Ubisoft had a different idea for Rainbow Six. Patriots was meant to be a tactical shooter inspired by the Vegas sub-series

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For quite some time, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series has predominantly appealed to enthusiasts of the tactical shooter genre, who are accustomed to its challenging gameplay. However, in 2006, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas was released, broadening the appeal of this series to a wider audience. This game was followed by a sequel, and it appeared that the franchise would continue along a similar trajectory with the next release.

Contrarily, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots, which was announced in 2011, never came to fruition as it made way for another project, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, a game that remains popular today (currently known as Siege X). It’s interesting to reflect on this somewhat overlooked project and imagine what it might have offered.

Uphill from the start

From the onset, it turned out that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots faced challenges. The game’s announcement in November 2011 came as a surprise due to the possibility of a prematurely leaked promotional video. In an unexpected move, Ubisoft chose to unveil their upcoming project earlier than planned. However, the trailer released then didn’t showcase the final game but instead presented conceptual artwork from 2010, designed to illustrate the overall mood and gaming style of the game.

Vegas on steroids

In this game, players will find familiar elements similar to the sub-series of Vegas. For the majority of the time, we’ll experience the action through a first-person perspective. However, occasionally the camera will switch to a third-person view, such as when seeking cover behind obstacles. Contrary to popular belief that shooting would be the primary focus, our role extends beyond merely aiming and firing.

In essence, playing Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots is akin to experiencing a true tactical shooter. This means that the outcome of our operations hinges on strategic planning for future moves, teamwork with fellow members of the named squad, and skillful utilization of diverse tools designed to aid in counter-terrorism efforts.

This task could become more difficult due to the advanced artificial intelligence of the competitors. Developers have stated that opponents in the Vegas subseries typically survived for just 4 seconds, but they aim to make the Patriots last ten times longer. The goal is to make these digital adversaries act as realistically as possible, including stumbling and falling during firefights or dropping ammunition while reloading their weapons.

Patriots, who are they?

In Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots, our primary adversaries are a group known as the True Patriots. They claim to perform acts of terrorism in the name of justice and to prevent financial corruption on Wall Street. This organization is composed largely of war veterans who feel they have been overlooked by their country, with Jonah Treadway at its helm – a powerful figure.

In the game, the main character is Echo Leader, whose mission is to thwart The Patriots, no matter the sacrifices involved. Guided by his mentor, James Wolfe – a ex-Navy SEAL commanding Team Rainbow – he may find himself tempted towards unethical actions.

As mentioned in the Kotaku announcement, the intriguing aspect of

80% of this campaign will primarily follow the viewpoint of the rebranded counterterrorism unit, Rainbow 6 (formerly known as “Rainbow Six” in earlier games). However, you’ll also experience 20% of the story through diverse characters such as civilians, emergency responders like ambulance drivers and firefighters, and even the terrorists themselves.

Not only for one

Though Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots was anticipated to have an extensive story campaign, it was also planned to incorporate a multiplayer mode. This multiplayer experience would be split into two segments. Initially, players would gather around a digital map, known as a sandtable, to strategize and plan their next moves. Following this strategic session, they would find themselves in a lobby that resembled the inside of an aircraft, where they’d then leap onto the game’s battlefield, marking the start of the actual gameplay, which represented the second phase.

Problems and canceling

2012 saw a significant change at the Ubisoft Montreal studio responsible for creating Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots. Key figures such as David Sears (creative director), Richard Rouse (narrative director), Philippe Therien (lead designer), and Brent George (animation director) were no longer part of the project, casting a shadow over its future.

Despite Yannis Mallat, the creative director, maintaining that these alterations didn’t shift the project’s vision, it essentially masked a challenging predicament. To make matters worse, the arrival of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One presented an issue since Patriots were initially developed for previous-generation consoles. Consequently, the entire project disintegrated like a fragile structure. As stated by Laurent Detoc, the head of Ubisoft’s American branch:

In Ubisoft, there’s a significant and powerful editorial team. If a game doesn’t meet their standards, they won’t hesitate to deem it as subpar.

It was this particular group who were meant to declare, “This idea is flawed.” Consequently, the previously conceived Rainbow 6 project needed to be either significantly revised… or perhaps started anew, under a different title and centered around novel gameplay concepts.

In June 2014, the official announcement was made to cancel Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots. However, this led to the creation of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, a game that has become quite famous since then. But let’s save that tale for another time…

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2025-06-22 23:02