Chicago Gold 2 Hands You the Keys to Three Locked Rows

Prohibition never really ended on PearFiction’s reels. Chicago Gold 2 picks up where the studio’s 2020 gangster slot left off, and this time the grid itself is part of the prize. Three rows sit locked above the playing field, waiting on keys that drop as you spin. Eight characters work the cash symbols below, each fattening them up differently.

Game Overview

• Provider: PearFiction Studios, distributed by Games Global
• Release date: 29 September 2026
• Grid: 5×4, expanding to 5×7
• Paylines: 25
• RTP: 96.02%, with 94.01% and 92.06% versions available
• Volatility: High
• Max win: 5,000x bet
• Bet range: 0.20 to 50
• Key features: eight character Collects, LOCKNWINX, Bonus Collect, jackpots
• Platforms: Desktop, mobile and tablet

Theme & Design

Chicago Gold 2 drops you into a smoky speakeasy where the drinks are cheap and nobody asks questions. Brass fittings, red velvet and low amber light frame the reels, and the cast lurks around the edges in pinstripes. PearFiction keeps the humour of the original, so the mobsters mug at the camera.

Character art carries the personality in Chicago Gold 2, because every single Collect has a face attached to it. The Knife Thrower, the Policeman, the Gangster and the Big Boss each get their own animation. Those locked rows sit dark above the grid until the keys arrive, which keeps a goal on screen through quieter spins.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Play runs across five reels and four rows, with 25 paylines paying left to right. Cash symbols land with values attached, and a Collect symbol scoops up everything on screen. That loop will feel familiar to anyone who has played a hold and win title, but Chicago Gold 2 layers plenty more on top of it.

Keys are what separate Chicago Gold 2 from its predecessor. Collect enough and a locked row opens, stretching the grid toward the full 5×7 layout. More rows mean more space for cash symbols to land, so every single unlock raises the ceiling on all the collections that follow.

Eight Collects make up the roster, with Loot, Respin, Double and Zone Collect joining the headline names. Each attaches to a different character, and they unlock and evolve as you play rather than arriving at once. That slow build gives a session its shape, because the grid you finish on beats the one you opened with.

Features & Bonus Rounds

LOCKNWINX

LOCKNWINX is the engine room of Chicago Gold 2, an expanded take on a system PearFiction has used before. Cash symbols lock in place while the rest of the grid keeps spinning, and any rows you have opened stay in play. The Collects fire inside the round too, which is where numbers start climbing.

Boost Collect

The Knife Thrower handles this one, and he arrives with the most direct pitch in the game. When he lands he can add fresh cash symbols to the screen, raise the values of the ones already there, or do both. The Collect then sweeps up everything on the grid, jackpot symbols included.

Multi Collect

The Policeman turns out to be the least honest character on the reels, since his job is multiplying your money. His Collect boosts prizes by up to 10x before clearing them off the screen. A modest set of cash values becomes a session highlight when he shows up at the right moment.

Path Collect

The Gangster carves a route across the grid and raises every cash value sitting along it. Position matters more here than with the rest, because the path decides which symbols benefit and which sit it out. Landing it on a grid full of high values separates a tidy win from a memorable one.

Maxi Collect

The Big Boss does not bother with routes or targets. His Collect lifts every cash symbol on the entire grid before the sweep, which makes him the most valuable name on the roster. Catch him during a LOCKNWINX round with all seven rows open and the maths gets generous.

Bonus Collect

Five Rainbow Diamonds unlock the headline round in Chicago Gold 2. The Bonus Collect throws every feature into one all-in LOCKNWINX experience, so all eight characters are live at the same time. Hunting the full set takes patience, and the payoff is the busiest screen the game produces.

Jackpot Symbols

Jackpot symbols share the grid with the cash values and answer to the same Collects. A well-timed Boost or Maxi can therefore drag a jackpot into an already strong collection, which turns a routine sweep into something worth shouting about. They give the base game a second thing to watch.

RTP, Volatility & Win Potential

The default build of Chicago Gold 2 runs at 96.02%, sitting comfortably around the market average. Operators can also deploy 94.01% and 92.06% versions, so check the info screen first. Volatility is high across all three builds, and the base game can run cold for a stretch while you wait on keys.

Max win in Chicago Gold 2 lands at 5,000x your bet, matching the original. Getting there means a deep LOCKNWINX round on a fully unlocked 5×7 grid with the Policeman and the Big Boss doing the heavy lifting. Bets run from 0.20 to 50, so cautious stakes and bigger ones both work.

Who Chicago Gold 2 Is For

Cash collect fans are the obvious audience, especially anyone who enjoys the studio’s LockNWin titles. The key progression rewards longer sessions, because Chicago Gold 2 hands you a bigger grid the further in you get. Players chasing instant volatility may find the early stretch slow, though the eight Collects keep it from going flat.

Final Thoughts

PearFiction has taken a six-year-old favourite and given it a proper reason to exist again. The locked rows turn grid size into a goal rather than a fixed setting, and the characters give each Collect a personality. Chicago Gold 2 keeps the humour and gangster styling of the original while adding real structure underneath.