Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Siege X News

Each season, we provide a Roadmap update to offer further insights into the development of upcoming features to ensure transparent communication with all players. Each update and decision we make takes into account various elements such as player feedback, time allocated to ensure the quality of the features delivered, and more.

With that in mind let's delve into this Mid-Season Roadmap Update!



[h2]ROADMAP UPDATES[/h2]

[h3][NEW] [BALANCING] SHIELD NERF[/h3]

• Status: Confirmed for Y9S4

The revamped shield mechanic was first released in Y9S1 and since then we've seen an evolution in their overall usage, becoming more relevant and impactful. It's now time for shields to be adjusted and to reduce their oppressiveness.

[h3][NEW] [PLAYER COMFORT] PHANTOM PLAYER - IMPROVED LOBBY BALANCING[/h3]

• Status: Confirmed for Y9S4

Phantom Player is coming to enhance the experience of all players. In a nutshell, the Phantom Player is a mathematical value, a ''6th player'', which will bring an extra layer of balancing to matchmaking. Concretely, the Phantom Player sees the skill disparity between players of a stack and adds the appropriate skill value to even out the matches depending on the number of players within this stack.

[h3][MAJOR FEATURES] CONSOLE TO PC CROSSPLAY 1.0 + MOUSETRAP IMPLEMENTATION[/h3]

• Status: Confirmed for Y9S4

Console to PC Crossplay will enable PC and console to play together. This will work by allowing console players to join their PC friends, opting into the PC matchmaking pool. In Y9S4 MouseTrap will also force confirmed mouse and keyboard console players into PC matchmaking, with PC recoil values.

[h3][MAJOR FEATURES] CHEATER MATCH CANCELLATION[/h3]

• Status: Confirmed for Y9S4

With Cheater Match Cancellation, once a cheater is confirmed and consequently banned, the match they are in will be automatically cancelled. This will lead to less time being spent by honest players in unfair matches, while ensuring that the legitimate players in these matches aren't incurring abandonment penalties or unjust Ranked losses.

[h3][MAJOR FEATURE] SIEGE CUP (BETA) - ALL PLATFORMS[/h3]

• Status: Confirmed for Y9S4

The Siege Cup will provide a highly competitive experience on both PC and console, while remaining in its Beta phase to allow further testing. For more information, check out our FAQ.

[h3][BALANCING] YING, SENS, & THUNDERBIRD[/h3]

• Status: Confirmed for Y9S4

YING: Introducing a tweak to Ying aimed at reducing defender frustration.
SENS: An update for Sens will expand the opportunities for more strategic plays.
THUNDERBIRD: An adjustment for Thunderbird will help make her a more valuable asset for the team.

[h3][PLAYER PROTECTION] AI CHAT MODERATION[/h3]

• Status: Confirmed for Y9S4

AI will analyze and moderate all text chat messages in real-time, resulting in problematic messages being flagged or removed. Your messages will have an impact on your Reputation Standing, whether they are censored, flagged, or positive.

[h3][PLAYER PROTECTION] REPUTATION SYSTEM REFRESH[/h3]

• Status: Confirmed for Y9S4

This update will feel different from the Reputation System you know. We are actively working on the refreshed Reputation System for Y9S4 and are in the balancing stages right now, ensuring that the actions we're tracking have a meaningful and fair impact.

[h3][PLAYER COMFORT] DYNAMIC MATCHMAKING 1.0[/h3]

• Status: Delayed to Y10

A dynamic matchmaking feature for improved server allocation based on a broader set of players' data. This feature has been delayed allowing our Playlist team to focus their resources on Phantom Player, which is now coming earlier than was originally planned.

[h2]FULL REVEAL[/h2]
Stay tuned for the Operation Collision Point reveal coming up on Sunday, NOVEMBER 17TH, at 11AM PT / 2PM ET / 8PM CET.

Join the discussion on Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Discord,Facebook, and TikTok.

Check out the public Roadmap for more information on the changes coming your way!

We are delighted that Rainbow Six Esports is returning to Montreal for its final BLAST Rainbow Six Major of Season 2024, in November this year, with tickets available starting now!

With Stage Two of the Regional Leagues set to get underway from September, teams across the 9 different regions of BLAST R6 will be looking to become one of the 20 teams to qualify for the Montreal Major. These teams will compete for a lion's share of the USD $750,000 prize pool, as well as points to qualify for the Six Invitational 2025.

We are returning to Canada with the Montreal Major set to take place at the Verdun Auditorium in Montreal. The BLAST R6 Montreal Major will feature a 3-phase format with the final weekend playing out in front of a live audience in the Verdun Auditorium, Montreal, Canada.

[h2]Dates & location:[/h2]

• Phase 1: 7 - 8 November - not open to public
  
• Phase 2: 10 - 13 November - not open to public
  
• Phase 3: 15 - 17 November - open to the public at the Verdun Auditorium, Montreal
  

Address: 4110 Bd LaSalle, Verdun, QC H4G 2A5, Canada

[h2]Format:[/h2]
The format for the BLAST R6 Montreal Major will be identical to the format of the previous BLAST R6 Manchester Major.

Phase 1 will consist of eight teams competing in a modified Best of 3 Double Elimination Bracket played until we are left with the top four teams.

The four triumphant teams from Phase 1 will join Phase 2 in a 16 Team Swiss Bracket Phase.

Phase 3 will be played in front of an arena audience in a Team Single Elimination.

[h2]Predict & win![/h2]
The best R6 players in the world square off in Montreal November 7-17, and you can predict who will hoist the trophy and who gets eliminated along the way. Who's winning it all? The best team? The hottest? The craziest? The sooner you shoot your shot, the bigger your chance to win the biggest rewards.


[h2]Twitch Drops[/h2]

Twitch Drops will be available throughout the tournament! The offers swap out after each phase, so be sure to tune in regularly and link your Ubisoft account to keep receiving them.

Today we'll be sharing updates on some of the developments we're making on our Anti-Cheat systems. We've also got updates covering Anti-Toxicity, including some info on changes that we've already rolled out.

[h2]IN THIS UPDATE[/h2]
ANTI-CHEAT

• Current Status
  
• Encryption - Binary Hardening
  
• MouseTrap
  
• Detection Performance
  
• MouseTrap PC Matchmaking
  
• QB System
  
• Ban Data
  

ANTI-TOXICITY

• Reputation System Refresh Update
  
• How It Will Work
  
• Automated Text Chat Moderation
  
• Unfair Abandonment Penalties
  
• Teamkill Kick Deactivation
  
• DBNO RFF Deactivation
  
• Privacy Mode Nickname Acceptance
  
• Next Steps
  

[h2]CURRENT STATUS[/h2]
The topic of cheating remains at the forefront for us here on the Rainbow Six Siege team. We're aware that cheating continues to affect high ranked players in most cases, however with the launch of Y9S3 seeing a decrease in cheating overall compared to S2, we know that we're finding the results needed to provide safer matches, more often. Below, we have updates on some of the topics we're working on, but not all; it's crucial that we're not giving any information away that could benefit cheaters.

[h2]ENCRYPTION - BINARY HARDENING[/h2]

• Reminder: Binary hardening is the act of using encryption and hardening techniques to update the game code base and enhance security, and we've continued to deploy these updates to the game with each patch.
  

The launch of Y9S3 was a step forward in our efforts against cheating, with cheats being down for nearly an entire week. We can see that this was also felt by players, as we measured a stark decrease in cheater reports being submitted. Cheats are adapted over time however, and so while this was temporary, it does demonstrate that our hardening measures are having a meaningful impact in delaying the return of cheats. Previously, we also saw success in Season 2, when a security update resulted in a shorter delay to cheats coming back online.

While this is an ongoing challenge, the delays we've seen are encouraging and to this end we've implemented further security fixes ready for Siege Cup, to help us maintain a fair and competitive environment, which is a top priority for us. We will keep pushing hardening updates throughout Y9S3 and of course, beyond. As we progress further, we'll continue to share our findings with you.

[h2]MOUSETRAP - MOUSE & KEYBOARD DETECTION ON CONSOLE[/h2]
Reminder: MouseTrap is our console Anti-Cheat which works to detect devices that enable the use of mouse and keyboard.

[h3]MOUSETRAP - DETECTION PERFORMANCE[/h3]
We've recently released an update to MouseTrap which has resulted in both an increase in detection performance and a reduction in false positives. As well as this, we're now completing tests for devices that aren't yet being recognized.

[h3]MOUSETRAP - PC MATCHMAKING[/h3]
Since spoofing devices and controllers can be matched together, it's clear that frustration has remained. While working to release PC-Console Crossplay, which is coming in Y9S4, we've also been on track with its implementation into MouseTrap, which will force confirmed MnK users into PC matchmaking while automatically switching to the PC recoil values. We'll share more on this during the Season 4 reveal.

[h2]QB SYSTEM[/h2]

• Reminder: The QB System is one of our custom-built Anti-Cheat solutions designed to reinforce hardening by distributing different game executables to players while preventing tempering.
  

Our top priority is ensuring the QB System stays robust in the fight against cheaters and cheat developers. Right now, our team is testing the next QB System Expansion prototype, and we'll provide more details soon about how this will impact players.

[h2]BANS - DATA BANS + BATTLEYE[/h2]
[h3]BAN NUMBERS[/h3]
Before moving to Anti-Toxicity below, here's an updated view on our 2024 ban data, including new data for July, August, and September:



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[h2]REPUTATION SYSTEM REFRESH - UPDATE[/h2]
We are actively working on the refreshed Reputation System for Y9S4 and are in the balancing stages right now, ensuring that the actions we're tracking have a meaningful and fair impact. The focus of this system is to fulfil and stay true to our core pillars: transparency, understandability, and clarity. We know the system is already very complex, and we want to be sure to control its fairness before adding additional parameters, and so our mindset for this refresh is to "do less but do better", resulting in a system that's easier to understand and interact with.

[h3]HOW IT WILL WORK[/h3]
This new system will feel different from the one you know, as we will be watching for negativity first, then positivity. Toxicity on its own will lead to a negative Standing, and positive behavior with minimal negativity will lead to a Standing of Exemplary. It's only in cases where a player is highly toxic over a number of matches that drastic Standing drops should be seen. Below are some extra details on the parameters, for full transparency of how the system will work:

• ACTIVE PLAYLISTS: Ranked, Standard and Quick Match (leaving a Quick Match will not impact Standing).
  
• REPORTS: Unverified reports will NOT have an effect on your Standing, only YOUR actions will.
  
• PENALTIES: Reverse Friendly Fire (RFF) and Abandonment Penalties will continue to be handled in the same way.
  
• COMMUNICATION: Negative communication-related actions will cause a player to be automatically muted for a predetermined number of matches.
  
• UI: We are redesigning the Reputation Center to further provide all information related to Standings and any problematic behaviors.
  
• STANDING IMPACTS: Impacts based on your Standing alone will only go live once the Reputation System leaves BETA.
  

WHEN WILL THE SYSTEM LEAVE BETA?

We have no estimated time for this, but it will only happen after Y9S4.

[h2]AUTOMATED TEXT CHAT MODERATION[/h2]
In Y9S4, your in-game messages could be flagged or removed according to our acceptance threshold and we are currently balancing the automated detection to make it as fair as possible.

What will the threshold be? If you're unsure, ask yourself, "is this something I'd feel comfortable saying in a room with 9 other people that I don't know?". If it's something that's going to clash with that, then the chances are it could be flagged or removed. Remember though, your messages can also have a positive impact, so you can affect your Standing this way too!

[h2]UNFAIR ABANDONMENT PENALTIES[/h2]
Receiving an abandonment penalty due to a game crash or disconnection can be frustrating, and so we've been working on the way we detect abandonments and game crashes, so that players in these situations receive fewer penalties overall. Detecting the difference between a real game crash and or an intended disconnection (a player purposefully forcing the game to close or lose connection) is a complex technical challenge, and we're constantly making improvements in this area. Of course, we're aware that these systems can often be used for abuse and so such changes are deployed tentatively. We are finding success in helping players however, as we were able to reduce the number of unfair abandonment penalties by two thirds with our latest update.

[h2]TEAMKILL KICK DEACTIVATION[/h2]
Getting kicked from a match when multiple teamkills occur was deactivated in Y9S2, due to the feature being exploited. The deactivation worked as planned; we monitored teamkilling rates after this change and we've listened to your feedback throughout.

If you were concerned about a teamkilling increase: since the auto kick was deactivated, we've observed the following:

• Quick match: +0.6% of rounds impacted by at least one teamkill.
  
• Standard: +0.5% of rounds impacted by at least one teamkill.
  
• Ranked: +0.3% of rounds impacted by at least one teamkill.
  

To summarise, since the change was made, we've only seen a minor increase in teamkilling. It is still an increase though, and so we're not resting on these stats. We have future initiatives which are focused on decreasing these numbers.

[h2]DOWN BUT NOT OUT (DBNO) REVERSE FRIENDLY FIRE (RFF) DEACTIVATION:[/h2]
This season, we deactivated a trigger which would result in the removal of RFF after reviving a teammate who was DBNO. As with the Teamkill Kick Deactivation, this removal comes after a clear pattern of abuse, where players were intentionally downing a teammate with the aim of reviving them right after. The RFF activation box is now triggered for the teammate when you down them.

[h2]PRIVACY MODE: NICKNAME ACCEPTANCE[/h2]
We know that many of you love Privacy Mode, but we're also aware that some players use this feature as a tool for abuse, using offensive and unacceptable names. At the beginning of Y9S3, we updated our validation of nicknames making it much more robust, and this resulted in 12% of all nicknames in use at the time being removed from the game and reset to "Recruit". We'll be providing more updates to our validation in the future as necessary.

[h2]NEXT STEPS[/h2]
We'll continue to provide updates on Anti-Toxicity and the Reputation System as we move forward. At this stage we're confident that our upcoming updates and features are going to improve the experience for a lot of players, but your feedback remains crucial. We can't wait to get many of our updates to you in-game, next season.

Here you can find the fixes and balancing changes for the Y9S3.3 patch.

[h2]Y9S3.3 PATCH SIZE[/h2]
Find the download sizes for each platform below.

• Ubisoft Connect: 1.04GB
  
• Steam: 301.3MB
  
• Xbox One: 898.77 MB
  
• Xbox Series X: 1.12GB
  
• PlayStation®4: 1.439 GB
  
• PlayStation®5: 920 MB
  

[h2]OPERATOR BALANCING[/h2]
[h3]IANA[/h3]

• Reduced hologram cooldown when destroyed to 20 seconds (from 30).
  

[h3]JACKAL[/h3]

• Removed distortion caused by bullets.
  

[h3]KALI[/h3]

• Added Smoke Grenades.
  

[h3]MOZZIE[/h3]

• Increased Pests to 4 (from 3).
  
• Added Impact Grenades.
  

[h3]ZERO[/h3]

• Increased Argus cameras to 6 (from 4).
  

[h3]ZOFIA[/h3]

• Removed Breach Charges.
  
• Added Hard Breach Charges.
  

[h2]WEAPON BALANCING[/h2]
[h3]CSRX-300[/h3]

• Reduced bullet trail duration and size.
  

[h2]BUG FIXES[/h2]
[h3]GAMEPLAY[/h3]
FIXED - UI element that lets a team know they're moving into the lower bracket of Siege Cup says "unknown" instead.

FIXED - A player watching a match is unable to access text chat.

FIXED - Siege Cup banner says "Waiting for others to join" despite being paired against an enemy team.

FIXED - Caster card placement differs when spectating certain Custom Game presets.

FIXED - Devices briefly reactivate when picked up despite being affected by an EMP.

FIXED - "!!Missing Timer" text present in the AAR screen.

FIXED - The More Info section of Siege Cup has incorrect information about the registration requirements.

FIXED - Some Siege Cup players' games do not start, and those players remain with the ribbon stating: "NEXT MATCH IN Starting Soon".

[h3]OPERATORS[/h3]
FIXED - Skopós's idle V10-Pantheon Shells spawns without a shield at 2F Executive Office in the Plane map.

[h3]USER EXPERIENCE[/h3]
FIXED - Redeem button is missing from the Bravo Collection with a Bravo Pack Ticket.

FIXED - Marketplace is missing the thumbnail for the Crushing Canes skin for Montagne's Le Roc shield.

[h2] Horror awaits you[/h2]
From October 16 to November 6, Doktor’s Curse returns for its fifth terrifying night. In the darkness of Doktor’s Castle, hunters track down fearsome monsters, but this time, the creatures won’t be the only ones hiding in the shadows. Prepare to face your worst nightmares in this sinister game of hide-and-seek!

[h2] Danger lurks in the dark[/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

A 5v5 asymmetrical showdown! As a Hunter, your mission is clear: track down and eliminate every Monster hiding in Doktor’s Castle using only a Breaching Hammer and tracking devices. But beware, Monsters have traps, the ability to rush for increased speed, and the Nightstride ability to turn invisible. Monsters win if they survive until the end of the round, while Hunters must eliminate them all before time runs out.



Doktor’s Curse 5 takes place exclusively on a night-time version of Doktor’s Castle, a twisted take on the classic Theme Park map, now resembling a haunted fortress. The darkness is key, making it a fast-paced, fear-filled event with no room for idling.



In addition to previous Operators, this edition introduces new Hunters and Monsters, including Deimos and Zofia as Hunters and Fenrir as a Monster.

[h2] Doktor's Haunted Wardrobe[/h2]
The new Doktor's Curse Collection introduces special limited-time bundles for Deimos, Zofia and Fenrir which include uniforms, headgears, weapon skins, and more. In addition, Doktor's Curse bundles for Jackal, Frost, Lesion and Aruni are spookier than ever in their new Variants style. You can also get Collection packs for 300 R6 Credits (12,500 Renown) each, and if you connect to the game during the event, you will receive one Collection pack for free, plus additional ones and a full bundle for Kapkan when completing weekly challenges.

Shop the collection on the web or find them in the Highlights section in-game.

[h2] Collectors rewarded[/h2]


If you collect all 3 new bundles, as well as the 4 new Variants ones, you will be rewarded with a unique limited-time gift: the C8-SFW Doktor's Curse Memento animated weapon skin for Buck!

To Hunters, happy hunting! To Monsters, good luck...