Rainbow Six Siege X Aims To Breathe New Life Into The Shooter, But Don’t Call It Siege 2

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Ubisoft recently announced Rainbow Six Siege X, the latest advancement of their multiplayer shooter series, set to arrive at the beginning of Season 10, Stage 2 on June 10th. It’s important to note that this isn’t the sequel, Rainbow Six Siege 2, some might have anticipated. Instead, this update brings numerous changes to the original game, both major and minor. Among these modifications are the introduction of a new permanent game mode, Dual Front, which has been designed to offer veteran players a fresh tactical experience while providing a friendly learning environment for newcomers.

Prior to the grand unveiling, I was fortunate enough to invest a few hours into Dual Front, alongside the refurbished 5v5 mode on revamped versions of previous maps. These updates have significantly enhanced the lighting and textures, while also introducing a handful of modifications to the original gameplay. Despite its name and presentation possibly evoking similarities with other live-service titles receiving major updates as sequels, such as Overwatch 2 or Siege X, this update is primarily focused on modernizing the decade-old shooter without sacrificing any of its essence in the process.

Dual Front brings faster paced action to Siege

In the upcoming update for Rainbow Six Siege X, there’s a fresh permanent game mode called Dual Front. This is a 6v6 battle taking place on a single expansive map, divided into four lanes, two per side, and a central neutral zone. Each lane splits into smaller sectors that lead to the opposing team’s base. The objective is for teams to seize control of these enemy sectors one at a time while also safeguarding their own. You have the freedom to strategize how you distribute your six-member team, and fallen players will reappear after approximately 30 seconds. Upon respawning, you can even swap operators, with both offensive and defensive options available. Matches typically run between 20-25 minutes, but may stretch up to 30 minutes. A match could conclude swiftly if one team advances through the sectors without much opposition.

In essence, although the concept may seem intense on paper, it’s essentially a condensed form of Siege in actual play. Each area is represented by a compact structure, such as a gas station or firehouse, functioning as the game map. These areas are symmetrically structured, ensuring both teams face identical objectives, albeit with slightly distinct visual styles. Each team controls only one active sector at a time, directing the action into the confined space. The sectors house multiple possible bomb plant locations, one of which is randomly selected at the beginning of each round. I discovered during my gaming sessions of Dual Front that this mode presents a wealth of fresh strategies absent in the standard 5v5 gameplay.

In our initial clash, we organized ourselves into sets of three, with one group dedicated to offense and another to defense. Interestingly, the opposing team followed suit initially, but when we seized control of their first territory, they began to reinforce their defensive lines, thereby allowing us a chance to counterattack with some of our defenders. Rapidly traversing the map is possible by moving through the neutral central area, though it can lead to encounters with adversaries. Alternatively, you can opt for a safer, yet much lengthier route by navigating through your own territories and base. However, feel free to transition from one objective to another as the situation demands.

The strategy we employed in the second game was unique because it was uncertain how many players from the opposing team were concentrating on each goal. Initially, we deployed five players for an attack and one for defense. This approach served us well in the initial sectors since their defense wasn’t anticipating such a large number of attackers, and our defenders remained undetected by the attacking force due to their excessive caution against a single defender.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed something fresh about the gameplay now – operator restrictions are no longer tied to offense and defense. In the upcoming Dual Front mode of Siege X, we’ll have a dynamic pool of operators, initially 35 at launch, that changes twice per season. Alexander Karpazis, the creative director, shared with me that this number might change over time, aiming to create a significantly different experience from one season to another, by designing built-in synergies among these operators.

I chose Frost, a defensive character who lays bear traps that knock out opponents when they’re triggered. After pushing forward on the attack and securing our territory, we found ourselves needing to protect it for several minutes as the capture progress bar increased. With a defensive character at my disposal and the ability to reinforce walls, I successfully fortified the objective, allowing us to swiftly transition from offense to defense.

Regarding the future of Dual Front, Karpazis shared some insights with me. Right now, their focus is on seasonal updates with minor modifications and varying operator lineups. However, based on the community’s feedback about Dual Front, they might consider adding more maps and even possibly introducing a ranked mode down the line.

As a fan, I was thrilled to get a sneak peek at some of the exciting updates in Siege X that will extend to the traditional 5v5 mode, courtesy of Dual Front. The revamped rappelling system allows for sprinting up building walls and turning corners, adding a whole new layer of strategy. Additionally, the introduction of “Destructible Ingredients” in the game environment offers fresh tactical possibilities. For instance, fire extinguishers can now be fired, producing a smoke screen that disorients nearby players, while gas pipes emit fire upon being shot before exploding, temporarily blocking paths or detonating nearby gadgets. These elements are scattered throughout the Dual Front map and the brand-new 5v5 maps, bringing a modern twist to the gameplay experience.

5v5 modernized maps and ranked improvements

In addition to Rainbow Six Siege X, you’ll find five revamped maps: Clubhouse, Chalet, Bank, Kafe, and Border. By “revamped,” I mean that while the map layouts remain unchanged, including the bomb sites, they have undergone several substantial enhancements, resulting in a fresh, updated appearance.

As a gamer, I’ve got to say, the three key improvements that really stand out are the enhancements to textures, lighting, and sound. For textures, they bumped up the resolution on most surfaces, making the game environments way more detailed. On PC, there’s even an optional 4K texture pack for those with high-end gaming rigs who want an even sharper gaming experience. The new lighting system is another game-changer, designed to make shadows and illuminations feel more realistic. This transformation is noticeable when you’re playing the game – areas like the brick walls in Clubhouse are now so much sharper, and with the new lighting system, the red bricks appear a lot more saturated.

The combined elements contribute significantly to a striking and impactful color scheme on these maps, even though many parts may not directly influence gameplay. However, certain features do make a difference, such as the updated lighting system that provides more intricate and lifelike shadows for players. This feature also enables you to see your own shadow, which is crucial because being too near a doorway could result in casting a shadow into the adjacent room, possibly revealing your position.

The enhancements in the audio significantly boost the gaming experience. The primary upgrades lie in the spatial cues, echo, and dampening effects. Now, when you hear gunfire or footsteps, it’s far easier to discern their origin, whether horizontally or vertically. In Dual Front, I was able to provide more precise alerts to my teammates upon detecting enemies, thanks to the improved sound quality. The echo now varies according to the room size, and gunshots heard through walls are more muted, making it simpler to determine not just the direction of a sound, but whether it originated from another room or not. In tactical shooters like Siege, audio is crucial and these improvements were immediately apparent during gameplay.

In its debut, Siege X offers five updated maps. However, Ubisoft has assured us that over each season, an additional three maps will undergo these updates. Beginning in Year 11, we can expect the regular introduction of brand-new maps incorporating these features.

New player onboarding and veteran rewards

One aspect of anticipation for Siege X involves the prospect of offering a fresh chance for novice gamers to dive into the multiplayer shooting arena. A significant component of this endeavor is Dual Front, a mode that includes respawns, but Ubisoft is also transitioning Siege to a “free-to-play” model. This new setup will enable players to participate at no cost, with a structured learning experience from level 1 to 20.

Although the onboarding process will undoubtedly simplify the initial experience for new players, Karpazis noted that it’s impossible to eliminate the entry barrier completely because Siege has more than 75 operators, each with unique special gadgets. Thus, there will still be a steep learning curve for novice players, but the goal is that this guided introduction should at least alleviate some of the difficulty.

In this onboarding process, you’ll discover additional game modes, guides, and characters as they progress, with a grand total of 26 characters accessible at this level. For those playing for free, you can experience all that Siege has to offer, barring two exceptions: Ranked matches and the Siege Cup, competitive events that represent the peak of what Siege offers. However, unranked games, Team Deathmatch, Dual Front, and other modes are open to free players, without any time constraints or limitations. Karpazis mentioned that a significant number of players may opt to play the game for free; it’s crucial to understand that these players can still buy microtransactions, such as new characters and cosmetics.

Karpazis shared with me that the latest model offers an unparalleled ease for novice players to experiment with Siege, featuring Dual Front as a captivating mode designed to entice them. This update, however, won’t affect the competitive Ranked experience of Siege. The cost to access Ranked and Siege Cup remains the same at $20 USD, but often reduced in price. Moreover, he highlighted that this adjustment should help combat the issue of Smurfing, a problem many free-to-play shooters have grappled with.

The method for how operators can be banned during matches will undergo a slight adjustment. Instead of teams taking turns to make multiple bans at the start, both teams will simultaneously ban one operator prior to each round. This change reduces the time it takes to begin a match and offers more strategic options when deciding which operators the opposing team has chosen. The ban selections are refreshed whenever teams switch sides, and all bans become inactive during overtime.

For seasoned players of Siege, here’s great news: Everything within the game remains intact and won’t be disappearing. Your cosmetics and operators you’ve purchased will carry over to Siege X, and longtime players can look forward to some in-game perks too! Though Ubisoft hasn’t specified what these rewards are, they’ll be given out based on the number of years you’ve played Siege. Additionally, a special badge awaits depending on the year you first started playing this game.

In my expectations, Rainbow Six Siege X would undergo a significant transformation akin to other live-service games in its genre. However, I was taken aback as Ubisoft opted to preserve the aspects that make Siege distinctive, namely the strategic, cautious tactical shooter gameplay revolving around breaching and defending locations. The Dual Front expansion expands on this concept, offering more versatility without sacrificing the fundamental essence. Notably, it doesn’t replace any existing features but instead enhances them.

The updated maps seem like substantial enhancements, even though the changes primarily focus on peripheral aspects rather than core gameplay mechanics. Rainbow Six Siege X seems to be navigating a challenge that has eluded other multiplayer games by emphasizing addition rather than removal or drastic alteration of the game’s foundation. As a result, Rainbow Six Siege X feels like an update that could cater to both novice players and those who have been part of the community for a decade.

Ubisoft has hinted at more unveilings regarding Operation Siege X, which they haven’t revealed fully yet. They’re planning a reload event in May before the official launch of Siege X. Currently, a closed beta for Siege X is ongoing as well.

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2025-03-13 22:40