This year witnessed several significant developments in gameplay structure, maintaining Rainbow Six's diversity and continued efforts to create a game with various variables. Today, let's revisit everything that happened in the three updates this year in Rainbow Six and discuss expectations regarding how the competitive scene will be impacted by the fourth operation of the year.

Operation Commanding Force

Credit: Ubisoft

The operation's primary and most crucial aspect is introducing a new Operator to Rainbow Six, and in this update, the attacker, Brava, makes her debut. She is a Brazilian, born in Curitiba, whose childhood was marked by the death of her brother, an innocent bystander in a failed robbery. Driven by the desire for justice, she eventually joins the Federal Police Department (DPF) and, according to her story, becomes part of the Siege squad through an invitation from Hibana.

Her impact on the game was immediate; the operator could steal defensive gadgets using her drone-like cart, similar to Twitch's shock drone. The Brazilian's ability was well-received, striking a balance that wasn't excessively impactful, avoiding high community complaints, yet making her a valuable and desired player operator. Her loadout included either an Assault Rifle (PARA-308) or a Designated Marksman Rifle (CAMRS), along with a secondary choice of a shotgun or a sidearm, making her a versatile operator depending on the player's style or, in competitive play, adapting to the required strategy. Additionally, the operator comes equipped with a smoke grenade and claymore.

In other operation changes, a significant shift in consoles was the introduction of Mousetrap, which aimed to introduce lag to players using mouse and keyboard controls, seeking to level the playing field.

One of the changes that substantially impacted the Siege experience throughout the year was the reloading overhaul. Previously, players could interrupt the reload process with 20 bullets still in the magazine and continue with the same quantity. The modification forced players to think twice before filling unnecessarily, as you would be left with a single bullet once you initiated the reload. It was a change that players quickly grasped and adapted to, but it was an essential alteration in the game's realism.

Lastly, the operation introduced an excellent game mode for new players—the Specialization Challenges. With this mode, beginners can train and understand how an operator works independently without facing difficulties in casual games, essentially serving as a guide for Rainbow Six: Siege novices.

Operation Dread Factor

Credit: Ubisoft

In the second operation of the year, we saw the introduction of the defender Fenrir, a Swede who grew up in Uppsala. As a child, he was curious and fascinated by science, but his focus shifted after mandatory service. Following his military service, he studied neurochemistry and joined the Swedish Armed Forces.

The operator went to Rainbow Six and was warmly welcomed by the community, like Brava. With the ability to deploy a throwable device that sticks to walls, called 'FEAR F-NIGHT MINE,' he can blur the opponent's vision, making him a strategic operator with versatile uses. It can be employed to track the movement of attackers or set up as a trap. Its usage was widely seen in esports competitions.

In other operation updates, there was also a rework of one of the community's beloved maps, Consulate. The new map version was swiftly added to the competitive map pool. Another change was the update to the shooting range, where players now have more training options and variations to keep their aim sharp or learn weapon recoil.

A crucial change on consoles was also in this update, where players can customize their buttons according to their preferences, aiming for player comfort.

Lastly, a change that impacted eSports was the introduction of a new defensive gadget, the Observation Blocker. This led to many adjustments for defenders, with Ela, Rook, Warden, Jager, Alibi, Pulse, Caveira, Kaid, Maestro, and Smoke gaining the new gadget in their loadout. Additionally, Grim and Thunderbird underwent significant changes, described as Buff and Nerf, respectively. Goyo also lost his C4 in this update.

Operation Heavy Mettle

Credit: Ubisoft

In the third update of the year, we welcomed the South Korean operator Ram, who grew up in various orphanages during her childhood. Upon reaching adulthood, she enlisted in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea and was soon recruited by the 'Tarantula,' an all-female commando battalion. There, she honed her skills in advanced technologies and hostage rescue.

Her arrival was of great significance for the game well-received by professional players. After all, her Self-Detonator BU-GI could perform tasks that Sledge and Buck could do, but in a much safer manner, albeit with fewer variations in positions to break the floor.

In addition to the new operator, Rainbow Six also underwent some revamps in its game modes. The Quick Match is now more geared towards beginner players, as the defensive bomb site is already marked for attackers at the beginning of the round. Some necessary walls are reinforced for defenders, and rotations begin with the round. Additionally, the Unranked mode underwent changes; now named Standard, the mode no longer features map banning or agent banning.

To wrap it up, another excellent addition aimed at inexperienced players is a new playable tutorial, teaching the basic mechanics of the game to newcomers.

Operation Deep Freeze

The operation started in late 2023, and we still need to have a concrete result of its impact on the community. Still, there is great anticipation for the impact of the Portuguese defender Tubarão on the game. After all, the Canister Zoto can freeze attacking devices and even reveal the position of anyone who walks in the frozen area. His playstyle might change the standard defense strategy in Rainbow Six, especially in a bombsite with a destructible ceiling. In addition to the new operator, the operation introduces a new map, the only map added this year, called "Covil".

Modifying the frag grenade mechanics is the main change expected to impact the game entirely. Now, you can safely hold the grenade in your hands, which is good to avoid throwing issues. However, on the other hand, you can't time the throw perfectly to leave the defender with no chance. Eliminations with grenades will now be more challenging, mainly used to intimidate and force the defender to move—an alteration likely to affect the upcoming professional tournament, the Six Invitational.

Apart from the above-mentioned changes, the game had two adjustments towards a long-term project, including a dedicated shop similar to other games like Counter-Strike. There is also a change in the old "terrorist hunt," which now allows players to practice against Artificial Intelligence. Players can choose between Kapkan, Valkyrie, Smoke, Mute, and Bandit, each with unique abilities, while the player has the options of Recruit, Sledge, Glaz, Thermite, Thatcher, and IQ.

In an evaluation of the year, Ubisoft took excellent steps towards the game's growth, providing a better experience for beginners while actively ensuring the game stays dynamic for existing players. Despite these significant changes, the community still views the game's major issue as the hacking rate. We hope that in 2024, the developer will present plans to address these problems, as they are on a good streak of decision making.