Dead or Alive 2 Feature Buy Overview
Dead or Alive 2 Feature Buy is a 2020 release from NetEnt, built on the same 5x3 grid and 9 fixed paylines as the original Dead or Alive 2. From a math perspective, the only meaningful difference is the addition of a Bonus Buy function priced at 66.66x the total bet. RTP sits at 96.82%, volatility is high, and the theoretical max win is 111,111x your stake. The base game hit frequency of 29.8% keeps small returns trickling in, but the real EV sits in the three selectable free spins modes.
I see this slot as a structural clone with one pivotal toggle: instant access to the bonus. For players who want to skip the roughly 195-spin average wait for a natural trigger, that toggle changes the session profile entirely. Not everyone will appreciate paying 66.66x for what can easily return less than the cost, but the numbers tell you the ceiling is enormous if you land the right mode.
Symbols and Paytable
Five unique Outlaw Wild characters fill the wild role, each locked to a specific reel: Apache Kid on reel 1, Della Rose on reel 2, Jesse James on reel 3, Belle Star on reel 4, and Billy the Kid on reel 5. They substitute for everything except the scatter and pay 166.66x stake for five across a payline. Scatters (crossed pistols) pay anywhere: 2, 3, 4, or 5 return 2x, 4x, 25x, or 2,500x the total bet respectively.
Looking at the paytable structure, the Sheriff Badge tops the regular symbols at 111.11x for five of a kind. Six-Shooter follows at 83.33x, Cowboy Hat at 44.44x, Boots at 33.33x, and Whiskey Bottle at 22.22x. Low-pay royals range from 11.11x (Ace) down to 2.77x (10). With only 9 paylines, individual line hits need to be substantial to carry the session, and the paytable reflects that design.
Symbol Payouts
Scatter
Pays anywhere on the grid and triggers free spins when 3 or more land.
Sheriff Badge
Highest paying regular symbol on the paytable.
Six-Shooter (Gun)
Second highest paying regular symbol.
Cowboy Hat
Mid-tier thematic symbol.
Cowboy Boots
Mid-tier thematic symbol.
Whiskey Bottle
Lowest paying thematic symbol.
Ace
Highest paying low-value card symbol.
King
Low-value card symbol.
Free Spins Bonuses and Feature Buy
Three or more scatters trigger a selection screen with three distinct bonus modes, each starting with 12 free spins. Train Heist Free Spins is the lowest volatility option. Every wild that lands adds +1 to a win multiplier and grants an extra spin. Hit a 16x multiplier and you receive 5 bonus spins on top. The multiplier has no cap beyond that threshold, so late wild clusters can escalate quickly.
Old Saloon Free Spins mirrors the original Dead or Alive mechanic: all wilds become sticky, all wins are doubled. Land a sticky wild on each of the 5 reels and you earn 5 extra spins, for a potential total of 17. From a math perspective, the 2x multiplier on every win makes this the most consistent middle-ground option.
High Noon Saloon Free Spins is where the 111,111x ceiling lives. Sticky wilds here carry progressive multipliers; two wilds stacking on one reel create a 2x wild, three create a 3x. These multipliers compound across reels. A single free spin can pay up to 40,500x stake. The Bonus Buy costs 66.66x your total bet and guarantees at least three scatters, giving instant access to the selection screen. I should note that the feature buy is restricted in certain jurisdictions, including the UK.
Bonus Buy Options
12 free spins with an increasing win multiplier. Every wild adds +1 to the multiplier and awards an extra spin. Reaching 16x multiplier grants 5 additional spins.
12 free spins with sticky wilds and a 2x multiplier on all wins. Landing wilds on all 5 reels awards 5 extra spins. Up to 17 total spins.
High Noon Saloon Free Spins
12 free spins with sticky wilds that carry progressive multipliers. Two wilds on the same reel create 2x multiplier wilds; three create 3x. Multipliers compound across reels. Max win per spin is 40,500x.
Purchase direct access to the free spins selection screen for 66.66x the total bet. Guarantees at least three scatters on the triggering spin.
Feature Cost: 66.66x
RTP, Volatility and Max Win
RTP clocks in at 96.82%, split roughly 68.6% base game and 28.2% free spins. That split confirms what the numbers tell you: the bonus rounds carry disproportionate weight relative to spin count. Feature hit frequency is approximately 0.51%, meaning a natural trigger lands once every 195 spins on average. High volatility is an understatement here; the variance profile is among the steepest in the NetEnt catalogue.
Max win caps at 111,111.11x the total bet, achievable only through the High Noon Saloon mode with fully stacked multiplier wilds. Reduced RTP versions exist at 95.03%, 94.03%, and 93.06%, so checking the paytable before committing real money is critical. The base game can drag quite a bit between triggers, and the low max bet of 18 euros may frustrate players who rely on larger stakes to justify the volatility.
