For the first time in a Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six game, players will engage in sieges, a new style of assault where enemies have the means to transform their environments into modern strongholds while Rainbow Six teams lead the assault to breach the enemy’s position. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege gives players unprecedented control over their ability to fortify their position - by reinforcing walls and floors, using barbed wire, deployable shields and mines, and more - or breach the enemies’ using observation drones, sheet charges, rappelling, and more. The fast pace, lethality and uniqueness of each siege sets a new bar for intense firefights, strategic gameplay and competitive gaming.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege also features a technological breakthrough that redefines the way players interact with a game environment. Leveraging Ubisoft Montreal’s proprietary Realblast engine, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege incorporates procedural destruction that is realistic and unscripted, meaning the environment reacts authentically, distinctively and dynamically, based on variables like the caliber of bullets or the amount of explosives used. This advance allows players to leverage destruction in meaningful ways. Walls can be shattered, opening new lines of fire. Ceilings and floors can be breached to create new access points. This ability to modify the level design in real time enables players to create new gameplay opportunities directly within the game level.

At the Six Invitational 2020, Ubisoft announced the full details of the first season of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Year 5. Operation Void Edge introduces Iana and Oryx -- a new Attacker and Defender -- from the Netherlands and Jordan, in addition to an entirely reworked Oregon map. Season 1 of Year 5 will also include a slew of gameplay changes and a limited-time event.

Dutch Attacker Iana and Jordanian Defender Oryx are the two new Operators coming in Operation Void Edge. While studying for her systems engineering doctorate, Iana pioneered topographical mapping software that allowed her to generate a holographic representation of herself that she can command with her Gemini Replicator. Once she activates her hologram, she directly goes inside and can control it. It can move and produces sound like she would, but it obviously cannot shoot, melee or use secondary gadgets.

Oryx is the unofficial second-in-command at Kaid’s Fortress, maintaining it during his absences, as well as acting as his trusted advisor. Oryx is a heavily trained Operator that does not use a gadget: his Remah Dash has more than one application. Its speed allows him to roam efficiently and cover short distances with unprecedented swiftness. It can also be used to knock down opponents or dash through breakable walls but Oryx will lose health. Finally, Oryx is also able to climb up hatches, giving him a significant tactical advantage over its opponents.

In addition to these two new Operators, players will be able to explore a reimagined Oregon map, which has been newly reworked. Notable changes include expansions to the basement area, attic, and office tower. Additional changes can be experienced throughout the map, all with the intent of evolving the gameplay meta.

Additional game updates include the following:

• Debris replication tweak
• Changes to attackers’ drone spawn location
• Revamped player hub
• Changes to Lesion and Twitch
• Addition of Caveira Elite set

The Test Server for Operation Void Edge will go live on February 17th. The Test Server is an alternative version of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, allowing players to test upcoming gameplay features that will make their way into the main game itself. Since this is a testing environment, a consistent gameplay experience is not guaranteed on the Test Server. Players are invited to submit the issues they encounter on the Test Server on the R6 Fix platform. The Test Server is exclusive to Windows PC.

Year 5 and Year 6

The focus of Year 5 and Year 6 is to implement major game updates that have a direct impact on player experience, including both map and Operator reworks, alongside in-game events for players to always have something new to discover in Rainbow Six Siege.

Transition to this new model will start with a hybrid Year 5: the first two seasons will stay in the current format, with two Operators and a map rework; while the second half of the year will introduce the Year 6 format. In Year 6, each season will introduce one new Operator and plenty of free content available for all players: a map rework, a limited-time event, along with major core gameplay updates. A Battle Pass will also be available each season, starting with Operation Void Edge.

Core Gameplay Changes

For the future, the focus is on the core gameplay of Siege, fundamental elements that have a direct impact on every player. The following points will be the priority target:

• Get players more invested int the preparation and support phases
• Expand player agency
• Reinvest in existing content such as maps and operators
• Create content and rework existing content that effects the way players engage with the environment and other players

For example, a smart ping system will be implemented to smoother gameplay by improving communication in the team, mostly for players who can’t or prefer not to use voice chat. There will also be more secondary gadgets available to all Operators, and many more updates are currently being tested and will release during Year 5 and Year 6.

Operators Rewords

Reworks are major changes that affect how Operators are utilized and redefine their entire gameplay. In Year 5, Tachanka will be the first Operator completely reworked, and others will follow in the upcoming seasons.

In-Game Events

Year 4 was already rich in terms of in-game events with Rainbow is Magic, Showdown, Doktor’s Curse, and Road to SI. In both Year 5 and Year 6, there will, again, be one major in-game event during each season. These events propose a unique gameplay shift, offering a refreshing and innovative experience to all players. In addition, weekend-only Arcade Playlists are also coming to the game. The first Arcade Playlist, Golden Gun, will happen during Y5S1, and more are planned, starting Y5S3.

Other changes for Year 5 and 6 have already been announced:

• Map ban, to offer players a better control on the map they will play
• Reputation system, a transparent system where player can get rewards or sanctioned based on their behaviors in-game

Changes Coming To Esports Program For 2020 And Beyond

Following the next Rainbow Six Pro League Finals that will conclude Season XI on May 16-17, in the Grand Auditorium, Anhembi in beautiful São Paulo, Brazil, the Rainbow Six esports scene will evolve towards a regionalized program.

While fitting into a coherent global frame, the 4 existing regions – Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific – will decide on the specifics of their regional program, whether it is their partners, their formats or the way the regional program fuels the global program. Building upon what was created over the past 4 years of Rainbow Six esports with Pro League and national tournaments, regionalizing our program is the natural next step for Ubisoft to enhance the specificities and successes of each region. It will allow for a stronger focus on local specificities and an increased diversity in the different choices of programs Ubisoft offers. All of this will feed into one exciting global race towards a qualification for the Six Invitational, the pinnacle of the Rainbow Six competitive year.

The program changes will result in:

• 4 regional programs running in parallel during the year. A competitive year of Rainbow Six esports, known as a “Season”, will be divided into 4 quarters. The first 3 quarters will be known as “Stages”, each concluding with a Major, where the 4 best teams from each region at the end of a given stage, will gather to compete. The 4th quarter will be dedicated to regional finals and relegations, leading towards the Six Invitational that will crown the world’s best team at the end of the Season.
• Teams involved in the regional programs will be ranked based on a new and in-depth point system that rewards sustained performance.
• Performance in the regional programs and Majors will impact the global rankings and the teams’ journey towards the Six Invitational.

ASIA-PACIFIC

The Asia-Pacific region will include two divisions. In the North Division, the Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian programs will come together to form a single, highly competitive, online league gathering 12 teams. In parallel, the South Division will provide exciting new opportunities to the established Oceanic market along with up-and-coming regions such as South Asia. Ubisoft will commission ESLto handle the Asia-Pacific programs and events.

EUROPE

The European League will expand to ten teams and build upon what was created over the past years. The European national programs will receive greater significance and will feed into the global program, thus forging a multi-tiered esports scene, allowing players from all levels and horizons to compete. FaceIt and LiveNation will be Ubisoft’s co-production partners for the European League and events.

LATIN AMERICA

Latin America will grow from eight to ten teams in Brazil and move to an offline structure in Mexico while expanding into South America (Argentina, Peru, Chile, Uruguay). Latin America will now support three divisions (Brazil, Mexico and South America) with the intent of continuing to evolve into global competitors. The Latin American program will be owned and operated by Ubisoft and its contracted vendors in the region.

NORTH AMERICA

North America will level up the production and tournament operations across the board while continuing to champion players and community. Next year will see the introduction of the US Division, a new program with premier production and play dates. For the first time, Canada will have a place within the global competition stage with the Canada Division.

The Six Invitational 2020 also revealed the regions that will host Majors in the next 2 years:

2020

• May 16-17, Pro League Finals Season XI: São Paulo, Brazil
• August Major: North America
• November Major: Europe

2021

• February, Six Invitational 2021: Canada
• May Major: Europe
• August Major: North America
• November Major: Asia-Pacific

Key Features

• Counter terrorist operatives are trained to handle extreme situations, such as hostage rescue, with surgical precision. As “short range” specialists, their training is concentrated on indoor environments. Operating in tight formations, they are experts of close quarter combat, demolition, and coordinated assaults.
• For the first time in Rainbow Six, players will engage in sieges, a brand-new style of assault. Enemies now have the means to transform their environments into strongholds: they can trap, fortify, and create defensive systems to prevent breach by Rainbow teams. To face this challenge, players have a level of freedom unrivaled by any previous Rainbow Six game. Combining tactical maps, observation drones, and a new rappel system, Rainbow teams have more options than ever before to plan, attack, and diffuse these situations.
• Destruction is at the heart of the siege gameplay. Leveraging Ubisoft Montreal’s proprietary Realblast engine, players now have the unprecedented ability to destroy environments. Walls can be shattered, opening new lines of fire, and ceiling and floors can be breached, creating new access points. Everything in the environment reacts realistically, dynamically, and uniquely based on the size and caliber of bullets you are using or the amount of explosives you have set. In Rainbow Six Siege, destruction is meaningful and mastering it is often the key to victory.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is currently available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.