Summary
Ubisoft is making a massive change to the wayTom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siegeis accessed by making part of the game free-to-play. Launched in 2015,Rainbow Six Siegeis celebrating its tenth anniversary with announcements designed to hint at the future of the hit multiplayer shooter.
Thanks to its combination of intense gunplay with unmatched environmental destruction,Rainbow Six Siegeis already well-known as one of thebest games in the Tom Clancy franchise. Over the course of the last decade, millions of players have taken up the reins behind one of the iconic Team Rainbow Operators that populate the game’s playable cast and lay waste to close-quarters environments in devastating gunfights. Now the game is on the verge of its “biggest evolution yet” in the form ofRainbow Six Siege X, a massive update planned to launch in 2025 and deliver overhauls to how the whole game works. Intended to lay the groundwork for another ten years of consistentRainbow Six Siegesupport, all eyes at both Ubisoft and theSiegeplayer community are onSiege X’s changes.
One of those changes might hugely expand the game’s potential audience: a free-to-play mode. As detailed in Ubisoft’s officialRainbow Six Siege Xshowcase, theSiege Xupdate will launch what the company is calling a “Free Access” tier, allowing any player to download the game and get playing without paying up front. Before that launch, players can check out what Ubisoft has planned by participating in theSiege Xclosed beta.
Rainbow Six Siege X Free-to-Play Option Will Have Limited Roster and Modes
WhileRainbow Six Siegebecoming free-to-play could make it as accessible as otherfree multiplayer shooterslikeCall of Duty WarzoneandOverwatch 2, there are some limits to the free access tier. Ubisoft said that the free access tier will only have 10 playable operators to choose from, with progression unlocking another 16 for a total of 26 characters. With over 74 playable operators inRainbow Six Siege’s roster, free access players will be missing a lot of potential options. Additionally, free access players will only be able to play Unranked, Quick Play, and the upcoming Dual Front mode, with more competitive modes like Ranked and the Siege Cup exclusive to “premium access” players.
Rainbow Six Siege Xfree access will launch in Year 10 Season 2, alongside the launch of theSiege Xupdate itself.Rainbow Six SiegeYear 10 Season 1was just recently unveiled, which would put theSiege Xand free access launch sometime in mid-2025. Reaction to the planned change was largely positive, with many players on Twitter and Bluesky expressing interest in tryingRainbow Six Siegefor the first time once free access launches. Others were satisfied that Ranked play will remain exclusive for more dedicatedSiegeplayers.
