Ubisoft has revealed the new Year 11 roadmap for Rainbow Six Siege. The plan stays true to the game’s 5v5 roots. However, it also introduces aggressive system-level changes. These are some of the biggest updates the tactical shooter has seen in a long time.
Unveiled at the Six Invitational event, Year 11 of Rainbow Six Siege is all about the “more Siege, more often” philosophy, with Ubisoft introducing more regular balance passes, specific map work, and a focus on the traditional 5v5 gameplay experience. In terms of storyline, Year 11 sees the departure of Phobos and the return of Bishop from Rainbow Six Vegas 2.
Year 11 launches on March 3 with Operation Silent Hunt, featuring a headline Solid Snake crossover event that brings the stealth master to Siege as a speed-focused, intel-based attacker. Snake focuses on “on-site procurement,” beginning with reduced utility and looting pouches from downed operators, paired with guns such as the F2, PMR90A2, and the new Tacit .45 pistol. Season 1 also focuses on entry and roam meta play, balancing operators such as Skopos, Alibi, Ela, Flores, Ying, and Amaru, as well as reducing shield-wielding operators so they can no longer break through fully-healed barricades.
Season 2 is where Ranked 3.0 finally arrives, with hidden MMR eliminated, placement matches returning, and ranks being much more directly reflective of a player’s actual skill level. Console players finally gain access to native mouse and keyboard support, but are relegated to PC lobbies, while XIM adapter abuse will now result in a permanent ban. The season also introduces Calypso Casino, a Rainbow Six Vegas-inspired ranked map, as well as a rebalanced Dokkaebi with a more focused hacking device and a new primary gun that all players can access from launch.
Season 3 brings Fireworks, a defender who specifically exists to punish shield usage, in conjunction with a large Villa rework and “targeted map adjustments” that shake up bomb spots, rotations, and lines of sight without doing full reworks. It also launches Operator Mastery, a long-term progression system for each operator, and a new solo-only Legend Division in Ranked play, as well as a 3v3 arcade mode and a drone racing event.
The final season of Year 11 is all about experimentation, with a Testing Grounds playlist that includes a mix of reinforcements, a Hostage mode rework targeted at bringing back competitive play, and a social space to make grouping easier.