Summary
Rainbow Six Siege Xintroduces a majoroverhaul to the game’s lighting, audio, and mechanics, raising the stakes of what it truly means to play a team-based tactical shooter. AsRainbow Six Siegegrew in scope over the last ten years, both in terms of gameplay meta and operator roster, the need to streamline thetactical experiencebecame even more evident.
WithRainbow Six Siege X, Ubisoft addresses several complaints that players have had for a long time now,including operator bans, visual and audio improvements, and free access. Here are eight of the best changes introduced inRainbow Six Siege Xthat offer a breath of fresh air to both veterans and newcomers alike.
8Map Lighting Overhaul
Revamped Lighting Engine That Adds A Layer Of Grittiness To The Game’s Atmosphere
Graphical technology has improved drammatically in the last ten years, andRainbow Six Siegehad to catch up to industry standards, bringing the game in line with othercompetitive shooters. As part of the visual enhancement,Siege X will launch with four maps that benefit from improved lighting, changing the look and feel of these maps and making them grittier and darker.
Players can expect to see better reflections and shinier surfaces on these maps. With the launch of Siege X, the following maps will receive visual enhancements:Kafe Dostoyevsky, Chalet, Bank, and Clubhouse.
7Revamped Audio
Improved Audio Tech Ensures Better Sound Propagation & Tracking
One of the longrunning player complaints inRainbow Six Siegeis the inconsistent sound propagation at times. Players will have difficulty determining whether the sound they hear is coming from above or below, leading to inaccurate judgment and round losses.
The new audio systemaims to improve audio propagation and reverberation for better tracking of enemy locations. Sounds played in large halls, small rooms, inside the map, or outside will have distinct audio cues, offering players much-needed spatial awareness before committing to any action.
6Advanced Rappel
Rappeling Windows Will Never Be The Same
Rappelling windows inRainbow Six Siegehas always been a gamble. Those rappelling havelimited mobility and are easy to predict by veteran players. Rappelling players are also easily flanked by defender runouts. However,Siege X’sadvanced rappel system allows players increased mobility and maneuverability while rappelling.
With the new rappel system, players can run along walls and loop around corners to quickly access chokepoints and reposition to hold flanks. The ability to quickly loop around buildings and access a new window to cut off escaping defenders would allow attackers better map control without even having to enter a building.
5Dual Front Game Mode
6V6 Casual Game Mode
Siege Xintroduces a brand new,permanent 6v6 Dual Front game modethatallows both attackers and defenders to team up for an interesting gameplay experience. The Dual Front mode is a modified version of the Domination game mode, often seeninCall of Duty. Dual Front games are set on a larger map called District, exclusive to this mode.
Unlike the traditional casual and ranked modes, operators are allowed to respawn in the Dual Front mode. A team is declared victorious if they manage to sabotage two map objectives. WhileRainbow Six Siegehad a few limited-time events where attackers and defenders collaborated in unique gameplay modes, they were often limited to using specific weapons or gadgets. However, in Dual Front,operators from both sides are free to use their full kit of equipment (weapons and gadgets) to create unique synergies.
4Per Round Operator Bans
Teams Now Ban One Operator Each Side Per Round
One of the biggest drawbacks of the pick and ban system inRainbow Six Siegewas that some operators always ended up being banned from ranked games. Powerful operators like Jackal, Thatcher, and Mira were often banned from most matches, which led to rising discontent among players, especially those who enjoyed playing them.
The new per-round operator ban aims to alleviate the shortcomings of the old pick and ban system. InSiege X, each team gets to ban one attacker and one defender per round. The bans are cleared each time teams switch sides, and players can ban operators all over again.
3Improved Destruction
Maps Are More Interactive With Destructible Items
InSiege X, players can now find their favorite maps laced with destructible items, which Ubisoft refers to asdestructible ingredients. These items include fire extinguishers and flammable gas pipes. Shooting fire extinguishers results in the nearby area being flooded by smoke,cutting off lines of sight. Any operator trapped in the explosion radius will also suffer a disorienting effect. Flammable pipes, when shot at, emit red flames that damage anyone trying to run past them. The flames slowly turn blue, and eventually,the pipe explodes, covering the nearby area with flames and denying access until the flames are out.
The new destructible ingredient element is a welcome addition toSiege X, offering a breath of fresh air to some of the popular maps that the community holds dear. In addition, metal detectors can now be disabled with EMP grenades and explosives, adding another layer of strategy to the game.
2Communication Wheel
Effective Communication Without Reliance On Microphone
Siegeis best played when all five teammates have access to voice communication, enabling better coordination when executing a strategy. However, not everyone is comfortable using voice chat and often rely on text chat to get their message across. The communication wheel is a new addition coming inSiege Xthataims to improve team communication and cohesion regardless of whether players have accessto a microphoneor not.
The communication wheel includes a bunch of common action terminologies, such as breach, clear, and thanks. Players can use the communication wheel to ping certain locations on the map and relay the information to everyone on the team.
1Free Access To Siege
Siege Goes Free-To-Play, With Some Restriction
Starting Year 10 Season 2,players can enjoySiege Xfor free across all available platforms. However, they are limited to casual, arcade, Dual Front, and unranked game modes while using free access. Those who wish to test their mettle on the competitive side ofSiege, like Ranked and Siege Cup, will need tofirst hit level 50 and then upgrade their accountsfor a yet-to-be-announced premium price.
Players who are already at orabove level 50 will not be required to upgrade their accounts. They can continue competing in Ranked and Siege Cup as usual. Veterans will also receiveexclusive rewards (cosmetics)for having playedRainbow Six Siegein the last ten years.
