherman symbol that lands advances the bar by one step. Every five Fisherman symbols triggers an upgrade level, which raises the minimum multiplier value on subsequent Fisherman symbols and awards additional free spins. The progression system means the bonus can play out very differently from session to session – there are runs where the first upgrade level barely comes, and others where the Trident Bar charges quickly and the multipliers snowball. That unpredictability is part of the appeal.
Sunken Empire (10 Free Spins)
Triggered by landing 3 scatter symbols in the base game. Awards 10 free spins with the Trident Bar active. Every five Fisherman collected advances the bar, with each upgrade level also granting +8 additional spins. Level 3 guarantees all Fisherman symbols land with at least a 5x multiplier. Reaching the higher levels during a Sunken Empire session requires working through five Fisherman per level, which I found takes a little more effort than comparable progressions in other Hacksaw titles – but the payoff at higher levels is meaningful.
Pose for Poseidon (15 Free Spins)
Triggered by landing 4 scatter symbols. Awards 15 free spins with the same Trident Bar system, but the higher starting spin count provides a better chance of reaching upgrade levels before the feature concludes. The additional spins give more opportunities for Fisherman symbols to land and push the bar toward higher multiplier tiers.
Bonus Buy Options
Four feature buy options are available where permitted:
- BonusHunt FeatureSpins – 3x bet. Each spin is 5x more likely to trigger a bonus game.
- Noisy Neptune FeatureSpins – 50x bet. Guarantees 1 Kraken Collector and 1 Marlin symbol per spin.
- Sunken Empire (direct buy) – 100x bet. Immediate entry into the 10 free spins bonus.
- Pose for Poseidon (direct buy) – 200x bet. Immediate entry into the 15 free spins bonus.
The BonusHunt option at 3x is priced in line with Hacksaw’s standard approach for this type of enhancement, and in my experience the bonus did appear more frequently than in standard play. The Noisy Neptune option at 50x guarantees the Kraken Collector on reel one each spin – useful for players who want consistent access to that re-spin mechanic without waiting for the scatter.
Our Honest Verdict
Hacksaw Gaming have been iterating on catch-and-collect fishing mechanics across several titles, and the Marlin Masters series has been a reliable home for that approach. Atlantis arrives as the third entry in the series, and the honest assessment is that it sits closer to the original than it does to The Big Haul. Some features from The Big Haul – most notably the Golden Fisherman collectors and the hidden epic bonus round – don’t make it into Atlantis. The Kraken Collector is a worthwhile new addition, but it doesn’t fully replace what was left behind. It’s a lateral move rather than a clear step forward, and players coming from The Big Haul will notice what’s absent.
That said, Atlantis is not a weak release. The base game is more engaging than many fishing-themed slots that use a simple wait-for-the-scatter model. The Fisherman Collect with random multipliers up to 20x keeps individual spins interesting, the LootLine mechanic adds another win route, and the Kraken Collector’s re-spin potential genuinely differentiates it from a straight Fisherman collect. The four-tier jackpot sits in the background throughout, and landing a Jackpot Marlin to trigger that illuminated selection still creates tension whether it’s during a base game spin or a free spins run. The Trident Bar progression during the bonus adds the progressive challenge that catch-and-collect fans expect, even if the five-Fisherman requirement per upgrade level means you’ll have sessions where the bar barely moves.
At 96.27% RTP with medium-high volatility, this is positioned for players who want meaningful base game activity alongside bonus potential rather than a pure high-variance bomb-or-bust experience. The Atlantis theme is genuinely well-executed – the visual upgrade over earlier entries is noticeable, and the mythology angle (Poseidon-dressed Fisherman, Kraken, Trident Bar) gives the series a more distinctive identity. Those who enjoy fishing games and mythologically themed slots in combination will find a lot to like here.
I’d play it with real money, though with measured expectations – it’s a competent, enjoyable Hacksaw title that fans of the series and the catch-and-collect format will appreciate, even if it stops short of surpassing its predecessor.
Marlin Masters: Atlantis FAQs
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What is the RTP of Marlin Masters Atlantis?
Marlin Masters Atlantis has a theoretical RTP of 96.27% for the standard game, with variant RTPs available at 94.26%, 92.27%, and 86.23% depending on the game ID. -
What is the volatility of Marlin Masters Atlantis?
The game has medium volatility (3/5), delivering moderate win frequency and reasonably frequent payouts through the Lootline mechanic and Fisherman collection features. -
What is the maximum win in Marlin Masters Atlantis?
The maximum win is capped at 10,000x the bet and is available in all game modes including base game and bonus features. -
How do you trigger free spins in Marlin Masters Atlantis?
Free spins are triggered by landing scatter symbols during the base game. Three scatters activate Sunken Empire (10 free spins), while four scatters trigger Pose for Poseidon (15 free spins). Both bonuses feature a progressive Trident Bar mechanic that upgrades Fisherman multipliers. -
What are the bonus buy options available?
Players can purchase feature buys: BonusHunt FeatureSpins at 3x bet (5x more likely to trigger bonus), Noisy Neptune FeatureSpins at 50x bet (guarantees 1 Kraken Collector and 1 Marlin symbol), Sunken Empire direct buy at 100x bet, or Pose for Poseidon at 200x bet. -
What is the minimum and maximum bet in Marlin Masters Atlantis?
Players can wager from a minimum of 0.10 per spin up to a maximum of 100 per spin, accommodating both casual players and high rollers. -
When was Marlin Masters Atlantis released?
Marlin Masters Atlantis by Hacksaw Gaming is set for release on April 23, 2026, as the third release in the Marlin Masters series following Marlin Masters and Marlin Masters The Big Haul.
