With Operation Ember Rise coming to the live servers, we wanted to shed some light on the Casual Playlist changes coming at the launch of Year 4 Season 3, and around the 3.3 patch.We currently have a total of 22 maps; 14 in the Ranked Playlist and 20 playable in Casual. As announced on the Seasonal Patch Notes[rainbow6.ubisoft.com], we will implement a new Casual map pool rotation. This Playlist will now have 14 maps instead of the current 20. Moving forward we will rotate 4 maps in and out of the playlist with each rotation.With the release of Operation Ember Rise, this is what the Casual map pool will look like:In a mid-season patch, we will replace Skyscraper, Hereford, Fortress, and Chalet, with House, Plane, Favela, and Tower. We will post updates on social media channels before it reaches the live servers.Bartlett University and Theme Park will not be playable during Season 3. The latter will be receiving a rework with the release of Y4S4 and won’t be available throughout this se... Read more

The constant work of our balancing team aims at improving the game experience and the overall game balance. Statistics gathered since the beginning of Operation Phantom Sight have played a major role in the upcoming changes detailed below.Balancing changes are also motivated by community feedback, which is often an indicator helping us to pinpoint specific issues. A careful analysis relying on data gathered with our internal tools help us to picture what needs to be done. We are about to give you an insight about these statistics and to explain why certain changes have been made. ATTACKERS
DEFENDERS
Note: these statistics are using a pick rate projection taking into account the Operator ban rate. CURRENT STATUS TWITCH
With Phantom Sight release[rainbow6.ubisoft.com], we have increased the recoil of the F2 assault rifle. Therefore, her pick rate has reached a more acceptable level: from 60% to 43% presence per round. However, she continues to boast a high Kill / Death ratio from 1.25 to... Read more

TOP ISSUES AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS Updated: 15 July 2019 We will be updating the following list regularly to outline the status of certain issues that are currently pressing for our community. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and should only be used as a reference to give a general idea of where our focus currently is. TOP ISSUES SOUND BUGS
Description: Muffled, missing sounds + various sound issues.
Status: We have identified a bug that allows sound to travel more easily that intended through solid objects/walls. We are also continuing to go through videos that are sent to us to identify standalone sound/audio issues.CONNECTIVITY
Description: Players are losing control on their Operator and then being disconnected and presented with an error message.
Status: We have dedicated a team specifically to these connectivity topics, and have identified a couple of issues that are sometimes interpreted as a “Denial of Service” attacks. These issues are a priority for us. TOP GAMEPLA... Read more

Over the course of the Test Server we've made a number of changes based on feedback and addressed a number of bugs reported on the TS.
For the full season patch notes please go to: http://rainbow6.com/phantomsight. GAMEPLAY BALANCING CHANGES
STEALTH GAUGE

• Vigil’s ERC-7 cloaking and Caveira’s Silent step now use the same new gauge behavior system that we have introduced with Nøkk.
  
• All three abilities can be activated at any time (even while refilling) if above 20% ratio.

We have unified the stealth gauge system to maintain gameplay clarity and consistency.FROST

• Reduce Frost's Welcome Mats to 66 HP (down from 100 HP)

By reducing the health points of Frost traps, we aim at making them easier to destroy. At 100 HP, we felt Frost Mats were sometimes too hard to destroy, and we want cautious players to be rewarded accordingly.KAID

• Swapping Kaid’s barbed wire for Nitro Cell.

We are replacing Kaid’s barbed wire for the Nitro Cell after reviewing Kaid’s performance and player feedback. By adding the... Read more

"Operation Phantom Sight is coming our way, and it brings with it two haunting operators, Nøkk and Warden. Both of them greatly skilled specialists, they bring Rainbow Six to new heights with a steadfast and dangerous approach. Phantom Sight also brings with it a refreshing rework of Kafe Dostoyevsky. Additionally, there are a few gameplay updates worthy of mention. The Reverse Friendly Fire feature is getting an upgrade, and the shop is being refined even more, while the Ranked playlist is also seeing quite a few changes. View Patch Note.[rainbow6.com] Read more

Over the past few days, we have been working to address the issues presented from exploits surrounding Clash, IQ, and Deployable Shields. We are currently working on fixes. These combined issues touch on core systems of the game, and will therefore take longer than we consider acceptable to address. We are currently expecting fixes prepared by next week.With this in mind, we are in the process of deploying a server side update that will disable the following: CLASH

• Clash removed from the Operator Selection screen

DEPLOYABLE SHIELDS

• Ammunition count set to 0

CLAYMORES

• Ammunition count set to 0

This has also highlighted the importance of reactivity on our part, and the need to act more quickly on issues of this magnitude. As such, our team will develop a more thorough outline for how we should respond to these situations moving forward, with the ultimate goal of improved reaction speed.We will provide an update on Tuesday, May 21st. Read more

Nøkk has been a mystery for quite some time. There is very little that anyone outside Rainbow knows about her. For an accomplished undercover agent whose work remains mostly unrecorded, it is amazing that she has managed to hold onto who she is at her core.Focused and driven, she uses her special operations training to infiltrate, gather intel and defeat her opponents. As a member of the Jægerkorpset, she strikes fear into the hearts of anyone who goes up against her.On top of that, she harnesses a spirit of loyalty and leads by example to elevate the people she works with. Unlike the general population, her fellow Operators know who she is and welcome her into the fold. The potential scandal her family might face is of little importance to them; she’s one of the best in her field, and they wouldn’t betray her even if it came to that.https://youtu.be/zoRWqiIjUR0
Her gadget is just the icing on the cake for an already dangerous operative. The HEL, which she worked on to improve with spec... Read more

Reverse Friendly Fire (RFF) is coming to the live servers tomorrow. When a player abuses the friendly fire mechanic to grief their teammates, this system is activated. We believe that this first version will be a positive step forward in our fight against team killing while maintaining the same intensity and high stakes gameplay that is core to the Rainbow Six Siege experience.The Y4S1 release of RFF is not our final version of the system. Future iterations and improvements will continue based off data and player feedback.Community feedback so far has been invaluable and allowed us to make early iterations to the system. For example, RFF can now activate based on total friendly damage. In these cases, there is no validation screen for the offending player’s teammates. We are also striving to make it clearer how operators and gadgets will react to this system. We have consolidated some guidelines below for your reference.

EFFECT OF REVERSE FRIENDLY FIRE
ON WEAPONS/THROWN OBJECTS
Impacts:... Read more

As a part of our ongoing efforts to identify and tackle game issues as fast and efficiently as possible, we introduced R6Fix[r6fix.ubi.com] last year. Since then, we have received over 7,000 bug reports.Today, we are excited to introduce our brand new Bug Hunter Program, an initiative that has been designed to reward all those dedicated players that help us to improve the game’s health with every new update. HOW IT WORKS It’s simple, all you have to do is report any issue you might encounter on the Test Server through R6Fix[r6fix.ubi.com]. You can find a detailed guide on how to report issues here[r6fix.ubi.com] as well as an FAQ[r6fix.ubi.com]. Once we receive your report, our QA team will test it and try to reproduce it, if they succeed, your contribution will be marked as Acknowledged.All issues need to be in English, clearly stated and with visual evidence, either a screenshot or a video that clearly shows the problem. Only the first person to report the acknowledged bug will recei... Read more

We have compiled the many variables involved in weapon FOV and input sensitivity on PC in order to ensure everyone understands how to get their perfect sensitivity.Weapon Field of View (FOV) is modified differently depending on which weapon and optic you have equipped. When aiming down sights, each optic type changes your FOV based on a specific modifier.Read the full article on the official website.[rainbow6.ubisoft.com] Read more

Halfway through each Season, the “Designer’s Notes” shares information about the work of our balancing team. We are using data gathered since Wind Bastion balancing changes and the introduction of new Australian operators.We use player feedback to help show us where to begin looking, and data to drive balancing changes. Combining both of these aspects helps us to decide if adjustments are needed. Sharing this data should give everyone as much context as possible to explain our changes and explain the reasoning behind them. ATTACKERS DEFENDERS UPCOMING CHANGES Lion

• Replaced the scan outline by a red ping debuff
  
• Reduced the ability warning from 3 to 1.5 seconds
  
• Reduced the scanning from 4 to 2 seconds
  
• Reduced the ability cool-down from 27 to 15 seconds
  
• Increased the number of charges from 2 to 3

The Lion rework is ready. This change is aimed at reducing the oppressive feeling of his ability while maintaining his intel-gathering role. Following the changes introduced, we expect players t... Read more

Spring is in the air with its fresh breeze of renewal and whimsy. Everything is shiny and young again!The season brings along its magical twist to the Rainbowverse and sends everyone, young and old, back to a colorful world of toys. WELCOME TO OUR LATEST IN-GAME EVENT: RAINBOW IS MAGIC! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyzqxRHLPpk
A WHIMSICAL PLAYLIST From April 1st to 8th, you’ll be given the most important of missions: rescue the VIP teddy bear, our Very Important Plushie, held inside the toy-sized Plane!For this critical task, choose among 4 hand-picked Operators who will “blend” into this sparkly environment wearing their plushie outfits to get the job done: Blackbeard and Montagne as attackers, Smoke and (of course) Tachanka as defenders.That's not all! You can also pick from nine proud toy soldiers to complete your dream squad: Ash, Thermite, Thatcher, Sledge, Castle, Kapkan, Bandit, Frost, and (of course) Recruit!Remember that only through the power of your imagination can you sa... Read more

The goal of this system is to contain the impact of players abusing the friendly fire mechanic, while maintaining a degree of flexibility for accidents. We will collect data and feedback from both ranked and casual playlists on the Test Server, and iterate before releasing it live. IMPACT ON OFFENDING PLAYERS
With Reverse Friendly Fire, when a player shoots an ally or the hostage, a warning message will appear on the offending player’s screen. The same will occur if a player uses their unique operator gadget to hurt a teammate (i.e. Maestro's Evil Eye or Twitch's drone).After a player’s first validated team kill, all further damage inflicted upon teammates or the hostage is reflected back to the player. When a player uses a unique operator gadget to deal this damage, reflected damage will impact the gadget itself.A message will pop up for the offending player to notify them when Reverse Friendly Fire has been activated. All players in the match will be notified of this change to the of... Read more

Sharpen your reflexes, ignite your competitive spirit, and get ready for the Road to S.I. event. INTRODUCING: THE ROAD TO S.I. PLAYLIST Starting on January 25th and running until February 18th, play like the pros on the Road to S.I. Playlist. This playlist will be accessible on the main menu through the Discovery Playlist, and includes features like our Esport Map Pool and Pick and Ban[rainbow6.ubisoft.com]. Full playlist details can be found at the end of this article.EVENT SCHEDULE
The playlist will be available every weekend up to the Six Invitational finals. The schedule is as follows:

• From January 25th 2019 – 10:00 am EST to January 28th 2019 – 10:00 am EST
  
• From February 1st 2019 – 10:00 am EST to February 4th 2019 – 10:00 am EST
  
• From February 8th 2019 – 10:00 am EST to February 11th 2019 – 10:00 am EST
  
• From February 15th 2019 – 10:00 am EST to February 18th 2019 – 10:00 am EST

CLUB CHALLENGES Each weekend of this event will feature a new Club Challenges that will reward players wi... Read more

The Y3S4.2 Patch will deploy on February 5th for PC, and February 6th for consoles. BALANCING A detailed breakdown, as well as the rationale as to why we are making these changes, can be found in the Designer’s Notes[rainbow6.com].CAVEIRA
Luison

• Damage decreased to 65 (from 99).
  
• Adjustments to damage falloff to align with other pistols for consistency.
  
• Reduced magazine size to 12 (from 15).
  
• Increased recoil to make chaining shots at long-range more challenging.
  
• Increased hipfire spread to reduce the viability of spamming non-ADS shots.

CLASH
SPSMG9

• Upgrade to full-automatic fire mode from 2-round burst fire mode.
  
• Updated recoil to align with other full-auto weapons.
  
• Increase total ammunition at 161 (from 121)
  
• Increased damage to 33 (from 30).

KAID
AUG A3

• Increase ADS speed by 33% to align with other SMGs.

DOC + ROOK
MP5

• Decrease max damage to 27 (from 30).

NOMAD

• Yellow light on Nomad’s Airjab will now blink during activation delay.

BUGFIXES GAMEPLAY

• FIXED - Visual graphics glitch that impairs ...

Read more

We’ve made a number of changes and updates over the course of the Burnt Horizon Season Test Server. Below you will find a list of changes and updates.To help optimize player experience for future updates, we are also in the process of restructuring how our game data is stored – this will help consolidate and reduce the overall game size. This means that the Burnt Horizon Patch will be larger than normal. Patch sizes for each platform will be provided prior to maintenance. GAMEPLAY LEAN SPAM CAMERA PLACEMENT

• Previous camera placement at a full lean allowed players to fire without being completely exposed. As part of our fix to counteract lean spamming, we are shifting the camera to the center of the head instead of the far side of the head, even when at a “full lean”.

OPERATOR MOVEMENT AND RUNNING ANIMATIONS.

• With Y4S1, we have cleaned up the animations in the back end, and streamlined them. This will allow us more freedom to implement new features and unique aspects of the game in the...

Read more

Our 1.1 patches are primarily geared towards fixing any last minute issues that were reported on the Test Server, with larger updates coming as X.2 and X.4 patches. GAMEPLAY

• Fixed - When Operators are prone on their back, the weapon switch animation is faster than intended.
  
• Fixed - All operators have animation issue transition who make them slide when they sprint just after prone position.

LEVEL DESIGN OREGON

• Fixed - Operators break collision when vaulting into the broken shelf in Laundry room.

OUTBACK

• Fixed - Problematic run out/spawn kills via the catwalk in the Motel Parking Lot.
  
• Fixed - Players can rappel through a blocked window on Outback.

OPERATORS MOZZIE

• Fixed - With the right timing a player can enter and see through a drone that Mozzie just captured.
  
• Fixed - The drone outline for a hijacked drone is not visible behind a Black Mirror or from a Maestro camera view.
  
• Fixed - Hacked drones will sometimes lose signal on various maps. These need to be fixed on an individual basis, a...

Read more