Rainbow Six Siege X, also called Siege X, is the most recent evolution of Tom Clancy’s fashionable fight franchise. It’s a traditional title the place a workforce of operators tries to interrupt right into a home or different construction and take out a defending workforce and carry out a mission, like rescuing a hostage.
It launched on June 10, 2025, together with Operation Dawn and features a free-to-play model, modernized maps, new destructible components, and the brand new Twin Entrance sport mode.
Siege X additionally introduces a brand new decide and ban system for ranked matches and an audio overhaul. The newest replace is the most important the corporate has ever achieved, and I spoke with Alex Karpazis, artistic director at Ubisoft Montreal for Rainbow Six Siege on the latest Summer time Recreation Fest in Los Angeles.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege got here out in 2015, and the esports tournaments began in 2017. Now it’s one of many extra sustainable esports competitions amongst video games on the planet, and it’s a part of the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Each new season comes alongside each three months, with new operators, devices, maps and options. There at the moment are greater than 70 operators within the sport.
Siege X additionally brings a brand-new 6v6 mode, gameplay adjustments that deepen its tactical core, a visible overhaul of traditional maps and extra. The goal is to create extra pleasure across the sport and appeal to extra new followers, whereas on the identical time preserving the hardcore gamers glad. That’s all the time a troublesome balancing act to stroll. Karpazis stated this model has an improved onboarding course of, and he famous that 6v6 takes off among the stress on every workforce member within the 5v5 matches.
The newest maps now even have destructible elements. All through the map there are fireplace extinguishers, fuel pipes, steel detectors and extra to disrupt enemy plans. Most of the new units and methods for breaching will reward the groups that assault with moment-to-moment technique in thoughts, Karpazis stated.
Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
GamesBeat: Are you able to convey me on top of things on Rainbow Six?
Alex Karpazis: We name it Siege X, however it does characterize the tenth yr of Siege being stay and rising. [We have gone] stay with a giant replace, the most important replace we’ve ever achieved, with a brand new sport mode, new adjustments. The sport goes into what we name free entry. Anyone can obtain it and play with their mates. That’s one thing we’re actually enthusiastic about.
GamesBeat: What led to among the choices round this?
Karpazis: The massive factor–first, we wished to make it possible for all of our group might nonetheless benefit from the sport, which is why we determined to do an enormous evolution that solutions numerous what they’ve been asking for. Modifications to motion, adjustments to the audio system, which we fully revamped to make it extra pure and rather more correct. We additionally wished to make it possible for although the sport is insanely robust – it’s a difficult sport – new gamers can test it out and obtain it without cost with their mates. We’ve revamped the onboarding expertise to allow them to see what makes Siege so satisfying.
On high of that we made a model new sport mode. Each veterans and new gamers can take pleasure in it collectively. They’re each on a stage taking part in subject, as a result of it’s all new. We’ve made large, large adjustments. You possibly can play towards bots now till you’re prepared. You understand the maps. You are feeling assured you possibly can soar on-line with different gamers. We have now the brand new 6v6 sport mode. It relieves among the stress of being in a 5v5 state of affairs. It mixes attackers and defenders collectively, and it’s a smaller pool of operators. You don’t must study all 70-plus characters to play the sport mode. Plenty of adjustments so you possibly can soar in and possibly get a bit extra assured extra shortly.
GamesBeat: What had been some observations that led to this? Whenever you watch the very best gamers in an esports setting, what do you study from them that possibly seems to be one thing you wish to change within the sport?
Karpazis: A [few] weeks in the past we had our first esports match in Brazil on the brand new Siege X construct. It was unbelievable to see. These are professionals pushing it to its limits. Some of the thrilling new issues we’ve launched–we name them destructible elements. All through the map there are fireplace extinguishers, fuel pipes, steel detectors. Now, as a substitute of simply having a personality the place that you must use their gadget as a bit of the technique, it’s extra in regards to the atmosphere. Seeing the professionals use that–after they’re working round, possibly they wish to reduce off a rotation or cowl their flank. They’ll pop a fuel pipe and it detonates and explodes in all places. It’s so satisfying to see that stage of technique come alive with the professionals taking part in.
GamesBeat: Players in Brazil all the time appear tremendous enthusiastic. Is {that a} large marketplace for you?
Karpazis: It undoubtedly is. Primarily as a result of we actually do see the eagerness of the Brazilian group. They all the time present up on the massive stage. A Brazilian workforce received the match there, they usually’re fairly dominant, truly, in our esports scene.
GamesBeat: How a lot of the common participant’s sport is peeking round a nook and getting shot between the eyes?
Karpazis: [laughs] What we pleasure ourselves on a lot is the tactical gameplay. You see it by way of all the degrees. However truly, you see it essentially the most with high gamers. They work as a workforce. They’ve methods. It’s not about run and gun, ready for somebody to dip from behind a nook. That’s what makes Siege so particular. Once more, with Siege X we simply wish to heighten all of that second to second technique. Ensuring it’s all viable. We’re additionally going again to previous characters, ensuring that their devices are enjoyable. We reworked an operator known as Conflict. All of that is to make it possible for techniques and technique is king within the sport. We’re not simply rewarding run and gun. I believe that’s why we nonetheless stand a lot towards different video games.
GamesBeat: How does the sport have this endurance? Why has it lasted so lengthy?
Karpazis: We wish to suppose, to begin with, that we take heed to the group. We wish to ensure we reply their wants and maintain issues recent for them. However actually, Siege is such an authentic concept. No person else has ever tried to repeat it. It has such strategic depth you could spend hundreds of hours – and a few gamers do – simply studying and rising and mastering the sport. The ability ceiling is so excessive. It’s so satisfying to go on that studying journey, ranging from the underside, studying every operator, studying every map. Gamers actually take pleasure in that have. They know that they will get invested in it when it’s been out for 10 years and we’re promising one other 10 years with Siege X.
GamesBeat: Did you ever take into consideration doing a brand new sport as a substitute of the massive replace?
Karpazis: Actually, once we began excited about this, it was one of many first issues we checked out. Additionally, it was one of many first issues we dismissed. Gamers make investments tons of of hours in our sport. They make investments some huge cash as effectively. We wish to respect that. We don’t wish to throw it away with a sequel that will eliminate all their time, cosmetics, skins. We wished all the things to stick with them. We wish to honor that sooner or later as effectively, so that everybody is aware of that there’s a future after they come to Siege.
GamesBeat: Have you ever ever had a second the place you introduced one thing traditional again? There’s a lot historical past to a few of these video games now, like World of Warcraft with Traditional. Warzone simply introduced again their authentic map.
Karpazis: It’s attention-grabbing you convey that up. Our precise tenth anniversary is in December. We plan to have an in-game occasion that can honor a few of that historical past, among the components that gamers affiliate with the sport by way of the years, the numerous years. That’s one thing we’re going to rejoice for the tenth anniversary of Siege.
GamesBeat: Typically it’s additionally a blended factor. There are generally adverse reactions to large adjustments. How do you consider how your adjustments are going over?
Karpazis: We’ve truly been testing the entire Siege X adjustments over the previous two years with the group, behind the scenes. Getting their suggestions and making tweaks. We have to follow our identification as a tactical PvP shooter. That’s what we’re good at. We don’t wish to stray away from that. Each single change we did, we made positive that the group was concerned and was testing it. We had been getting that suggestions. We additionally included the professionals. We don’t wish to break this sport. We wish to make it possible for it thrives.
GamesBeat: The place have you ever had your greatest esports occasion? Was it the Brazilian one, or have there been others?
Karpazis: Simply over a yr in the past we had been in Brazil. The stadium was at max capability, 10,000 folks. Largest crowd we’ve ever had, and possibly probably the most thrilling finals we’ve ever had. Two twin brothers truly confronted off towards one another within the finals. It was insane. We didn’t script it. It was implausible, and we noticed an enormous turnout.
GamesBeat: Are you a part of the Esports World Cup?
Karpazis: We’re, sure, however we even have our personal form of seasonal league that goes on. The Esports World Cup is its personal competitors that doesn’t funnel into the league standings on the finish of the yr. It takes loads out of the groups that take part, however I believe we have now one of many healthiest esports ecosystems. Our groups benefit from the competitors. They get the remainder that they want, too, to ensure they will proceed within the league format. I believe they’ve actually appreciated that.
GamesBeat: Do you discover some distinction between the sorts of groups who play in Rainbow Six versus different video games?
Karpazis: Talking for our esports scene, we’ve acquired superb suggestions from the groups. They are saying it’s probably the most sustainable and robust esports scenes. They know that in the event that they get invested, they are going to be rewarded. We have now a partnership program known as R6 Share. We associate with them and make it possible for they will create skins so as to add into the sport. There’s a income share for them there. It’s sustainably constructed. Due to that, we have now nice partnerships and nice suggestions. SSG has been singing our praises. It’s been nice to see.
GamesBeat: The place do you see the esports groups and stars coming from?
Karpazis: For us, it all the time begins within the sport. We have now a challenger league, which helps discover new expertise, primarily. It feeds into the highest tier league. We have now our ranked competitions. We launched Siege Cup, which is an in-game match that anyone at house can join to play with a full 5 stack and have enjoyable.
Due to how a lot we imagine within the esports scene, for Siege X we’re introducing the esports tab, which lets folks comply with tournaments and perceive what the esports scene is all about. It hyperlinks at any time when there’s a stay match occurring. Ensuring there’s sufficient visibility in all of our esports ecosystem to ensure anybody who’s a sizzling new expertise can get scouted by the professional groups and picked up. That’s essential for us. The grassroots means a lot to the sustainability of our esports scene.
GamesBeat: Do you’ve got exterior manufacturers taking an curiosity in supporting tournaments?
Karpazis: We have now sponsorships. Once more, some nice partnerships. The final Reload occasion we partnered with Xbox Recreation Go. They had been actually supportive. It was numerous enjoyable to see that form of help at a giant occasion like that.
GamesBeat: There was numerous speak for some time in regards to the esports winter. Did you see a pattern like that after which a restoration? Do you’re feeling like we’re previous that?
Karpazis: Actually, our scene has been going fairly sturdy ever because the inception of our league. Once more, due to the partnership we have now, this shared sustainability, ensuring that they’ve a rev share inside our sport–which means we will maintain that for lengthy intervals of time. Our prize swimming pools have all the time been tremendous wholesome and tremendous aggressive. That’s what orgs wish to see. They wish to see dedication. It’s a balancing act for us between ensuring the sport itself is all the time thriving, however the esports scene as effectively. We have now that dedication.
It’s a implausible showcase for the sport. When you watch it on-line, not solely is it entertaining for folks to look at, however in addition they study loads. Our gamers often undertake the methods of professionals, what they see within the esports scene, about six months after the professionals present the way it’s achieved. It’s nearly an academic software. It’s invaluable for us. Folks can get that rather more invested and study that rather more in regards to the depth of Siege.
