How Buffalo Blitz's 4,096-ways grid and scaling free spins actually work, what changed in the Buffalo Blitz II sequel's expanding reel feature, and how the newer Buffalo Blitz Megaways entry compares to both

Buffalo Blitz has remained a fixture of Playtech's slots catalogue since its 2016 release, built around the well-established "buffalo/American wildlife ways-to-win" format that's proven popular across several developers' catalogues over the years. This guide covers exactly how the original game's mechanics work, what Buffalo Blitz II's expanding-grid free spins feature changes, and how the newer Buffalo Blitz Megaways entry compares to both earlier titles.

What Buffalo Blitz Is

Released by Playtech in 2016, Buffalo Blitz runs on a 6-reel, 4-row grid offering 4,096 ways to win — rather than fixed paylines, wins form through matching symbols landing on adjacent reels regardless of exact row position, a "ways to win" structure that predates and shares underlying logic with the Megaways mechanic covered in detail elsewhere on this site, though without Megaways' variable reel-height randomisation. RTP is reported at 95.96%, though it's worth flagging that at least one other source cites a notably different 96.49% figure for the same game — this guide treats 95.96% as the more consistently repeated figure across sources but flags the discrepancy rather than presenting either as fully certain. Volatility is classed as high, and the theme draws on North American wildlife imagery — buffalo, wolves, eagles, and similar animals fill out the symbol set, a broadly similar visual category to Pragmatic Play's Wolf Gold, covered elsewhere on this site, though the two are unrelated titles from different developers.

The Free Spins Feature: Scaling Rewards by Scatter Count

Landing three or more scatter symbols triggers Buffalo Blitz's free spins feature, with the number of spins awarded scaling directly with how many scatters land: three scatters award 8 free spins, four scatters award 15, five scatters award 25, and landing all six possible scatters awards a substantial 100 free spins — a considerably steeper scaling curve than most scatter-triggered features covered elsewhere on this site, where the jump between minimum and maximum trigger counts is often more modest. The feature is retriggerable with no stated limit, meaning a strong run of scatter landings during an active free spins round can extend the bonus considerably further still.

The wild symbol, styled as a diamond, appears on reels two through six and substitutes for all standard symbols except scatters, and carries an additional multiplier function: wins involving the diamond wild are randomly multiplied by 2x, 3x, or 5x, adding a meaningful random boost on top of the base combination value. Buffalo symbols also stack across all reels, increasing the frequency with which multiple buffalo symbols can appear within a single spin and form larger combinations than a non-stacked symbol set would typically produce.

RTP, Volatility, and Max Win

Buffalo Blitz's maximum win is reported at 10,000x stake, a genuinely substantial ceiling reflecting the game's high-volatility classification. One player-reported data point suggests the bonus feature triggers roughly once every 176 spins on average, with an average payout around 59x stake when it does — a useful, if informally sourced, indication of how the game's volatility actually plays out over a longer session, though this specific figure comes from a single reported data point rather than a large-sample statistical analysis of the kind available for some other titles covered on this site.

Buffalo Blitz II: The Expanding-Grid Sequel

Playtech followed the original with Buffalo Blitz II, released 9 July 2020. The base game structure carries over closely — 6 reels, 4 rows, RTP reported at the same 95.96% figure, and the same high-volatility classification — but the sequel's defining change happens specifically during the free spins feature. Rather than remaining at a fixed 4-row height throughout the bonus round, Buffalo Blitz II's reels expand during free spins to a 4-5-6-6-5-4 row configuration across the six reels, dramatically increasing the number of active ways to win during the feature — up to 14,400 paylines, more than three times the base game's 4,096. The multiplier wild's range was also extended, now capable of reaching up to 5x more consistently during bonus rounds, with multiple wilds contributing to the same win combination able to stack their multiplier values together for a considerably larger combined boost. The retrigger mechanic was similarly loosened, now awarding additional free spins for landing just two scatter symbols during an active bonus round, rather than requiring the full three-scatter threshold needed to trigger the feature in the first place. Maximum win remains reported at the same 10,000x stake as the original, meaning the sequel's improvements sit primarily in how the free spins feature plays out rather than in a raised overall win ceiling.

Buffalo Blitz Megaways: The Biggest Step Change

Released 6 December 2021, Buffalo Blitz Megaways marks the series' most significant structural departure — notably, it was Playtech's first title built on Big Time Gaming's licensed Megaways engine, covered in detail in this site's Megaways Slots Explained guide, replacing the earlier titles' fixed ways-to-win structure with Megaways' variable reel-height randomisation. Running on a 6-reel, 7-row-maximum grid, the game offers up to 117,649 ways to win, scaling from as few as 324 ways when reels display their minimum symbol count. RTP is reported at 96.29%, classed as high volatility, with a substantially higher maximum win of 20,000x stake — double the earlier titles' 10,000x ceiling. The free spins feature was also considerably expanded, now offering four distinct selectable modes — Blitz, Thunder, Buffalo, and Mystery — each presumably offering a different balance of spin count versus multiplier strength, similar in spirit to Temple Tumble's mode-choice free spins covered elsewhere on this site, though built around different specific mechanics. Buffalo Blitz Megaways also introduces progressive jackpots and a randomly-triggered "Jackpot Blitz" feature, neither of which appeared in either of the two earlier Buffalo Blitz titles — a genuinely new addition to the series rather than a scaled-up version of an existing mechanic.

Comparing the Three Titles

Worth being clear about how the three Buffalo Blitz titles actually differ, since they share enough branding and thematic continuity to risk assuming closer similarity than actually exists: the original Buffalo Blitz (2016) and Buffalo Blitz II (2020) share an essentially identical base structure and RTP, with II's improvements concentrated specifically in its expanding free-spins grid and slightly stronger multiplier and retrigger mechanics. Buffalo Blitz Megaways (2021) is a considerably more significant departure — a different core mechanic (Megaways rather than fixed ways-to-win), a higher RTP, double the max win ceiling, and an entirely new progressive jackpot layer absent from both earlier titles. Anyone specifically drawn to one title's particular feature set — the original's straightforward structure, II's expanding-grid bonus round, or Megaways' considerably higher ceiling and jackpot layer — should check which specific title is actually available on their chosen operator rather than assuming "Buffalo Blitz" refers to one consistent experience.

The Symbol Paytable and Visual Theme

Buffalo Blitz's paytable follows the familiar high-to-low wildlife structure used across much of the "ways to win" and Megaways category — the buffalo itself sits at the top of the paytable as the game's signature high-value symbol, supported by eagles, wolves, and similar North American wildlife imagery, with standard playing-card royals filling out the lower-paying tier. This is a genuinely well-worn thematic category within the wider slots market — Pragmatic Play's Wolf Gold (covered elsewhere on this site) draws on an extremely similar visual vocabulary despite being an entirely unrelated title from a different developer, and the wildlife-ways-to-win combination has proven durable enough across the industry that several major studios maintain their own separate take on broadly the same formula. The stacked buffalo symbols specific to Buffalo Blitz are worth noting again in this context, since stacking is precisely the mechanic that lets a "ways to win" structure like this one produce dramatic, visually satisfying full-reel wins when a strong stack lines up, a large part of the format's enduring appeal.

Why Buffalo Blitz Has Remained Popular

Buffalo Blitz's staying power across three separate titles over close to a decade comes down to a combination of factors that have each aged reasonably well: a "ways to win" structure that was already well-established and easy to understand even before Megaways' variable-height version of the same underlying concept arrived, a genuinely satisfying scatter-count-scaling free spins feature that rewards a strong scatter landing considerably more generously than a flat fixed-spin-count trigger would, and Playtech's willingness to iterate the format twice — first with Buffalo Blitz II's expanding bonus grid, then with a full Megaways rebuild — rather than leaving the original entirely static. This iterative pattern mirrors what this site has already documented across several other successful slot franchises (Reactoonz's series, the Wolf Gold sequels, Monopoly's sprawling multi-developer catalogue), where a well-received original concept gets revisited and meaningfully reworked rather than simply reskinned.

A Practical Checklist Before Playing

Confirm which specific title you're playing — the original, Buffalo Blitz II, and Buffalo Blitz Megaways carry meaningfully different RTP, max win, and bonus mechanics despite the shared branding.

Note the RTP discrepancy on the original title — sources gave figures of either 95.96% or 96.49%; this guide couldn't resolve which is definitive, so check the in-game paytable directly.

Understand the scatter-count scaling on free spins — three scatters awards a relatively modest 8 spins, while six scatters awards a substantial 100, a considerably steeper curve than most comparable titles.

If Buffalo Blitz II's expanding-grid free spins or Buffalo Blitz Megaways' higher ceiling and jackpot layer appeal more than the original's straightforward structure, search for those titles specifically — they're genuinely different games, not simply updated branding on the same underlying mechanic.

Treat the 10,000x (original/II) or 20,000x (Megaways) maximum win figures as rare ceiling outcomes, not typical results from ordinary bonus rounds.

Who Buffalo Blitz Genuinely Suits

Good fit: players who enjoy a straightforward, high-volatility ways-to-win slot with a satisfying scatter-scaling free spins feature, particularly those who want to compare a pre-Megaways ways-to-win format against the genre it helped lead toward.

Less suited: players specifically chasing the largest possible win ceiling or a progressive jackpot layer, where Buffalo Blitz Megaways' 20,000x cap and added jackpot feature considerably outstrip the earlier two titles' more modest 10,000x ceiling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who developed Buffalo Blitz?

Playtech, originally released in 2016.

How many ways to win does Buffalo Blitz have?

4,096, using a "ways to win" structure across a 6-reel, 4-row grid rather than fixed paylines.

What is Buffalo Blitz's RTP?

Most commonly reported at 95.96%, though at least one source cites a different 96.49% figure — this guide couldn't fully resolve the discrepancy and recommends checking the in-game paytable directly.

How do free spins scale in Buffalo Blitz?

Three scatters award 8 free spins, four award 15, five award 25, and six award 100 — a steep scaling curve based directly on how many scatters land.

What changed in Buffalo Blitz II?

Released in 2020, its defining change is an expanding reel grid during free spins (up to 14,400 paylines versus the base game's 4,096), alongside a stronger multiplier wild and a loosened two-scatter retrigger threshold. Max win remains 10,000x, the same as the original.

What is Buffalo Blitz Megaways?

A 2021 release built on Big Time Gaming's Megaways engine, offering up to 117,649 ways to win, a higher 96.29% RTP, a doubled 20,000x max win, four selectable free spins modes, and a newly added progressive jackpot layer not present in the earlier two titles.

What is the maximum win on Buffalo Blitz?

10,000x stake for the original and Buffalo Blitz II; 20,000x stake for Buffalo Blitz Megaways.

Are the three Buffalo Blitz titles the same game?

No — they share branding and a wildlife theme, but the original and Buffalo Blitz II are closely related (same base RTP and structure, different free-spins grid), while Buffalo Blitz Megaways is a considerably more significant departure with a different core mechanic, higher RTP, and added jackpot feature.

Does Buffalo Blitz have a progressive jackpot?

Only the newer Buffalo Blitz Megaways entry (2021) includes a progressive jackpot layer, via its randomly-triggered Jackpot Blitz feature. Neither the original Buffalo Blitz nor Buffalo Blitz II includes a jackpot mechanic.

This guide is for informational purposes. RTP, volatility, and max win figures are as reported across multiple third-party sources and may vary slightly by platform configuration — always check the individual game's information screen for current, exact figures before playing. 18+ only. UKGC-licensed operators only. Gambling problem? BeGambleAware.org | National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133. Information correct as of September 2026.