Going by what Ubisoft showed during last weekend’s Six Invitational, 2019 will be a big year for Rainbow Six Siege. Operation Burnt Horizon is right around the corner, but that’s just the start of Ubisoft’s grand 2019 plans. Players can also look forward to map reworks, a friendly fire punishment system, seasonal events, and more.
Rainbow Six Siege Year 4 Roadmap
Ubisoft summarized Siege’s Year 4 content roadmap with a handy infographic which you can see below. However, the studio also explained its Year 4 plans in much greater detail during the Six Invitational. Naturally there will be new playable operators, but that’s just the tip of the massive Year 4 iceberg. Here’s a rundown of what Siege players can expect throughout 2019:
- Six additional operators joining Mozzie and Gridlock from Operation Burnt Horizon. These new operators will hail from countries like Denmark, India, Peru, Kenya, and Mexico. One of the operators will also hail from the U.S.’s Secret Service.
- Major map reworks for three fan-favorite maps: Kanal, Kafe Dostoyevsky, and Theme Park. Each map will receive updated visuals along with reworked level layouts and spawn points.
- A friendly fire punishment system which activates after a player has killed one of their teammates. If the player attempts to damage additional teammates, the damage will instead be reflected back onto them. This should hopefully discourage the overall practice of intentional team-killing.
- Four seasonal events (one per season). Ubisoft says these events should be similar in structure to last year’s Mad House Halloween event.
- A Newcomer playlist where newer players can learn the ropes in a less-intense PvP environment.
- A permanent Pick and Ban system for Ranked Play
- Casual playlist changes which include a reduction for the preparation phase timer and player-chosen spawn points.
Other Upcoming Siege Changes
In addition to the roadmap features, Ubisoft also mentioned a few other talking points. Relating to the friendly fire punishment system, the studio said it’s looking into a friendly fire forgiveness mechanic. Such a mechanic would allow a player to “forgive” a teammate who unintentionally damaged them. This has been an oft-requested feature since the game still punishes team-killing whether it’s intentional or not.
If you’re looking into buying Rainbow Six Siege for yourself, Ubisoft is currently offering a series of Year 4 discounts.