Rainbow Six Siege X, also called Siege X, is the newest evolution of Tom Clancy’s trendy fight franchise. It’s a traditional title the place a staff of operators tries to interrupt right into a home or different construction and take out a defending staff 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 choose and ban system for ranked matches and an audio overhaul. The most recent replace is the most important the corporate has ever performed, and I spoke with Alex Karpazis, inventive director at Ubisoft Montreal for Rainbow Six Siege on the current Summer season Sport 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 earth, 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 are actually 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 intention is to create extra pleasure across the sport and appeal to extra new followers, whereas on the similar time holding the hardcore gamers glad. That’s at all times a troublesome balancing act to stroll. Karpazis stated this model has an improved onboarding course of, and he famous that 6v6 takes off a few of the strain on every staff member within the 5v5 matches.
The most recent maps now even have destructible substances. All through the map there are fireplace extinguishers, gasoline pipes, metallic detectors and extra to disrupt enemy plans. Lots 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 deliver me up to the mark on Rainbow Six?
Alex Karpazis: We name it Siege X, nevertheless it does characterize the tenth 12 months of Siege being reside and rising. [We have gone] reside with a giant replace, the most important replace we’ve ever performed, 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 a few of the choices round this?
Karpazis: The large factor–first, we needed to make it possible for all of our neighborhood might nonetheless benefit from the sport, which is why we determined to do a large evolution that solutions a number of what they’ve been asking for. Adjustments to motion, adjustments to the audio system, which we fully revamped to make it extra pure and rather more correct. We additionally needed 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 degree enjoying subject, as a result of it’s all new. We’ve made massive, massive adjustments. You possibly can play in opposition to bots now till you’re prepared. You recognize the maps. You are feeling assured you possibly can bounce on-line with different gamers. Now we have the brand new 6v6 sport mode. It relieves a few of the stress of being in a 5v5 scenario. It mixes attackers and defenders collectively, and it’s a smaller pool of operators. You don’t should study all 70-plus characters to play the sport mode. Plenty of adjustments so you possibly can bounce in and possibly get a bit extra assured extra rapidly.
GamesBeat: What had been some observations that led to this? If you watch the most effective 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 event in Brazil on the brand new Siege X construct. It was unimaginable to see. These are execs pushing it to its limits. Some of the thrilling new issues we’ve launched–we name them destructible substances. All through the map there are fireplace extinguishers, gasoline pipes, metallic detectors. Now, as a substitute of simply having a personality the place you might want to use their gadget as a chunk of the technique, it’s extra concerning the atmosphere. Seeing the professionals use that–after they’re working round, possibly they wish to minimize off a rotation or cowl their flank. They’ll pop a gasoline pipe and it detonates and explodes in every single place. It’s so satisfying to see that degree of technique come alive with the professionals enjoying.
GamesBeat: Players in Brazil at all times appear tremendous enthusiastic. Is {that a} massive marketplace for you?
Karpazis: It positively is. Primarily as a result of we actually do see the eagerness of the Brazilian neighborhood. They at all times present up on the massive stage. A Brazilian staff gained the event there, and so they’re fairly dominant, really, 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 satisfaction ourselves on a lot is the tactical gameplay. You see it by all the degrees. However really, you see it probably the most with high gamers. They work as a staff. 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 outdated characters, ensuring that their devices are enjoyable. We reworked an operator known as Conflict. All of that is to make it possible for ways and technique is king within the sport. We’re not simply rewarding run and gun. I feel that’s why we nonetheless stand a lot in opposition to different video games.
GamesBeat: How does the sport have this endurance? Why has it lasted so lengthy?
Karpazis: We wish to assume, to begin with, that we hearken to the neighborhood. We wish to be sure we reply their wants and preserve issues contemporary for them. However actually, Siege is such an unique concept. No one 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’ll 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: Truthfully, after we began fascinated 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 lots of of hours in our sport. They make investments some huge cash as properly. We wish to respect that. We don’t wish to throw it away with a sequel that might eliminate all their time, cosmetics, skins. We needed every little thing to stick with them. We wish to honor that sooner or later as properly, 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 Basic. Warzone simply introduced again their unique map.
Karpazis: It’s attention-grabbing you deliver 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, a few of the components that gamers affiliate with the sport by the years, the numerous years. That’s one thing we’re going to rejoice for the tenth anniversary of Siege.
GamesBeat: Generally it’s additionally a blended factor. There are typically unfavorable reactions to massive adjustments. How do you consider how your adjustments are going over?
Karpazis: We’ve really been testing all the Siege X adjustments over the previous two years with the neighborhood, behind the scenes. Getting their suggestions and making tweaks. We have to stick with 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 neighborhood 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 largest esports occasion? Was it the Brazilian one, or have there been others?
Karpazis: Simply over a 12 months 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 really confronted off in opposition to 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 sort 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 12 months. It takes so much out of the groups that take part, however I feel we’ve got one of many healthiest esports ecosystems. Our groups benefit from the competitors. They get the remaining that they want, too, to ensure they’ll proceed within the league format. I feel they’ve actually appreciated that.
GamesBeat: Do you discover some distinction between the varieties of groups who play in Rainbow Six versus different video games?
Karpazis: Talking for our esports scene, we’ve acquired wonderful suggestions from the groups. They are saying it’s probably the most sustainable and powerful esports scenes. They know that in the event that they get invested, they are going to be rewarded. Now we have a partnership program known as R6 Share. We companion with them and make it possible for they’ll 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’ve got 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 at all times begins within the sport. Now we have a challenger league, which helps discover new expertise, primarily. It feeds into the highest tier league. Now we have our ranked competitions. We launched Siege Cup, which is an in-game event that anyone at residence can join to play with a full 5 stack and have enjoyable.
Due to how a lot we consider within the esports scene, for Siege X we’re introducing the esports tab, which lets folks observe tournaments and perceive what the esports scene is all about. It hyperlinks each time there’s a reside 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 necessary for us. The grassroots means a lot to the sustainability of our esports scene.
GamesBeat: Do you have got exterior manufacturers taking an curiosity in supporting tournaments?
Karpazis: Now we have sponsorships. Once more, some nice partnerships. The final Reload occasion we partnered with Xbox Sport Go. They had been actually supportive. It was a number of enjoyable to see that sort of help at a giant occasion like that.
GamesBeat: There was a number of discuss for some time concerning the esports winter. Did you see a development like that after which a restoration? Do you’re feeling like we’re previous that?
Karpazis: Truthfully, our scene has been going fairly robust ever for the reason that inception of our league. Once more, due to the partnership we’ve got, this shared sustainability, ensuring that they’ve a rev share inside our sport–meaning we will maintain that for lengthy intervals of time. Our prize swimming pools have at all times 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 at all times thriving, however the esports scene as properly. Now we have that dedication.
It’s a implausible showcase for the sport. Should you watch it on-line, not solely is it entertaining for folks to observe, however in addition they study so much. Our gamers often undertake the methods of execs, what they see within the esports scene, about six months after the professionals present the way it’s performed. It’s virtually an academic device. It’s invaluable for us. Individuals can get that rather more invested and study that rather more concerning the depth of Siege.
