Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege News

Operation Heavy Mettle amps up the anticipation with new Attacker Ram and her BU-GI Auto-Breacher gadget. With an automated tank, Ram can take on the competition by destroying walls, floors, and other elements to offer new vantage points. One tank can shake up players’ strategies by destroying their gadgets and any soft surfaces in its path and Ram has four of them!

Game modes receive several updates this season, including a Quick Match rework, a redesign of Unranked (now called Standard), and a brand-new Arcade game mode. Quick Match is faster than ever, with reduced round timers, objective locations automatically revealed, and bomb sites come set up with reinforcements to let Defenders focus on strategic defenses, a welcome fast-paced environment for both new and experienced players. For Attackers, a 10-second invulnerability at the start of Action Phase will prevent spawn peeking, giving them time to approach the building. The redesigned Standard playlist offers the core Siege experience without Operator or map ban phases and will offer another option for players besides the competitive Ranked mode. Also being introduced is Weapons Roulette, an all-new fast action game mode coming to Arcade playlist, which lets all players start with the same weapon that automatically swaps to a new one after a set amount of time.

The Heavy Mettle Premium Battle Pass will run from August 29 to November 27, 2023 and cost 1200 R6 credits. Play matches, earn tokens, and get 100 rewards you want when you want them! Unlock the new Operator, Ram, instantly, plus a ton of exclusive items including 18 Bravo packs, a Bravo token, 600 R6 credits back, a neon-themed 3D set for Bandit, a historical South Korean set for Vigil, the elegant Intricate Lacquerware drone skin, a vividly colored ramen-themed Signature skin! Once you complete the Battle Pass, you can earn a Bravo Pack ticket that will enable you to choose a unique reward from the Bravo Pack Collection. Need R6 credits for the Battle Pass? Pick up the best deal on credits with the 2670 Premier Pack that includes 2670 R6 credits, an exclusive Finka set, and renown booster for the same price as a regular 2670 R6 credit pack.

For more information, visit https://rainbow6.com/battlepass

You can find here the updates and fixes made over the course of the Y8S3 Season Test Server.

[h2]Y8S3 Patch Size[/h2]

Find the download sizes for each platform below.

• Ubisoft Connect: 6.11 GB
  
• Steam: 5.5 GB
  
• Xbox One: 5.85 GB
  
• Xbox Series X: 6.76 GB
  
• PlayStation 4: 5.45 GB
  
• PlayStation 5: 5.85 GB

[h2]BALANCING[/h2]

[h3]SHOTGUN[/h3]

• Further tweaks on the ITA12L, Buck's Skeleton key, SG-CQB and the M870 to bring them in line with the rest of the rework.

[h2]BUG FIXES[/h2]

[h3]GAMEPLAY[/h3]

FIXED – Adaptive Trigger effect for PS5 controllers is missing after changing Operators in Team Deathmatch or Free For All.
FIXED – Players can't finish the Attack tutorial if they eliminate a dummy before the "Eliminate Opponents" objective is active.
FIXED – Players can glitch through walls by exploiting an interaction with Exit Rappel and Breach Charges.
FIXED - Zero's Argus cameras hacked by Defenders retain a viewable camera feed when they lose their signal outdoors.
FIXED – Starting the Basics tutorial for the first time will show an ammo counter instead of the infinity symbol.
FIXED – Player's drone can pass through assets and block the completion of the Basics tutorial.
FIXED – The being shot VFX in 1st person last longer while aiming down sight.
FIXED – Bullet spread randomization is missing when hip firing the weapon.
FIXED – The defusing location for the Attack tutorial is too small and close to the bomb.
FIXED – FPS drops when players spin around quickly in B Laundry Room of the Oregon map.
FIXED - The wall button on the interactive panel isn't highlighted when the destructible wall is active in the Shooting Range.
FIXED - Brava doesn't get scoring points when using Jager's Active Defense System or Wamai's MAG-NET System that's been hacked by a Kludge Drone.
FIXED - Scoring doesn't count the 4th device deployed by Amaru, Gridlock or Castle.
FIXED - Weapon SFX loops when players shoot and fast exit rappel at the same time.
FIXED - Players skip reload animation during pick up or weapon swap animation.


[h3]LEVEL DESIGN[/h3]

FIXED – A stud is visible in 2F Attic of the Oregon map.
FIXED – A stud is visible in 1F Security Corridor of the Oregon map.
FIXED – LOD issue is present in the hallway between 1F Hatch Room and 1F Melee Training of the Basics tutorial.
FIXED – Cliffside spawn point is missing from the Chalet map.
FIXED – A stud is visible in 2F Back Stairs of the Villa map.
FIXED – The Operator gets stuck after navigating across the crates in the Basics tutorial.
FIXED – Defenders are detected as outside at multiple locations on various maps.
FIXED – Texture flickers on carpet in 1F Open Area of the Consulate map.
FIXED – Laser attachment is visible through the wall when the Operator is facing it while prone.
FIXED – Metals crates are see-through to Operators in the 2F Server Room of the the Kanal map.
FIXED - Operator gets stuck when jumping onto a balcony at EXT Back Alley on Favela map.
FIXED - Operators can't retrieve the defuser if it's dropped while entering or exiting rappel in specific spots on various maps.
FIXED – Various defuser planting and pickup issues.
FIXED - Various collision, asset, and texture issues on maps.


[h3]OPERATORS[/h3]

FIXED – Placing Ram's BU-GI below a window can allow players to instantly exit rappel.
FIXED – Ram's BU-GI slides through the air when thrown against uneven surfaces.
FIXED – Solis can't detect Ram's BU-GI when it is held in her hands.
FIXED – Ram's BU-GI loses functionality after being dropped while Ram is holding it.
FIXED – Ram's BU-GI gets stuck in multiple walls and assets on various map.
FIXED – Ram's BU-GI is unable to completely destroy the walls located in 1F Joint Corridor of the Theme Park map.
FIXED – When Ram holds the first BU-GI and attempts to change its trajectory, the HUD trajectory icon doesn't update.
FIXED – Ram's BU-GI is unable to completely destroy the wall located in between 1F Lounge and 1F Garage of Clubhouse map.
FIXED – Ram's BU-GI is unable to break the wooden walls located in 2F Ceramic Gallery of the Country Club map.
FIXED – Ram's BU-GI gets stuck in the wall located in 2F Day Care of the Theme Park map.
FIXED – Castle's Armor Panels aren't destroyed by Ram's BU-GI.
FIXED – When Ram eliminates a player with the BU-GI, the kill cam zooms on the BU-GI at random intervals.
FIXED – Scoring points aren't awarded when Operators destroy Goyo's Volcan Canister by destroying a barricade it's placed on.
FIXED – Fenrir's F-NATT Dread Mine clips through the floor, making it harder to spot.
FIXED – Grim's Kawan Hive Launcher doesn't ping opponents inside the swarm until affected by the decay debuff.
FIXED – Hibana's X-Kairos pellets go through the cubicles in the 2F Admin Office of the Consulate map.
FIXED – Frost's Welcome Mat doesn't deploy properly when dropped on top of the defuser.
FIXED - A Bulletproof Camera affected by a hacked Signal Disruptor shows glitched VFX even after the Signal Disruptor is destroyed.
FIXED - Brava's Kludge Drone looks higher and lower than intended.
FIXED - Ping doesn't display the right color when used on Goyo's Vulcan Canister.
FIXED - Echo's Yokai Drone doesn't move properly when exiting the Observation Tools mid-jump and then re-entering.
FIXED - Brava's Kludge Drone loses signal when moved outside after re-hacking it from Mozzie's Pest.
FIXED - Missing VFX feedback when spectating Nokk when HEL Presence Reduction is active.
FIXED - Fenrir's F-NATT Dread Mine location displays as a placeholder when deployed outside of EXT Terrace of the Kafe Dostoyevsky map.
FIXED - Drones don't recover from a lost signal status when reclaimed from Mozzie's Pest using Brava's Kludge Drone.
FIXED - Sledge's Breaching Hammer can't destroy Iana's Gemini Replicator.
FIXED - Valkyrie's Black Eyes are turned off when hacked outside by Brava's Kludge Drone.
FIXED - Osa's Talon-8 shield can't be guard broken if Opponent is prone or crouched while Osa is standing while holding the Talon-8 Shield.
FIXED - Grim's Kawan Hive Launcher ammo counter always shows 0 during replay.
FIXED - Grim's Kawan Hive Launcher doesn't accurately ping the opponent's location if they're scanned by a drone.
FIXED - Grim's Kawan Hive Launcher still pings Opponents if Grim is eliminated while deploying a canister.
FIXED - Brava's Kludge Drone doesn't display HUD feedback when aiming at devices through certain assets.
FIXED - Sen's R.O.U. Projector System doesn't destroy projectors if deployed more than once.
FIXED - Operator video missing for Smoke.
FIXED – Various animation issues.


[h3]USER EXPERIENCE[/h3]

FIXED – Can't navigate to the main menu sections by pressing the up arrow or up on the D-pad of a controller while viewing an item in full screen.
FIXED – EXT Construction Site name is missing from the tile when selecting the spawn location on the Oregon map.
FIXED – Ram's default uniform has some visual issues.
FIXED – The main room of the elimination trial for the Basics tutorial displays the wrong compass location.
FIXED – The area before entering 1F Hatch Room in the Basics tutorial displays the wrong compass location.
FIXED – The compass location is missing when the Compass Appearance option is set to Simplified.
FIXED – Chat input functionality is lost and the cursor disappears if the user types in chat or has the player side-panel open when the Planning Phase transitions to the Preparation Phase.
FIXED – Pronounced shadows are present on Operators when viewed from the Operators section.
FIXED – Dread Factor is displayed as the season name on Ram's showcase in the Operator section.
FIXED – The animation in the Home section flickers before resetting.
FIXED – Players under level 5 can't reconnect to a custom online match.
FIXED - Player commendations appear unresponsive when attempting to commend a player a second time.
FIXED - Multiple actions can't be bound to the same button in Customize Controls menu.
FIXED - Crosshair disappears when trying to aim down sight multiple times after getting eliminated.
FIXED - Custom games can't be created using non-Latin characters in the playlist name.
FIXED - The unread notification from Challenges doesn't refresh after exiting and re-entering the Challenges section.
FIXED - Various spectator mode issues.
FIXED – Various UI issues.
FIXED – Various customization issues.
AUDIO
FIXED - SFX loop when players are eliminated while downed.


Follow us and share your feedback on Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook.

[h2]BALANCING PHILOSOPHY & OBJECTIVES[/h2]
In Rainbow Six Siege, every operator is an expert, with a focused proficiency that gives them strength: very strong in the right situations but with flaws in the wrong ones. Our balancing philosophy is all about providing you with the right set of tools to confront very specific situations: for any situation you encounter in the game, there should be wide (but also limited) solutions.

This year, we aim to reduce the strong jack-of-all-trades operators to ensure every decision you make has a thoughtful process behind it. We also want to continue to enhance the game's tactical playstyle by working towards balancing solutions which emphasize the importance of our operator's gadgets.

You will find more details on our vision and plans below, as well as a rundown of our priorities for the rest of Year 8.

[h2]YEAR 8 AND BEYOND[/h2]

[h3]ATTACHMENTS, ADS & FRAGS[/h3]
We are aware of current community concerns surrounding the 1.5x sight. While your attachment choices should be meaningful, it shouldn't drive your operator pick. To this end, the Balancing team has been working over the past few months on new vectors to balance our operators and their loadouts.

Right now, both Frag Grenades and the 1.5x sight are highly utilized and can have a large effect on the success and presence of an operator. Swapping these between loadouts is a short-term solution, and we are currently taking the time needed to polish a larger set of changes that will bring more sustainable balancing levers, allowing us to make less "binary" changes in the future. The team is actively working on a solution for this complex and entrenched issue in the game's meta.

[h3]OPERATOR BALANCING & TACTICAL GAMEPLAY[/h3]
We recognize that a number of operators such as Iana, Azami, Warden, Solis and Blackbeard, don't feel right at the moment, and of course Recruit shares a similar position. We are in the process of prototyping effective solutions to make these feel balanced and worthy.

In an upcoming mid-season update, we'll be making a number of short-term adjustments to help boost operator presence and variety, or to reign it in where needed. In parallel to this, we have longer-term plans in the pipeline for our weaker and more powerful operators. These plans will help to reinforce the tactical gameplay that Siege is known for, bringing the focus back to gadgets and utilities. With this, running and gunning will come with increased risk and difficulty.

There is a considerable amount of work to be done until we can bring all those solutions to the live server due to the nature of some of these changes. In the meantime, we continue to bring you balancing updates by selecting topics which, on one hand, allow us to make the necessary adjustments to the meta and work towards this goal, and on the other hand, aren't taking too much time or resources away from these longer-term plans and priorities.

[h2]COMING UP IN YEAR 8 AND MORE[/h2]

[h3]Y8S3 - GRIM BUFF (PART 2) - KAWAN HIVE LAUNCHER[/h3]
With part one of Grim's buff released in Y8S2, it's now time to look at what's next. In Y8S3, we will enable Grim to switch the firing mode on the Kawan Hive Launcher, with the alternative mode making Kawan Hives bounce off of surfaces rather than sticking to them. The update will increase Grim's versatility, giving players the ability to bounce Kawan Hives around corners and removing the line of sight requirement. This change completes our current vision for Grim and we're looking forward to seeing how players make use of this evolution.

[h3]Y8S3.3 - FROST'S WELCOME MAT REWORK[/h3]
After internal play sessions and a release on the Test Server, we felt like there was still work to be done on the Frost rework, and so we have made meaningful adjustments for the final release.

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

• Increased self-revive time
  
• Extended and made the debuff more severe after self-reviving
  
• Allowing teammate revive, cancelling the debuff activation
  

These changes make self-reviving from a Welcome Mat a much more dangerous and rewarding feat. It will allow Frost players more time to react, and this coupled with the increased debuff, will make sure that players don't want to fall victim to the traps. At the same time, with a teammate revive being an enticing option, Frost players are still going to find those "double kill" opportunities.

We'll be releasing this rework during Y8S3 and carefully evaluating Frost's performance throughout the season.

WHY DOES THE WELCOME MAT NEED A CHANGE?

Currently, if an attacker falls victim to a Welcome Mat, a player is left trapped, out of options, and effectively removed from the action. We don't want players to feel helpless in any situation; an operator should always have options, even if they are limited. With this being the case, we feel that a change to the way that Welcome Mats work is needed, in order to improve the experience for stricken players. With this change we're enabling players to take action, giving them the ability to remove themselves from the Welcome Mat, however, during and after their attempted escape, players are going to feel vulnerable. Critically though, with the usual sound cues and the addition of blood trails, the huntress can still be ready to take care of her foes.

[h3]Y8S3 - FUZE'S CLUSTER CHARGE[/h3]
Fuze packs high fire power but can still feel limited in many circumstances. To improve Fuse's usability, Cluster Charges will be able to be deployed on Deployable Shields and Osa's Talon-8 Shields, providing new strategic possibilities for players to find and utilize.

[h3]Y8S3 - SHOTGUNS[/h3]
We'll also be reworking all shotguns in Y8S3 (excluding the BOSG 12, TCSG12, and ACS12) with the goal of bringing more consistency to the weapon type. This change will make aiming down sights more rewarding, while decreasing the effectiveness of hip-fire. You can find more in-depth information on this change here.

[h3]Y8S4 - SHIELD REWORK[/h3]
We want shield operators to feel strong, while taking away the feeling of powerlessness when facing off against them; In a one-on-one situation, a player should feel that they have a chance against a shield operator, and on the other side, a shield operator should not be bullied without consequence or risk. Changes such as removing hip-fire while the shield is out will help to remove frustrations on both sides of the battle, and reinforce the idea that with a team around them, a shield operator can be a true force to be reckoned with.

[h3]YEAR 9 - AZAMI'S KIBA BARRIER[/h3]
Kiba Barriers have allowed Azami to become one of the strongest operators in the defender lineup, giving her the ability to control areas and create angles which are difficult for opponents to deal with and see. We'll be making changes to decrease the robustness of her gadget and to give attackers the option to play more aggressively against her. Once these changes are ready, we'll be testing and evaluating them with community feedback, ensuring that they are effective and balanced.

[h2]CONCLUSION[/h2]
Community concerns are our concerns: we are refactoring and making proactive changes behind the scenes to answer the feedback you are sharing with us to make siege this unique tactical shooter experience we all enjoy.