Shark Bounty rules, Hunter tiers and Mega Shark settlement

Shark Bounty is PG Soft catalogue ID 1648578, code shark-bounty. The checked English rules file is version 1.0 r6, updated 23 July 2025. It is a five-column, six-row collapsing cluster game where wins seed valued Sharks for the next cascade and Hunter symbols convert Shark totals into cash awards.

The official sources disagree on RTP: the current web catalogue reports 96.75%, while the downloadable r6 rules report 96.73%. Both state high volatility and a 5,000× maximum. The active in-game Help must resolve which configuration is loaded.

Verified specification

Field	PG Soft reference	Meaning
Identity	1648578 · shark-bounty	Exact catalogue record
Rules file	1.0 r6 · 23 July 2025	Document checked
Grid	5 columns × 6 rows	30 positions
Winning group	7+ matching symbols anywhere	Cluster threshold
PDF RTP	96.73%	r6 rules value
Catalogue RTP	96.75%	Current listing value
Volatility	High	Both official sources
PDF overall hit rate	29.50%	r6 summary
Maximum win	5,000× bet	Round ends at cap
Reference stakes	€0.20–€100	EUR defaults only

The r6 PDF allocates 70.01 percentage points of RTP to the main game and 26.72 to Free Spins, with hit rates of 29.11% and 0.38%. These figures describe that document’s model and should not be combined with the catalogue’s different overall RTP as if they came from one configuration.

Seven-symbol wins and cascades

Any group of seven or more matching symbols appearing anywhere on the reels forms a winning combination according to the paytable. After payment, winning symbols explode and those above fall into the gaps. New combinations repeat the process until no more wins exist.

The PDF’s “anywhere” wording differs from a connected-cluster rule. A review should not invent horizontal or vertical adjacency if Help does not require it. Count the matching symbols on the complete 5×6 board, compare the total with the paytable threshold and preserve each cascade as a separate frame.

Sharks are created for the next round

After any cascade with one or more winning combinations, one Shark symbol is added to the reels in the next round for each winning combination. Each carries a value from 1× to 50×.

This creates a two-stage record: first count the winning combinations that seed Sharks; then capture the Sharks that appear in the following cascade. A Shark shown after the explosion should not be attributed to a later combination, and its value should be transcribed exactly rather than estimated from colour or size.

When a cascade ends with no more winning combinations and five or more Sharks remain, the Mega Shark feature combines all Shark symbols into one Mega Shark whose value equals their sum. The combination is additive. Five Sharks worth 2×, 3×, 5×, 8× and 10× become 28×, not a multiplied product.

Hunter × Shark award

One or more Hunter symbols may appear in the main game with values equal to the current bet amount. If both Hunters and Sharks are on the reels at the end of a spin, the award equals the total Hunter value multiplied by the total Shark value.

To audit it, make two columns. Add every Hunter cash value in the first, add every Shark multiplier in the second, then multiply those totals once. Keep ordinary symbol wins separate. This prevents individual Hunters from being multiplied against each Shark multiple times.

For example, Hunters totalling two stake units and Sharks totalling 15× produce a 30-stake-unit Hunter/Shark award before considering any separately documented symbol win. The example explains order only; it does not predict an outcome.

Free Spins and Hunter collection tiers

Three Scatters anywhere trigger ten free spins, and every extra Scatter adds two. After each free spin is paid, Hunter symbols are collected at the bottom. Every four collected Hunters adds five spins and changes future Hunter values:

• 4 collected: Hunter value becomes 2× the current bet;
• 8 collected: Hunter value becomes 3×;
• 12 collected: Hunter value becomes 5×;
• 16 collected: Hunter value becomes 10×;
• after 16: every further group of four adds five spins and another 10× to remaining Hunter value.

The last rule is additive after the 16-Hunter tier. Record the collection count, remaining spins and displayed Hunter value at every threshold. A celebratory tier animation alone is not enough because it may hide the counter just before or after the increment.

Feature Buy and pricing boundary

The r6 file documents a Feature Buy menu for Free Spins, but no universal price is printed in the text. If a client displays the option, capture the quoted cost, stake, currency and RTP. Do not assume the same price or availability across markets.

Because two official RTP values already exist, it is especially important to see whether the buy changes the mathematical configuration. This page cannot infer that from the global catalogue.

Cap, stakes and risk description

The PDF lists bet sizes 0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 across ten levels, resulting in a default EUR range of €0.20 to €100. These reference numbers are not NZD limits or evidence of a New Zealand cashier.

The total spin ends at 5,000× the bet. That cap includes cascades, Hunter/Shark awards and Free Spins settlement. High volatility is PG Soft’s classification; it does not state the maximum loss, a safe budget or the chance of reaching the ceiling.

Mobile and interrupted-feature checks

PG Soft lists iOS, Android, HTML5, macOS and Windows, with portrait optimisation at 1080×2340. On mobile, verify that all 30 positions, Shark values, Hunter total, collection threshold, remaining spins, stake and history control remain readable.

If connectivity fails during Free Spins, return to history before another round. Capture the last Hunter tier, remaining spins and server settlement. Do not assume a missing tier animation means the award was not added; compare counters and account balance.

Demo and New Zealand boundary

The official catalogue may expose a supplier preview, but the sponsored CTA here is not represented as a Shark Bounty demo. Supplier previews can be withdrawn or restricted.

The listing also does not confirm deployment by a New Zealand-facing operator. This guide makes no claim that 22Bet carries Shark Bounty or that real-money access is available in New Zealand.

Who may find it useful

Shark Bounty may appeal to readers who like multi-stage accounting: ordinary combinations seed Sharks, Sharks can merge, and Hunters convert the accumulated totals. Each step can be checked if history preserves the cascade frames.

It may be unsuitable for someone who wants a simple line game, low volatility or a single uncontested RTP figure. The official discrepancy is small numerically but important editorially because it demonstrates why loaded Help matters.

How to report the RTP conflict accurately

The 0.02-percentage-point difference should not be described as an error unless PG Soft confirms one source is wrong. It may represent a revised catalogue configuration, a different certified option or stale documentation. The defensible statement is narrower: r6 says 96.73%, while the current catalogue says 96.75%.

Before play, open Help and save the RTP beside the version or build identifier. If the client shows 96.75%, do not attach the PDF’s component split of 70.01 and 26.72 unless the same Help confirms it. If it shows 96.73%, the r6 table is the closer evidence. This prevents figures from two configurations being combined into a mathematically impossible hybrid.

A cascade ledger that avoids double counting

Give every cascade a letter. For frame A, list ordinary winning combinations and how many Sharks they seed. For frame B, record the newly placed Shark values, the next ordinary wins and any new seeded count. At the final frame, add all surviving Sharks; if there are at least five, record the Mega Shark sum. Only after that should Hunters be totalled and multiplied by the Shark total.

This chronology matters because the Shark belongs to the round after the combination that created it. A single end-state screenshot cannot prove the origin of every Shark. History that exposes successive grids is therefore stronger evidence than a promotional replay clip.

Evidence checklist

1. Match ID 1648578 and code shark-bounty.
2. Capture the loaded RTP and version to resolve 96.73% versus 96.75%.
3. Count seven-or-more matching symbols for each combination.
4. Link seeded Sharks to the preceding winning combinations.
5. Add Shark values before Mega Shark settlement.
6. Sum Hunters and Sharks separately, then multiply once.
7. Record every four-Hunter threshold in Free Spins.

FAQ

What creates a winning combination?

The r6 rules state that seven or more matching symbols appearing anywhere on the reels form a win.

How is a Mega Shark formed?

When a cascade ends with at least five Sharks, their values combine into one summed Mega Shark.

How do Hunters pay?

Total Hunter value is multiplied by total Shark value when both types remain on the reels.

What happens every four Hunters in Free Spins?

Five spins are added and future Hunter values move through the documented 2×, 3×, 5× and 10× tiers.

Is the RTP 96.73% or 96.75%?

The r6 PDF says 96.73%; the current catalogue says 96.75%. Check the loaded Help panel and keep a screenshot.

Is New Zealand availability confirmed?

No. Supplier listing does not prove local operator deployment.

Sources

• PG Soft, Shark Bounty Game Information, version 1.0 r6, updated 23 July 2025.
• PG Soft official catalogue record for ID 1648578, checked 8 October 2026.

How to verify the version you can actually open

A provider page proves that a title exists and describes the supplier's intended rules. It does not prove that a casino accepts players in New Zealand, that the title is enabled for a particular account, or that the highest published RTP is the version in the lobby. Treat availability, operator eligibility and product configuration as three separate checks.

Start with identity, then configuration

Open the game only through the authenticated casino lobby. The information or help panel should identify PG Soft, the exact title and the active mathematical return. Compare the reel or grid layout, paylines or cluster rules, named features and symbol behaviour with the official product material. Similar artwork or a matching title is not enough when the help file is missing or inconsistent.

When the supplier publishes several RTP values, report all of them as configurations. Do not assume the highest option is deployed. RTP is a theoretical long-run measure across a very large number of rounds; it is not a refund rate for one player and cannot predict the next result. Volatility is different: it describes how unevenly results are distributed on the provider's scale.

Read stake controls as money, not interface decoration

Provider sheets often quote a reference range in euros. That range does not establish New Zealand-dollar support or the limits in a specific account. Before a paid round, identify the total amount that will leave the balance. If the interface separates denomination, coins and lines, verify the combined total. If Extra Bet is active, calculate its full cost before pressing spin.

Feature-buy prices are multiples of the current bet, not promised returns. A 100x purchase at a $1 stake costs $100; at a $2 stake it costs $200. Availability can vary by market and some mathematical configurations may not support the control. If the live help does not explain the price, delivered feature and active RTP, leave the option unused.

Keep simulation figures in their proper scope

A game sheet may publish a maximum result observed in a large simulation. That is not automatically the contractual maximum payout and never describes a likely session. Preserve the provider's wording, sample size and configuration. Check the live rules for a binding cap and the operator terms for any separate payout limit. Do not turn an extreme result into a promotional headline.

Audit a disputed round

If an animation freezes or a connection drops, do not repeat the wager immediately. Reopen the game through the authenticated lobby and inspect round history. Record the time, total stake, balance movement and round identifier. The result can be settled by the gaming system even when the device never displays the final animation. Send evidence through verified operator support; never disclose a password, recovery phrase or one-time code.

Read the paytable as a calculation document

The paytable should explain what creates a win, which symbols substitute, where special symbols can land and how multiple awards combine. For line games, confirm direction and active paylines. For cluster games, confirm adjacency, minimum group size and the order of collection. For respins, identify what remains locked, what resets the counter and what ends the feature. A graphic effect can illustrate those rules but cannot replace them.

Separate addition from multiplication. Several prize values may be added before a multiplier applies, while reel-specific multipliers can sometimes multiply together only when each reel participates in the same win. Reconstruct one low-stake result from game history. If the arithmetic cannot be matched to the help file, stop and ask the operator rather than guessing.

Do not confuse hit frequency with a profitable round

Provider sheets can publish hit frequency or category probabilities. A hit simply means a round returned a qualifying amount; it can be smaller than the stake. “Big”, “Mega” or “Epic” thresholds are provider reporting categories, not promises. They are useful for comparing mathematical versions only when definitions and samples are the same.

Random outcomes do not become due after a long gap. A feature that appeared repeatedly in a demo or marketing clip has no obligation to repeat in a funded session. Previous rounds do not create a debt from the next random result.

Confirm market and device behaviour independently

A title can exist in the supplier catalogue while an operator disables it for a territory, currency, device or bonus. Language localisation is not evidence of legal availability. Confirm the operator's identity, accepted countries and current lobby separately from the provider review.

On mobile, verify that balance, total bet, feature state and help remain visible without overlap. On desktop, check that browser zoom does not hide a purchase control or change the apparent denomination. Mathematical configuration should not change merely because the screen changes; if the help shows another RTP, treat it as a different deployment and record it.

Keep a compact evidence record

For any fact used in a review, save the title, provider, official URL, document date when available, access date and exact territorial scope. For a live session, add the operator domain, Game ID, RTP, currency and a non-sensitive screenshot of the help panel. This makes later corrections possible when a supplier updates a sheet or an operator changes configuration.

Missing information should remain missing. Do not estimate an RTP from results, convert a euro reference range into an operator's NZD limit, or treat another casino's configuration as evidence. A transparent “not confirmed” is more useful than a precise-looking number without the correct source.

Use limits that survive the feature design

Collection meters, expanding grids, sticky symbols and near misses can make a session feel unfinished. Unless the rules explicitly preserve progress, the visible state has no value after the round or feature ends. Set a money limit and time limit before launch, count feature buys immediately, and stop at the limit even when a meter appears close to an upgrade.

No random game is an income plan. Do not borrow, use essential funds or raise the stake to recover a loss. If play stops feeling recreational, use timeout, deposit-limit or self-exclusion tools and consult the site's responsible gambling guide.