Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
It looked like the Six Invitational announcements would mainly involve the next DLC content drop for Rainbow Six Siege. While that has been the case, Ubisoft is going a step further and outlining what's set to come to its tactical shooter in the future. And with new platforms coming down the pipe, the publisher is planning to change the way it issues some of its content, focusing less on new Operators and more on revamping existing ones and pushing forward new features.
Ubisoft's new approach to Siege content is set to begin with Year 5. Two more new Operators are planned for the Rainbow Six Pro League Season XI Finals, but after that, things are going to change. The model will shift to a single Operator release quarterly, while the main focus will be on Operator revamps and feature implementation and improvements.
The first major feature that Siege players can look forward to is a new smart ping system. This is largely for communication purposes, especially for those who would rather avoid voice chat. (And really, given Siege's toxic reputation, you might be forgiven for opting to forgo voice chat.) With smart ping, players will be able to use different ping markers to point out traps or potential entry points. Look for smart ping to be implemented soon.
And on the subject of Rainbow Six Siege's more unsavory elements, Ubisoft's latest effort to combat toxicity will come in the form of a new Reputation system. This system will open the door for rewards or sanctions based on player behavior. More details on this are expected soon.
While the number of new Operators is being reduced for the next couple of years, Siege's current roster of Operators are set to receive significant reworks over the next few years. This will be done in order to make lesser-used or less effective Operators more viable on the battlefield. The first Operator to receive a rework is Tachanka. To this point, Tachanka has mainly been known for being the Operator with the mounted LMG. With the upcoming rework, Tachanka's LMG will now be completely mobile, allowing players to tear up enemies and walls with reckless abandon. The LMG will also receive an optional grenade launcher attachment, which can bounce off walls and leave a trail of fire for opposing teams to navigate. Other Operators are set to receive similar reworks and secondary gadgets over the course of Year 5 and 6.
Maps will receive an equal amount of focus, with Ubisoft aiming to rework one map per content update. Oregon is set to receive its rework in the next few weeks, but other maps set to receive their reworks include House, Skyscraper, and Chalet. More reworks are set to debut in Year 6.
Ubisoft is also looking to add different ways to play Siege outside of the normal Ranked and Quick Play matches. Year 5 will see the introduction of Arcade Playlists, casual event-based games playable only on weekends. The publisher revealed the first one on Sunday, Golden Gun. Yes, based on the James Bond idea, players are given a single pistol, which gets a single one-bullet chamber. Connect with your shot and it's an instant kill.
On top of all that, there's going to be a new map ban system in place for the more competitive Siege players. This will allow each side to select a map to ban before heading into each game. Like some of the other features outlined today, more details are expected soon. One other item that was outlined in a little more detail was a robust replay system, one that will allow players to check out previously-played matches through the perspective of opponents or the spectator cam. This will assist players in learning from their mistakes or assist content creators in putting together Siege videos.
Rainbow Six Siege looks like it's going to be in an interesting place for the next couple of years, especially as it heads towards the next console generation. We'll continue to cover the latest in Siege updates as they arrive. In the meantime, the next big update is Operation Void Edge and you can check out our hands-on with it right now.