Ubisoft announces a third year of content and support for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. Year 3 will have four Seasons, and eight new operators. There will be come changes to the content of the seasons compared to what was released in the previous years of post-launch support for Rainbow Six.

Season 1: Operation Chimera
Year 3 will kick off with a new kind of Operation. We are exploring a new fantasy in Operation Chimera: quarantine and biohazard. The two operators are biohazard specialists from two different countries: France and Russia.



We are also launching our third year of post-launch content with Outbreak, the first major coop event in Rainbow Six Siege. Outbreak will take place over four weeks during Season 1, and will be free-to-play for Rainbow Six Siege owners. It will feature an exclusive collection of cosmetics, which will only be available during the limited time event.



There will be a full reveal of both Operation Chimera and Outbreak at the Six Invitational 2018.

Season 2
Season 2 will be more traditional Rainbow Six Season. We will have two new Italian GIS Operators, and a new map featuring a brand new location: Italy.

Season 3
The two Operators in Season 3 will come from different CTUs: Scotland Yard in the UK, and Delta Force from the US. Additionally, there will be a complete rework of an existing map: considerable changes to level design and art direction. The essence of the map will remain the same, but the gameplay and tactics will be completely different.

Season 4
Season 4 will be a classic Season in Rainbow Six Siege. We will have two new operators and a new map featuring a brand new location: Morocco. The two new operators will come from the Moroccan GIGR.

In White Noise, Team Rainbow premieres two Operators from the 707th Special Mission Battalion for a rescue mission high up Mok Myeok Tower, our new free map. Joining them is our second GROM Specialist turned Rainbow Operator.

This last season of Year Two aimed to improve player experience by introducing a new recoil animation for pistols, new UI indicators for Operators’ abilities, and a grenade trajectory synchronization. Please find more details below.


To lead Operation White Noise, Team Rainbow recruits two of 707th SMB’s finest: Dokkaebi and Vigil.
The new Operators are immediately unlocked for Season Pass owners, with exclusive access granted for seven days. All players can then unlock the Operators with Renown or R6 Credits after the exclusive period ends.










In Operation White Noise, two 707th SMB Operators scale the snow-capped Mok Myeok Tower to lead a rescue mission in Seoul, South Korea. The modern communications and observation tower offers fresh vertical vantage points overlooking the entire cityscape, and sets the stage for diverse multilevel tactics.


To celebrate the end of Year Two, flaunt our latest Seasonal Weapon Skins: Tiger Claw, Feral, Phoenix, Fearless, and Polish-inspired Husaria.

Seasonal weapon skins can be applied to the weapons available until the end of the current season.




For a full reveal of our new Operator from the Polish Special Forces GROM, please click here[rainbow6.ubisoft.com]



This season honors Mark R. “Mute” Chandar with an elite set. Inspired by the renowned bravery of the phantom special reconnaissance unit formed at the brink of WWII, Mute embodies the F Squadron.

Each Elite set is Operator-specific, and includes a distinctively themed Uniform, Weapon Skin, Gadget Skin, Chibi Charm, and Signature Victory Animation.



GENERAL TWEAKS & IMPROVEMENTS

GRENADE TRAJECTORY SYNCHRONIZATION

We will be testing a new synchronization logic for some projectiles, with a primary focus being on grenades.

The main purpose for the Trajectory Synchronization change is to fix issues where a grenade would desync on the game client and suddenly teleport back. This synchronization change allows us to align the trajectory between what the server sees and what you see on your client. This will reduce the chances that your grenade will return to you after releasing it. Below, you will find an example of the current issue that this will address:



SERVER PERSPECTIVE



Together with this change, we will take the player velocity into consideration when throwing a grenade. As a result, moving while throwing a grenade will alter the trajectory in various ways. The initial velocity of the grenade will now be combined with the thrower’s movement velocity at the time the grenade was thrown. The thrower’s velocity will therefore modify the trajectory of the grenade in these ways:

• Throwing a grenade while moving forward will result in a longer throw.
  
• Throwing a grenade while moving backward will result in a shorter throw.
  
• Throwing a grenade while strafing will induce a lateral movement in the grenade trajectory.

The initial reason for this change was that we found that it made grenade throws feel better with this new synchronization logic. We were also glad to see that after playing with it for a while and getting used to it, this change made us feel like it added depth and player control to grenade throwing.


This feature is experimental on the TTS, so we welcome your feedback on the TTS Subreddit.




PISTOL RECOIL

We have changed the pistol animation for greater player comfort. Our overall goal is to make pistols a true choice for players, not just a last resort when you are out of bullets.
Before this change, you always had to aim down the sights because the animation would make the barrel of the pistol lift up in the middle of the screen (where the bullet goes). As a player, you would then have to guess where the enemy is. This issue was especially true if you were aiming for their head.


We have also increased the rate of fire of all pistols. Players can discharge their magazine significantly faster with this change. This has the added benefit of making pistols more lethal, which ties into making them a real choice for players.

NEW UI INDICATORS FOR BUFFS/DEBUFFS

We are introducing buff and debuff indicators on the UI HUD. This will allow for better visualization of when you, for example, have Rook armor or step on a Lesion mine. With the new visual unification of all effects on the player’s character, this means anything you have applied to you is now displayed.

This includes:

Rook Armor
• Jackal’s mark (and marking as jackal)
  
• Lesion’s GU mine
  
• Dokkeaebi’s Phone hack

There also is a color coding:

• Blue: Positive effect
  
• Red: Negative effect

• FIXED – Players can receive damage from a claymore, despite being behind a barricade.
  
• FIXED – A second breaching charge cannot be placed after the previous one is destroyed while being jammed.
  
• FIXED – The Yokai drone’s effect can be broken if stacking a concussion effect on top of it.
  
• FIXED – Spectating an ally in DBNO mode will not show the blur effect.
  
• FIXED – Aiming down sights while fast descending in rappel will lock the fast descent on.
  
• FIXED – Shield replication can be broken in 3rd person if the player quickly changes from grenades to shield.
  
• FIXED – Reload animations repeat and players cannot fire or complete the reload.
  
• FIXED – Joining a session after the match has ended leads to an infinite loading loop.
  
• FIXED – Certain placements of Nitro Cells would damage players through reinforced walls.
  
• FIXED – In game voice chat issues leading to no comms for one of the active players in a match.
  
• FIXED – Projectiles fired from launchers can pass through obstacles if fired close to them.
  
• FIXED – Vaulting wide surfaces while sprinting with two and three speed operators would repeat the animation.
  
• FIXED – Partially damaged Deployable Shields would disappear from inventory after picking them up.
  
• FIXED – Shields could obstruct view when sprinting into a fall.
  
• FIXED – Impact grenades would bounce off window borders, instead of detonating.
  
• FIXED – Conflicting objective locations would be displayed at times during team selection.
  
• FIXED – Defenders could trigger claymores through walls on certain maps.
  
• FIXED – When a player would lose connection to the match while reviving a DBNO player, the DBNO player would stand up bleeding.
  
• FIXED – While in drone phase, the exit button in the Spawn Selection screen would not react to mouse input.
  
• FIXED – Sprinting then switching to prone, but cancelling the animation with sprint again would cause players to teleport forwards.
  
• FIXED – Users are able to use tight places in maps, or created by the Deployable shield, to force the character inside the Maps collision.
  
• FIXED – Players are able to stand on shields by using another player as a collision point.
  
• FIXED – When a Defender is put in DBNO while outside, the Attackers can see their life bar.
  
• FIXED – If a player puts their teammates in DBNO, exits the session and waits to return until after they have died, the player will not receive a sanction.
  
• FIXED – After pressing up on the controller, Alpha Pack buttons become unresponsive.
  
• FIXED – An issue that would cause the “Join Game” and “Invite to Game” options to not work.
  
• FIXED – Some extremely tough glass on black vehicles.
  
• FIXED – Breaching charges placed on destructible walls would not be destroyed if the wall were then reinforced.
  
• FIXED – If opening a menu while spinning a weapon preview on the Alpha Pack screen, spinning animation would loop endlessly.
  
• FIXED – Some specific cases of rubberbanding while vaulting for high ping players.
  
• FIXED – Scoreboard is not displayed at the end of a game.
  
• FIXED – Camera clips through the player if they are DBNO and holding the button to slow bleeding while being revived.
  
• FIXED – Some specific matchmaking issues causing squads of 5 to be split when entering a match.
  
• FIXED – Players can melee gadgets through a Deployable Shield and destroy them.
  
• FIXED – If a laser is equipped on a weapon with no sight, the laser does not react to EMP grenades.
  
• FIXED – Strange rotation of the player if taking armor plates immediately after falling from a surface.
  
• FIXED – Frag grenades not always destroying a barricade when detonating close to it.
  
• FIXED – Modifying settings allows removing most ambient textures, resulting in a player advantage.
  
• FIXED – Destroying Bandit’s Shock Wire with a melee strike will reward the player only for the Barbed Wire.
  
• FIXED – Trajectory for Impact and Concussion grenades is not the same.
  
• FIXED – Issues with sticky gadgets, when falling from a destroyed barricade.
  
• FIXED – Players are able to climb onto other operators in order to stand in windows.
  
• FIXED – Players can be killed by melee above the head.
  
• FIXED – Vaulting while crouched and looking up can cause an obstruction of view.
  
• FIXED – Defenders can use a Deployable Shield and a teammate to reach elevated areas of the maps.
  
• FIXED – Players can clip into the wall at EXT Basement Entrance on Hereford Base by strategically placing a claymore.
  
• FIXED – Players can use the drone to see under the stairs at B Laundry Stairs on Oregon.
  
• FIXED – Some weapons are not aligned correctly with the ACOG sight while aiming and sustaining fire.
  
• FIXED – Smoke effect can invert with the player’s view while rappelling.
  
• FIXED – Matchmaking issue that would cause players to be stuck in an open lobby, searching for other players.
  
• FIXED – Two players running side by side may cause issue with teleportation.
  
• FIXED – Grenades sometimes rubberbanding back at the player after tossing them through an open window.
  
• FIXED – Impact grenades bouncing off walls, instead of detonating.
  
• FIXED – Issue with the spectator Support camera becoming stuck in the location of the player death.
  
• FIXED – Rounds and crosshairs are misaligned with the L85A2 when used with various attachments.
  
• FIXED – When a player affected by a flash goes into drone mode, the HUD appears slowly on a fade in.

BOMB

• FIXED – Users can not open the option menu if all the Attackers are dead and the defuser is planted.
  
• FIXED – Low frame rate when playing a Bomb Mission on Favelas in Terrorist Hunt.

HOSTAGE

• FIXED – Operators escorting the Hostage could teleport if Hostage is put in a state of DBNO.
  
• FIXED – Audio prompt for losing the Hostage would be triggered late.
  
• FIXED – A collision issue between Attackers, Defenders, and the Hostage that would lead to a teleport.
  SECURE AREA
  
• FIXED – Players would stop securing an area if standing at the ledge of a blown hatch.

SITUATIONS

• FIXED – When accessing a Situation from the main menu, the mission specific text would not show.
  CASTER CAMERA
  
• FIXED – Overhead icons disappear when switching to the view of a player on a different floor.
  
• FIXED – Upper floors block view of the Caster Camera in RTS mode when a player vaults an object.
  
• FIXED – Player DBNO indicator is missing in Caster Camera.
  
• FIXED – Following a player outside with the overhead camera can make the player invisible.
  
• FIXED – Casters are not displayed when attempting to join a playlist.
  CUSTOM GAMES
  
• FIXED – User can become stuck with no UI when rejoining a Custom Game.
  
• FIXED – Users kicked from a Custom Game can still see the game and attempt to join, leading to an error.

TERRORIST HUNT

• FIXED – The Bomber’s signal persists on IQ’s Electronics Detector after the Bomber has died.

BLITZ

• FIXED – Replication issue if hit by melee while running.

KAPKAN

• FIXED – Destroying the barricade on a door or window would destroy the EDD.
  
• FIXED – Animation offset while deploying EDD.
  
• FIXED – The EDD becomes invisible at a certain distance due to LOD issues.
  
• FIXED – If an EDD is placed on the outside of a building and an Attacker rappels inside, the explosion won’t damage them.
  
• FIXED – When the last Attacker in the round is killed by an EDD, the replay shows the Kapkan POV and not the trap POV.

MONTAGNE

• FIXED – Shield Replication can be broken when tossing certain grenade types.
  
• FIXED – Montagne’s shield is visible through the stairs in House if extended.

IQ

• FIXED – IQ’s device would appear to float in the middle of the screen after rappelling.

JACKAL

• FIXED – All of Jackal’s weapons snap to the idle position when activating his gadget.
  
• FIXED – Defenders leave footprints in barbed wire.
  
• FIXED – When tracking someone, the Gu needle icon overlaps with the position tracker when affected by the Gu mine.

CAVEIRA

• FIXED – Leaving the match after the interrogation starts causes it to stop before it completes, denying the ability.
  
• FIXED – Caveira can teleport after interrogating someone in close quarters.
  
• FIXED – Interrogating someone with her back against the wall would cause Caveira to fall out of the map.
  
• FIXED – All players receive error code 2-0x0000B005 if a player disconnects while being interrogated.
  
• FIXED – Players can pass into nearby walls after performing an interrogation.

ELA

• FIXED – The movement speed reduction after being hit by her mine was at 20% instead of the intended 30%.
  
• FIXED – Camera rotation speed would decrease gradually for a short time as the concussion effect wears off.
  
• FIXED – Winning a round with MVP honors on Plane at night brings out the dark side of Ela. We have corrected the glowing red eye effect present in this form.
  
• FIXED – Concussion mines can block drone entrances.
  
• FIXED – Mine can appear upside down if placed too close to a camera, nitro cell, or another mine.

GLAZ

• FIXED – Enemies hair was not showing as yellow in the thermal scope.

LESION

• FIXED – Support view does not see Gu icons.

TWITCH

• FIXED – When under the concussion effect, the drone’s crosshair is missing.

SLEDGE

• FIXED – Sledge’s hammer does not fully destroy a destructible wall if striking the corner of it.

BANDIT

• FIXED – The battery remains attached to the deployable shield after the shield is destroyed.
  
• FIXED – The electric effect of the Shock Wire is not seen in Caster Camera when viewed in First Person View of the player being killed by it during gameplay.

TACHANKA

• FIXED – After switching between gadgets and weapons, Tachanka will look broken in 3rd person when mounting the LMG

ECHO

• FIXED – Yokai ignores the decorative fans on the ceiling.

FROST

• FIXED – Attackers can activate the Welcome Mat during the pick-up animation.

HIBANA

• FIXED – Pellets from her gadget can stick to unbreakable surfaces.
  
  
  You can read the full patch notes here.[rainbow6.ubisoft.com]

Climb your way to victory in Operation White Noise, available now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBrdfFk7hYs

Hack enemy devices with Dokkaebi, hide from cameras with Vigil, and fire both concussion and impact ammunition with Zofia!

Extend and enhance your Rainbow Six experience with the Year 3 Pass, and get early access to 8 upcoming operators in Year 3 from Russia, France, Italy, UK, USA and Morocco!



Get your Year 3 Pass here!

Purchase the Year 3 Pass before March 5th 2018 and get the Signature Damascus Steel Skin.



Additionally, if you’re an owner of the Year 2 Pass, you will receive a bonus of 600 R6 Credits, on top of the 600 that come with the Year 3 Pass.

With the Y3 Pass get access to a 1-year* VIP premium membership which includes:

YEAR 3 OPERATORS AND BONUS DLC

• 8 new Year 3 operators
  
• 8 exclusive headgear and uniforms
  
• R6 Meteorite Charm
  
• 600 R6 Credits

VIP PERKS

• 7-day early access to each season's new Operators.
  
• 10% discount in the in-game shop**
  
• 5% Renown boost
  
• +0,3% Alpha Pack Boost

*VIP Membership ends January 31, 2019
**10% discount only applies to purchases made with Renown or R6 Credits.


If you missed the Year 2 Pass, don’t worry! You can still get the 8 Y2 operators in the Year 2 Operators bundle, available in the in-game shop for 2400 R6 Credits.

Patch 4.2 will be deployed to the TTS on Thursday, January 11th. As with most Mid-Season Reinforcements, we have a collection of Operator changes that are coming, particularly for a couple of fan favorites (or nemeses).

Deployment on the live servers will come after we have had a chance to review the feedback from the TTS.


We have decided to lower the magazine size of her SMG from 50 to 40 bullets.

Game Designer notes: Ela overpowers her competition. Players select her almost every round, and for a good reason. All of the data we have on her (such as win ratio, K/D ratio, and Kills per round) shows that she needs to be nerfed. We have found this to be primarily because of her SMG and to a lesser extent her concussion mines.

The recoil of her SMG was already nerfed slightly with Y2S3.2, but this did not have the impact that we hoped.

For now, we’re trying to balance her while keeping her SMG’s uniqueness, which lets her fight several opponents at a time better than other defenders. We will consider other ways of nerfing this weapon if this is not enough.

In addition to the reduced magazine size, we will be reducing the overall strength of concussion effects across the board.

Reduction in Concussion effects

With Y2S4.2 patch, concussion effects will no longer disable sprinting. It will still reduce movement speed and camera rotation speed, but affected targets will recuperate much faster (4 sec, instead of 7 sec). The effect on sight and hearing will still last a total of 7 sec.

Game Designer notes: This change will affect both Ela and Zofia. We believe this will most heavily impact Ela, as Zofia also has impact grenades to rely on for increased effectiveness.

Compared to other gadgets of this nature, the concussion effect is superior in almost every way: it greatly affects movement speed, massively slows down rotation speed, and also reduces a player’s ability to hear and see.


We reduced the damage of the R4-C to 39 (from 41).



Game Designer notes: Ash is still a pick that is too attractive when compared to other attackers. We’ve compared her most popular weapon (R4-C) to other assault rifles stats and given the R4-C’s very high rate of fire (860), its damage is a bit too high.

*We are aware of a visual issue with Suppressed damage not displaying properly in the Menu. The values in-game are true to the table above.


We increased the Para-308’s raw damage is to 48 (from 43). We also slightly reduced the intensity of the random components of its recoil.



Game Designer notes: Capitao right now is not attractive enough. His gadget suffers from a few issues that will need long-term solutions, but in the meantime, it’s clear that his main assault rifle is too weak.

*We are aware of a visual issue with Suppressed damage not displaying properly in the Menu. The values in-game are true to the table above.


We reduced the max ammo for each Shock Drone to 5 (from 15).

Game Designer notes: Twitch right now is too strong. There are several possible reasons, one of them being that her drones have the potential to deny an unreasonable amount of electronics from defenders. We feel that this change will force players to start making choices about when to shoot or to save their ammo, and which Defender gadgets to destroy.


Bandit will now have two barbed wire (down from 3).

Game Designer notes: Even if Ela has eclipsed Bandit’s pick rate, players still pick him too often. Reducing the number of barbed wires he has should bring him more in line with other Defenders.


We lowered Lesion’s Gu Mine refill timer to 30 sec (from 35).

Game Designer notes: Lesion is in an OK place right now, but could use a slight buff. By reducing the refill timer, it will encourage his specific playstyle of staying alive as long as possible to increase the strength of his defensive gadget.


The T-AA has been fully implemented. As part of this, the Resolution Scaling and Sharpness Factor slide bars are in the Options menu.

With render scaling, you will be able to customize the ratio between render resolution and display resolution, which will allow you to maintain your target framerate. For example:



More details about Temporal Filtering and Anti-Aliasing can be found here.


We changed the player markers for players that are interacting with the Defuser. When a teammate is interacting with the Defuser, a new animation icon appears on the player. If your teammate is in the process of disabling the Defuser, you will also notice a new animated icon on that player. The new animated icon should make it easier to identify which teammate is currently interacting with the Defuser.

Additionally, once the teammate plants the Defuser, the progress of the Defuser replaces the round timer.

These are the first steps we are taking towards improving the Bomb game mode, and we will have more information about our next steps at the Six Invitational!


We will be making some adjustments to the Caster Camera. These adjustments will improve the viewer experience for those watching the spectator camera, but also provide them with more information in a more digestible format.

You can see a screenshot of the new UI here:



BUG FIXES


FIXED – Shield exploit that involves Deployable Shields being held in front of an Operator.

FIXED – Attack Operators can appear as a 2D texture when approaching broken walls while holding the hostage.

FIXED – Certain operator weapons produce extremely bright smoke and can obscure the view of the players.

FIXED – Zofia dies after using Withstand when a match has a Handicap of 75 or less Damage.


Terrorist Hunt

FIXED – Bombers do not always spawn during a Terrorist Hunt Classic on Tower map.

FIXED – Last three enemies of a wave will get stuck behind the reversed table in 2F Meeting room.

Spectator Camera

FIXED – Switching to Dokkaebi on support mode during her gadget animation will show her gadget screen empty.


Dokkaebi

FIXED – Dokkaebi loses functionality, and a broken animation is present if Dokkaebi gets into DBNO state while hacking the camera system.

FIXED – No warning appears when Dokkaebi is out of Logic Bomb uses and tries to activate it.

FIXED – When in ADS, you do not need to hold the appropriate key to use Logic Bomb.

Echo

FIXED – Yokai is stuck and has framed camera rotation rate on uneven terrain/debris.

FIXED – The drones including Yokai have issues smoothly turning when navigating on certain destructible surfaces.

FIXED – The Yokai drone loses signal in multiple places on Tower.

FIXED – Echo drone can stick to the canister under Mira’s Black Mirror.

Zofia

FIXED – Zofia's LMG-E should have 150 bullets instead of 151.

FIXED – Users can extend the bleed out timer by spamming Withstand.

Ying

FIXED – Ying's Candela will not go through the Ramps of 3F Watchtower of Oregon.


Chalet

FIXED – Players can prone between objects at 1F Trophy Room and be pushed inside the wall or outside at EXT Campfire Wood.

FIXED – Nitro cells do not inflict damage if detonated on the plants from 1F Great Room.

FIXED – Defenders in Prone stance in one corner of 1F Dining Room are not contesting the objective.

Bank

FIXED – Bullets pass through the desk located at CCTV room.

Clubhouse

FIXED – Player can be stuck inside a wall if they use the vault prompt on beer cases.

Consulate

FIXED – Castle’s double door Armor Panels do not cover the entire frame.

Tower

FIXED – Player can vault in a specific location to get on a window frame.

FIXED – There are lights on the side of the tower, which can block an Attacker's rappel trajectory.

Kanal

FIXED – Due to a missing texture, players can exploit an area using drones and kill enemies.

Coastline

FIXED – Attackers can plant the Defuser from outside the objective at Ext Main Entrance.

Theme Park

FIXED – Attackers can place a drone inside the barricaded window of EXT Sweet Shops.

FIXED – Vault prompt is missing on the rooftop of the building.


FIXED – Too much smoke appears when shooting with some weapons.

FIXED – Installing the latest graphics driver for AMD will cause a crash when explosives are triggered.

FIXED – Concussion and Sonic Burst effect applies to replays if applied after the start of replay.

Welcome to Year 3 of Rainbow Six Siege. Your continued support allows us to create new content and we’re thrilled to reveal what’s under the command tent. Push the flap aside and come on in. We’re starting the year with Operation Chimera and a new specialized CTU in the lineup.

Biological and chemical attacks are growing threats to Operators. Six created the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Threat Unit. CBRN is its own distinct CTU. The following two experts know what they’re doing and they’ll never turn their backs on a hotzone. These two new operators are joining the multiplayer roster and will also be playable in the limited time Outbreak event, along with other legacy operators.

One operator hails from France and uses a drone to maintain quarantine perimeters. Their service record is astounding, but their list of regrets seems endless.


The other operator moved to Russia to pursue their studies and they uncovered a range of applications for self-dissolving nanobots. All allies can benefit from the research carried out by this CBRN Specialist.

Within Operation Chimera is our limited-time event: 


Suit up and check your gear because Rainbow Six is tackling an epidemic consuming the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Choose your best team of three to neutralize the threat. If you don’t choose your Operator in time on the Operator Selection screen, your man Recruit will still have your back. As always, he’s ready to serve.


This limited time co-op event is free for everyone who has a copy of Rainbow Six Siege. To learn more about Outbreak, check-in regularly on the Rainbow Six website. This event also offers exclusive headgears, uniforms, weapon skins, and charms to customize Rainbow Six Operators. For more information about the Outbreak Collection, please consult this blog post[rainbow6.ubisoft.com]. But who’s the enemy in Outbreak? What’s new with the gameplay? What does our Lord Tachanka think of all this?

You’ll have to check our website often for more updates. To get all the intel your heart desires, tune in for the Six Invitational taking place in Montreal from February 13th to 18th, broadcasted on the official Twitch channel[www.twitch.tv].

The Outbreak event will mark the beginning of the third year of Rainbow Six Siege. We are grateful to the millions of players who have supported us for so long, and thanks to you, we are beginning a new year of Siege with a lot of exciting content ahead. To show our gratitude, we want to start Year 3 with a gift to our community, something truly unique. We hope you will enjoy playing Outbreak as much as we enjoyed making it.


Outbreak is a free coop event taking place within Operation Chimera. Over a duration of four weeks, all Rainbow Six Siege owners will be able to team-up with two of their friends to take on a mysterious threat. The Outbreak event will be deployed first on TTS on February 20th. It will then be playable from March 6th to April 3rd, for all of our players.


A few days ago, a mysterious space capsule crashed near Truth or Consequences in New Mexico. It turned out to be carrying an exotic parasite, the Apex, which infected the area and turned the town’s populace into monsters. The Quarantine Zone is the only thing keeping it contained but it will not last for long. If the parasite gets out, it would be a disaster of global proportions. Millions would die. Rainbow’s mission is to enter the devastated town and destroy the parasite’s roots before this happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQd-6RAZ4Qc


Outbreak takes the renowned Rainbow Six Siege gameplay and drops it in a new and fresh setting with an innovative twist. The parasite is unlike any threat the Rainbow Six team has ever faced before. From exploding monstrosities to hulking horrors, these armored monsters will bring the fight close and push the destruction engine to new heights – they won’t hesitate to tear through walls to get to you. Five archetypes of infected will challenge players in Outbreak, each with their own distinct abilities. Players must react quickly to fortify their positions and control their environments while under pressure. Play smartly and tactically to find new ways of using your arsenal, against a foe that doesn’t take cover and engages instantly in close combat.

There are two difficulty levels in Outbreak. The first one, Normal, will give a challenge to our players, but one they can overcome with coordination and team spirit. Where the real fun starts though, is with the second difficulty level: Pandemic. In this mode, friendly fire is on so watch were you’re shooting! Additionally, enemies can take you down with only a few hits. Smart tactical play and team play are the only way to prevail. In this punishing difficulty mode, only a select few will succeed… Will you be brave enough to dare it?


Three new exclusive coop-oriented levels are playable in Outbreak. These maps are bigger and more open than PvP maps, with sizable sections entirely outdoors. Being designed for coop, they are also more linear and feature a clear sense of progression. Nevertheless, the destruction and multi-path approach that are iconic to Rainbow Six Siege are still very much present. Will you go in guns blazing, or quietly sneak through a side door?


Not every Operator has the right skillset for this mission. The development team had to make an informed choice in who would be playable in Outbreak. We made a selection of Operators who are the most adapted and relevant for this specific game mode, from a design standpoint.

This is the list of playable Operators in Outbreak:

• The two new Operation Chimera Operators
• Smoke
• Ying
• Buck
• Kapkan
• Ash
• Doc
• Tachanka
• Glaz
• And last but not least, our faithful Recruit!


Within the duration of the 4 weeks event, an exclusive collection of cutting edge cosmetic will be available. This gear will be found in the Outbreak Packs.

In line with our promise to you from the beginning, the Outbreak Packs will not provide you with any gameplay elements, and will contain cosmetic items only.

The Outbreak Collection contains 50 cosmetic items ranging from Rare to Legendary quality. The items include weapons skins, headgear, BDUs, charms and a unique Elite skin. They are found in Outbreak Packs, which each contain one item. There are no duplicates. The Outbreak Packs are available for purchase only for the duration of the Outbreak event. Finally, four Outbreak Packs are granted to each player for free upon starting Outbreak for the first time. For more details about the Outbreak Collection, please consult this blog post[rainbow6.ubisoft.com].

Keep checking our blog for more updates on what’s coming up. Don’t miss the full reveal of both Operation Chimera and Outbreak during the Six Invitational. For more information about the Six Invitational, head to the official Twitch channel[www.twitch.tv]..[www.twitch.tv]

Live Broadcast: Get ready for 3 days of non-stop Rainbow Six Siege action at the SIX INVITATIONAL! Fans, professional players, talents, content creators and developers will gather once more to celebrate a shared passion at the TOHU, Montreal, for an event twice as big as last year: - 16 teams competing for a $500,000 prize pool and the title of World Champion - Live showcases of new content including the anticipated reveal of our next season - Developer and community panels Official trailer: https://youtu.be/f0CeZIvxyNw Watch live: https://www.twitch.tv/rainbow6 Full Schedule: http://ubi.li/9npe4 Come celebrate with us from February 16th to 18th!

Fans, professional players, talents, content creators and developers will gather once more to celebrate a shared passion at the TOHU, Montreal, for an event twice as big as last year:

- 16 teams competing for a $500,000 prize pool and the title of World Champion

- Live showcases of new content including the anticipated reveal of our next season

- Developer and community panels



Watch live: http://steamcommunity.com/broadcast/watch/76561198812377756

In Operation Chimera, two new Operators join Team Rainbow to help contain a mysterious parasite infection that hit a small town in New Mexico. To safeguard the perimeter, Six selected the most qualified biohazard specialists in the world: Lion and Finka.

From France and Russia respectively, the hot zone Operators Lion and Finka are veterans of numerous conflicts involving bio-chemical threats. They join Team Rainbow to create a CBRN Threat unit, which will provide tactical gear and expertise to quell biological hazards.






After a space capsule crashed in New Mexico, an Outbreak and a surge of violence forced the authorities to establish a Quarantine Zone around Truth or Consequences.

The whole town was infected with an alien parasite, which triggered aggressive mutations in the residents. This parasite is highly adaptable, able to mutate into dangerous five lethal types of Infected.

The Quarantine Zone is the only thing keeping this Outbreak contained, but it will not last. If the parasite gets out, the resulting death toll would reach unprecedented numbers.


Outbreak challenges you to step up to the plate. Go on the offensive and venture inside the Quarantine Zone to contain the infection threatening to spread across North America. Explore our three new maps with your squad and survive hordes of hostiles to identity the source of the parasite.

This limited-time event will be held from March 6th to April 3rd 2018. We invite you to play Outbreak on our Technical Test Server starting on February 20th.

Outbreak will be made available periodically throughout the TTS phase, allowing us time to improve and implement fixes as necessary.




Outbreak’s three player coop mode will force you to revisit your strategies and push you to rely on teammates like never before. The infected hostiles outnumber you on every front, and your only way out alive is through innovative tactics that will give you an edge.

Your team will be composed of three of the following Operators: Ash, Tachanka, Doc, Smoke, Buck, Kapkan, Glaz, Ying, Finka, Lion and Recruit.

The loadout of Outbreak Operators will also be tweaked to incorporate gadgets that favor melee combat. The flashbangs will allow for special takedown combinations, and smoke grenades will encourage chaos that will thin out your enemies. Outbreak will bring the tension of CQC to another level.




GRUNTS
Grunts are common hostile that become highly resistant when the parasite detects an enemy presence. To protect its host, the parasite armors its body and becomes more resistant to bullet wounds. They will try to surround you, and flank you from the sides. Caution and stealth is recommended.

BREACHERS
Breachers are proximity bombs that crater anything in their path. They make for a very agile opponent, but they launch themselves into the fray and blow holes in indestructible walls. Make sure you are nowhere close to them.

ROOTERS
Rooters are a rarer type of hostile. They send out coral spikes from the ground to injure and immobilize their targets. Rooters are always on the move and will keep you on edge. Beware when dealing them the final blow; they become extremely lethal when on the brink of death.


SMASHERS
Smashers are not discreet. The parasite reinforces its body under a massively thick hide, making it practically impervious to bullet wounds. They can also tear down walls without suffering any injuries. Most weapons are ineffective against them so be wary, their goal is to split you up from your teammates.

APEX
Apex is at the top of the hostile food chain. It sends waves of hostiles your way rather than attack you head-on. They can hurl blinding projectiles, which can only be countered by Finka and Doc. This opponent is a real test on your team’s communication skills. To succeed you must eliminate the growing number of hostiles while hunting down the Apex.




RESORT
In Resort, you are dropped in the streets of Truth or Consequences for an insertion operation. You must breach an ageing resort heavily infested with hostile. According to our intel, the parasites are building a nursery. Foray into treacherous crevices and course through a kitsch décor crawling with hostile vacationers.

HOSPITAL
Hospital offers an elaborate hostage rescue operation, which is located deep in infested territory. The grim and narrow hallways set the stage for CQC tactics. The risk is worth it, though. The doctor trapped inside the hospital may be key to providing a cure.

JUNKYARD
The latest intel leads to a private property situated on the outskirts of Truth or Consequences. Junkyard offers an open outdoor setting with unique obstacles to keep you and your team vulnerable. Make a firm stand as waves of hostiles try to protect the heart of the infection.



The Outbreak Collection contains 50 cosmetic items of Rare, Epic and Legendary quality. There are a total of 50 unique items, including weapons skins, headgears, uniforms, charms and a unique Elite Uniform.

There are no duplicates.

Get 4 packs just by connecting to the event. Available only from March 6th to April 3rd, 2018. You can also get 10 packs with the Advanced Edition, Y3 Gold Edition, or the Y3 Complete Edition. The remaining packs can be purchased with R6 credits during the Outbreak Event.




For Operation Chimera, we’re rolling out two new seasonal weapon skins. Once unlocked, these skins can be applied on all available weapons until the end of the Season. The Rusty Trigger weapon skins come straight from the hotzones to give you that hazardous junkyard look without catching the infection. The Ancestral Southwest seasonal weapon skins bring New Mexico's rich culture to your fingertips.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for new content available in our Alpha Packs.

We are thrilled to launch another year of Rainbow Six Siege content with our Year 3 Pass. Your continuous support is essential as it drives us forward, and ensures our longevity.

As a thank you gift to Year 2 Pass owners who renew their Pass for Year 3, we offer 600 additional R6 credits. Follow the link below for a detailed list of everything included in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege Year 3 Season Pass.




ELA
We are going to continue building on our previous adjustments to Ela by making more substantial changes this Season. She is still too powerful and, logically, picked way too often. This is mostly because of her SMG still being too strong. As such, we are going to be making the following changes:

Increased recoil
The recoil will be harder to control. It will pull harder on the camera, and the maximum amount of kick (max diamond size) is bigger.

Damage Reduced
The damage is lowered from 28 to 23, to better take the high rate of fire into account



Our objective is that she remains efficient at taking fights at short distances when getting pushed by attackers, but is at a clear disadvantage when taking medium to long range fights versus assault rifles with ACOGs.

Loadout Changes
A deployable shield will replace her impact grenades. As many of you identified, she was too good at doing all the roaming work by herself: preparing rotations, being warned by Concussion mines, and of course killing with her SMG.
This loadout change will force her to rely on teammates for rotation holes, or to pick the shotgun if she wants to do them herself.

KAPKAN
Impact grenades will replace Kapkan’s barbed wires. He already has a lot to do in preparation phase to set his traps up – having impact grenades for faster rotations is a better fit for his playstyle.

BLITZ
Blitz has been working out, and will now be a 2 speed / 2 armor operator.
The previous rework of Blitz that let him sprint while holding his shield had a positive impact on his popularity, but he is still at the bottom of the pack. We believe making Blitz faster is the next logical step to making him a more attractive choice and help him close the gap, as he really shines when he manages to get in close quarter with isolated defenders.





GAME HEALTH

ROTATION DESYNC FOR DBNO PLAYERS
In some instances, the server was rejecting shots to players in a DBNO (Down But Not Out) state. The reason for this was a desynchronization with the game server. After downing an enemy, you could see him rotating in one direction from your point of view, while on the server, their movement was completely different, and that is why some of your shots to DBNO targets would not register.

Rotation Desync for DBNO Players
The image above shows the difference between what the player sees and what is happening on the server (in red). We have addressed this desync and your shots should now land properly and accurately on downed enemies.


PLAYER COMFORT

RELOADING CHANGES
Changes to ammo update timings
When you reload your weapon there is always a point in the animation where your ammo count updates. We have overhauled the “key” moment where it happens during the animation. All weapons ammo updates are now slightly faster. They have been rationalized according to their animation. This should make reloading a lot more comfortable.

Interrupting tactical reload with going to ADS
You can now interrupt a tactical reload (reloading with a round in still in the chamber) with aiming down the sights. Before you could only do it with sprint, but now if you are reloading and someone surprises you and you want to shoot, all you have to do is go to ADS and fire instantly with your remaining ammunition.

Reload resume points
Missing reload resume points have been added to all weapons reloads. When you interrupt a full reload, if you have done certain steps (ie. Discarding the empty magazine) you won’t do that step again when resuming the reload animation.

Raw Input on PC
We will be implementing a new input method on PC. This raw input option reads mouse/keyboard values directly from the hardware, without any post-processing. This may slightly improve the responsiveness of the mouse/keyboard during heavy load. This option can be found under Controls > Raw Input.

PLAYLIST CHANGES


CASUAL PLAYLIST UPDATE
We are removing Bartlett University from the Casual Playlist and adding Yacht back.

Ranked Playlist remains unchanged.

GAME BALANCING

DEPLOYABLE SHIELD WALKING
You can no longer walk on deployable shields. At any instant that an operator is considered walking on the shield, it will collapse on itself (be destroyed) and the shield is refunded in the inventory of the defender that placed it. That will prevent players from utilizing exploits by walking on a shield.

MELEE HIT VALIDATION
Throughout last season, we collected your feedback regarding hit validation in general and melee hit validation in particular. Many of you have experienced how it feels to flank an enemy, approach from behind, land a clear knife hit, hear the audio, but not get the kill. We understand how frustrating it can be, that’s why in Patch 3.1 we have applied some tweaks and improvements that should make melee attacks much more reliable, and we are looking forward to receiving your feedback!



GAMEPLAY
Fixed - The gadget crosshair will persist after switching to drone toss.
Fixed - It is possible to hear Mute's jammer even when standing very far away from it.
Fixed - The barbwires' slow down effect is still ongoing even after the player is no longer into the barbwire's effective range, or when the barbwire is destroyed.
Fixed - Resetting animation when switching views between one player standing up and one crouch.
Fixed - Rubberbanding can happen after detaching from rappelling.
Fixed - After scanning enemies, the distance to them might not be shown.
Fixed - A player will not take damage when spamming crouch.
Fixed - When the drone owner dies while controlling his drone, others can’t rotate the camera view of the dead player’s drone.
Fixed - Following certain steps, it's possible to have some gadgets out in a stance you normally can't.
Fixed - When the player interrupts the reload animation of the LFP586 revolver by switching weapons, then switches back to LFP586 and reloads again, there will be no new rounds loaded.
Fixed - Operator's body rotation is not replicated correctly when vaulting.
Fixed - Moving once you hit the ground after entering a window in rappel will lock the character’s movement for a couple of seconds.
Fixed - Operators can teleport if they remove a breaching charge while ending the rappel animation.
Fixed - The "American Anarchy" headgear's hairstyle slightly extends the hitbox upwards.
Fixed - When friendly fire is off, drones don't get destroyed by going out of bounds.
Fixed - Players randomly die by falling during Multiplayer sessions.

OPERATORS

BANDIT
Fixed - The shock battery disappears when the barbwire it is placed on is destroyed.

BLITZ
Fixed - Blitz's first person animation is faster than third person animation when equipping his shield from the back.

DOC
Fixed - Stim Pistol's reticule turns blue when aiming at an attacker.
Fixed - Doc is able to sprint and use his stim pistol without slowing down.

ECHO
Fixed - Yokai drone can be placed in a door/window frame in a way that a barricade placed over, allows it to see and fire on both sides.
Fixed - HUD will display "Kill assist" when a teammate kills a stunned player but will not count on the scoreboard.

ELA
Fixed - The Grzmot mine can be deployed between wall panels causing the tip of the gadget to clip through the wall.
Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.

FUZE
Fixed - The character can freeze while deploying the gadget from rappelling position.

HIBANA
Fixed - Pellets stick incorrectly in the corner of some trapdoors.
Fixed - When shooting at least two times before detonating, X-Kairos do not produce any sound in third person.

IQ
Fixed - Deploying IQ's gadget and entering Observation Mode at the same time causes the gadget to become opaque.

JÄGER
Fixed - Jäger’s gadget floats in the air when placed in certain locations.
Fixed - Jäger’s gadget clips through the wall when placed in certain locations.

LESION
Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.

MONTAGNE
Fixed - Following certain steps, it is possible to have Montagne’s shield up while rappelling.

TACHANKA
Fixed - Tachanka's LMG shields are inconsistent, players can get shot through them in some instances.

VIGIL
Fixed - Vigil's ERC-7 is deactivated when climbing or descending ladders.
Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.

YING
Fixed - The character can freeze while deploying the gadget from rappelling position.


GAME MODES

MULTIPLAYER
Fixed - The play ranked button can be selected for a second after a user below clearance level 20 joins the squad.
Fixed - In some instances, squads of two can split when matchmaking, forcing both players to play against each other.
Fixed - A squad is able to join a Ranked match even if there is one squad member below level 20.
Fixed - Sometimes a squad of 2+ can be split when trying to join a casual or ranked match.

CUSTOM GAME
Fixed - Users are able to create Player Hosted Custom Online Games.


LEVEL DESIGN

ALL MAPS

Fixed - When entering from rappel while breaching a window, the character animation will remain stuck looking up.
Fixed - Operators fall through the map when spawning.
Fixed - Rappelling while falling will make the character fall out of the map.
Fixed - Long rifle weapons can clip through walls.
Fixed - Players are able to land on window sills to spawn kill.

BANK
Fixed - A small gap in 1F Staff room reveals a spot in EXT Terrace.
Fixed - Attackers can place a drone inside the ceiling in B Server Room allowing them to see all of the basement area.
Fixed - Valkyrie can place a Black Eye inside the ceiling of B sever room.

BARTLETT UNIVERSITY
Fixed - Defenders are able to spawn kill attackers from 2F Classroom.
Fixed - Ela’s concussion mines are very difficult to pick up when place in the boat model.

CHALET
Fixed - Great room can be seen through a gap in the floor on 2F bedrooms hallway.
Fixed - There is a gap at the doorway located at 2F Office area allowing to see the EXT Backyard Patio and 1F Great Room area.
Fixed - Players can place drones inside the walls of Chalet from 2F office balcony.
Fixed - The red wall does not cover the full Kitchen window, which allows Echo to throw his drone outside during Preparation Phase.
Fixed - Players can push teammates out or into geometry with the use of reinforcements in Kitchen.

CLUBHOUSE
Fixed - Jäger gets stuck in 2F Logistic Office's bookcase after placing the ADS on the second shelf.
Fixed - The player is stuck under the table at 1F Bar when trying to get out from under it.

COASTLINE
Fixed - Jäger can clip through a wall after placing his ADS in a specific spot of the 2F Penthouse area.
Fixed - Players can get onto the purple tarps in EXT Pool by walking along the pool's glass border.
Fixed - When shot from the rooftop, Hibana pellets will not stick to the destructible wall from 1F Blue Bar area.

CONSULATE
Fixed - It’s possible to melee through reinforced walls when doing a rappel enter in 2F Exit Stairs.
Fixed - Defenders can spawn kill attackers near Riot Barricade from 2F Administration Office.
Fixed - One Way Mirror can be deployed on the opposite side of the reinforcement in 2F Break Room.

FAVELA
Fixed - Attackers are killed if they enter rappel on the wall near to the EXT Courtyard metal platform while sliding off the platform.

HEREFORD BASE
Fixed - In Terrorist Hunt, a player can spawn inside another when choosing EXT Shooting Range as spawn location.
Fixed - Defenders can have a one-way view outside from 2F laundry room.
Fixed - Valkyrie's camera becomes invisible if thrown on an iron frame between B Corridor and B Armory.
Fixed - Textures between reinforceable and indestructible walls allow bullets to pass through.

HOUSE
Fixed - Attackers near EXT Construction Site can be spawn killed by defenders from the window at 2F Upper Hallway.
Fixed - The Defuser can be planted between pillows and cannot be detected by defenders.

KAFE
Fixed - Inconsistent deployment of Active Defence System on walls with a lower wood panel.

KANAL
Fixed - A small gap in indestructible window allows players to see outside.

OREGON
Fixed - Some collisions with barbed wires and Grzmot mines are inconsistent.
Fixed - There is a space between the window frame and the wall at EXT Junkyard that allows the player to see inside the building.
Fixed - It is possible to shoot through textures from 1F Meeting Hall inside the B Supply Closet.

PLANE
Fixed - Drone can be placed inside walls of Plane from 3F cockpit stairs.
Fixed - Destroying South side of 2F Meeting room ceiling reveals a gap that exposes attackers coming in from EXT Caterer.
Fixed - Drone can be placed inside the plane ceilings from EXT Caterer.

SKYSCRAPER
Fixed - Players can vault on the wooden beam on 2F Work Office using a deployable shield.
Fixed - It’s possible to shoot from 1F Bathroom to 1F bedroom through the indestructible cabinet.
Fixed - Operators are able to clip through the stairs when prone and moving.
Fixed - The wood blinds in the windows block bullets completely until broken.
Fixed - Skyscraper map name is not in capital letters as the rest of the maps list in PVP & PVE map preferences.

THEME PARK
Fixed - Players can clip through the unbreakable wall between 2F Office and 2F Rail Corridor.
Fixed - A Black mirror cannot be placed next to another one when a reinforcement is placed on wall of 2F Daycare.
Fixed - Kapkan's EDD is sometimes destroyed when breaking a barricade.

TOWER
Fixed - There is a gap in the wall that allows the player to see through it with a drone at 2F Exhibit Hallway.
Fixed - The glass in 1F West Balcony facing the west side is indestructible.
Fixed - It is possible to walk in the air in some areas of the map.
Fixed - The lights on the side of the tower can block the attacker's rappel trajectory.
Fixed - Users may experience FPS drops when shooting a specific screen at 1F West Observatory.

YACHT
Fixed - Characters can clip through the stairs when prone and moving.


USER EXPERIENCE
Fixed - Spawn Locations are missing in the waiting screen of the Preparation Phase when Attacker Unique Spawn match setting is activated.
Fixed - Killer's pawn orientation is sideways during the death cam zoom in.
Fixed - "This weapon skin is available for" section can only display up to 4 operator icons when unlocking weapon-specific weapon skins in an Alpha Pack.
Fixed - Placing gadgets such as breach charges on exterior small barricades will show no prompt for removing the gadget.
Fixed - The Dialog Volume affects environmental sounds, especially footsteps.
Fixed - The exterior part of the tactical map is missing in the spawn selection menu.
Fixed - There's no visual indicator for muted players.
Fixed - Sometimes hovering over a bundle in the shop will not show its description.
Fixed - There is no username voice chat display when a squad member speaks in the menu.
Fixed - Players are not notified to collect reward from a completed Ubisoft Club Challenge.
Fixed - Voice chat cuts off in MVP screen.
Fixed - No scoreboard is displayed at the end of the game.
Fixed - After collecting rewards from a Ubisoft Club challenge, in-game challenge tab won't update.
Fixed - Renown-counting sound is still playing in transition if the player quits the match.
Fixed - When a player loses connection, the message displayed is "spectator, GAMESERVER, has left the game".
Fixed - Player will remain with the shield while spectating in drone.
Fixed - Caster and Spectator have a team chat.
Fixed - The concussion effects of mines and Echo’s drone are shown on the caster camera.

Two new Operators and an entirely new game mode are now available in Rainbow Six Siege. The Operators, Finka and Lion, bring new gadgets with the power to affect their allies and enemies no matter where they are on the map. These abilities are set to shake things up in competitive multiplayer, but they can also be used to great effect in Outbreak. Check out the first video to see Finka and Lion’s gadgets in action.

https://youtu.be/zXV4Sgeyr2c

The Operation Chimera Operators are available now for Year 3 Season Pass holders, and they will become available for purchase in-game using Renown or R6 Credits on March 13th.



Outbreak is a imited time co-op event in which teams of up to three players face off against hordes of deadly enemies mutated by an alien parasite in order to discover the truth behind the infestation, it will be available for free to all Siege owners from March 6 to April 3.

Check out some Outbreak starter tips to survive with your team of 3!

https://youtu.be/d78X4eBgL6Q

For additional information and all details about the latest patch, take a look at the full Patch Notes here.

The first patch after the season launches is generally a much lighter patch. As such, you will not see the same level of fixes as a Season launch. Patch Y3S1.1 deploys on all platforms on Wednesday, March 21st.

• Fixed - The operator can be invisible for all users or have a different BDU equipped instead of the selected one when switching operator at the last moment.
• Fixed - All equipped weapon skins, charms, uniforms and headgear (except those awarded by the Season Pass) are reset to default after losing connectivity.
• Fixed - R6 Credits are not received after buying them from Shop.
• Fixed - The Starter Pack discount pop up for Blitz cannot be closed.
• Fixed - Player loose access to Operator from Starter Edition bundles when purchasing Standard Edition.
• Fixed - The play ranked button can be selected for a second after a user below clearance level 20 join the squad.
• Fixed - The Gold Skin for Hibana's P229 is corrupted.
• Fixed - Text overlaps the preview Operator image in Highlights tab from the Shop Menu.
• Fixed - While wearing the Sidewinder Elite uniform, Ash's eyes will be slightly misaligned in the MVP screen.
• Fixed - When the Hostage is DBNO before escort, there is no "revive" icon or timer.
• Fixed - Occasionally, in poor network conditions, Hostage can remain stuck if it enters DBNO while being pick up by a player.
• Fixed - He Grunt Chibi is stuck to the magazine while reloading.
• Fixed - Drone can be placed inside walls of plane from 3F cockpit stairs on Plane.

• Fixed - During the intro cinematic, the hands of the right-most operator will be misaligned with the weapon.
• Fixed - If a player leaves the sessions during the transition from Part A to Part B, shaders do not load properly
• Fixed - Buck cannot refill his Skeleton Key while holding the secondary weapon.
• Fixed - Outbreak Collection icon is missing from Ash's Operator Card when equipping the Black Viper Elite.
• Fixed - Incorrect victory pose model is shown for the Ash Black Viper Elite in the Collection menu.
• Fixed - Some operators have the Outbreak load out in the Operator screen.
• Fixed - The Outbreak Collection button does not work.
• Fixed - Operator's voice lines are not heard, nor subtitles displayed, when starting the game in a language different from English.
• Fixed - After using all the ammo on the turret, it can't be picked up or interacted with, losing all of its functionality.

Our recoil system currently has a flaw, primarily affecting fully automatic weapons, that occasionally causes bullets to diverge from where the reticle is pointing. We will be fixing it by making changes to how our recoil mechanic works and we will be deploying this during the next test on the Test Server. The goal is to offer a clean, tight shooting system that does not cheat players out of a great show of skill, or on the contrary, register a headshot when the player is aiming at the torso.

We prototyped several technical solutions to correct the issue over the last year, but they all had significant drawbacks. We were not comfortable moving forward with the majority of those solutions. The solution we landed on shifted how recoils behave, making them trivial to control so all recoils had to be re-done in the new system. We tested some major adjustments to the foundations of the recoil equation on the TTS in September 2017[rainbow6.ubisoft.com]TTS in September 2017. Following feedback from that Test Server session, we changed how we were going to go about addressing the issue. As such, we have moved away from predictable recoil patterns, and found another solution that does not involve predictable recoil.

You can take a look at the comparison between the current recoil and the recoil that will be tested on the Test Server here[ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net]!

With this new direction, we have made an effort to ensure that each weapon feels as close to the original recoil as possible. We have worked hard at trying to match the unique shooting feel of Siege by firing tens of thousands of bullets and switching back and forth between the two systems, alternating between the two and iterating to bring the new recoils closer to their live counterpart.

These changes will be live on the next phase of the Test Server, and we are eagerly awaiting your feedback. Please jump into the discussion and let us know your thoughts on the Test Server subreddit here, or on the main subreddit here!

Toxicity management is a priority we will be focusing on as a team over the next few years, and we have a few different ways we plan on dealing with it. Our end goal is to track negative player behavior, manage those that behave poorly, and eventually implement features that will encourage players to improve their behavior.

We have been working on some short-term changes that will quickly have an impact, such as chat improvements, and team kill tracking.


We are currently tracking the frequency at which racial or homophobic slurs are used by individual players, and will be applying bans with increasing severity on a case-by-case basis.

This is clearly outlined in the following section of the Code of Conduct[rainbow6.ubisoft.com]:

“Any language or content deemed illegal, dangerous, threatening, abusive, obscene, vulgar, defamatory, hateful, racist, sexist, ethically offensive or constituting harassment is forbidden.”

The bans for this will fall within the following durations, depending on severity:

• 2 Days
• 7 Days
• 15 Days
• Permanent

*Please note that this is not a strict progression of bans. Particularly egregious offenders can be permanently banned without a warning, 2, 7, or 15 day ban being applied beforehand.


ETA: Season 3

We want to put more power in our player’s hands to manage their own online experience. As such, giving you direct control over communication channels is important. We are working on allowing players to mute players individually for each player in the game. For example, you can mute the text chat of player A, the voice chat of player B, text and voice for player C, and neither for player D.


ETA: Season 3

Our team is working on the creation of an automated system that will censor text chat in game based on a chat filter list. This will replace words that have been identified as offensive and provide players with a notification that their language was found to be unacceptable. We will also be tracking the number of times players trigger this filter and will take action as necessary for players that are intentionally having a negative impact on other player’s gaming experience.


ETA: Season 2

Intentional team killing is an issue in Rainbow Six, and our current method of addressing it is being improved. The goal is to track long term offenders across multiple games and sessions that slip through the cracks of our current team kill detection system. We cannot provide too many details on this, as it will lead to exploiting.

These short-term changes will begin to address toxicity, but we do not plan to stop there. We are serious about tackling the issues surrounding the potential for a negative player experience, and we will share any further changes with you prior to their implementation. We are interested in hearing your thoughts, and gathering your feedback! Please jump into the discussion on the subreddit and let us know what you think.

Extend and enhance your Rainbow Six experience with the Year 3 Pass, and get early access to 8 upcoming operators in Year 3 from Russia, France, Italy, UK, USA and Morocco!



Get your Year 3 Pass here![store.steampowered.com]

Purchase the Year 3 Pass before March 5th 2018 and get the Signature Damascus Steel Skin.



Additionally, if you’re an owner of the Year 2 Pass, you will receive a bonus of 600 R6 Credits, on top of the 600 that come with the Year 3 Pass.

With the Y3 Pass get access to a 1-year* VIP premium membership which includes:

YEAR 3 OPERATORS AND BONUS DLC

• 8 new Year 3 operators
  
• 8 exclusive headgear and uniforms
  
• R6 Meteorite Charm
  
• 600 R6 Credits

VIP PERKS

• 7-day early access to each season's new Operators.
  
• 10% discount in the in-game shop**
  
• 5% Renown boost
  
• +0,3% Alpha Pack Boost

*VIP Membership ends January 31, 2019
**10% discount only applies to purchases made with Renown or R6 Credits.


If you missed the Year 2 Pass, don’t worry! You can still get the 8 Y2 operators in the Year 2 Operators bundle, available in the in-game shop for 2400 R6 Credits.

Patch 4.2 will be deployed to the TTS on Thursday, January 11th. As with most Mid-Season Reinforcements, we have a collection of Operator changes that are coming, particularly for a couple of fan favorites (or nemeses).

Deployment on the live servers will come after we have had a chance to review the feedback from the TTS.


We have decided to lower the magazine size of her SMG from 50 to 40 bullets.

Game Designer notes: Ela overpowers her competition. Players select her almost every round, and for a good reason. All of the data we have on her (such as win ratio, K/D ratio, and Kills per round) shows that she needs to be nerfed. We have found this to be primarily because of her SMG and to a lesser extent her concussion mines.

The recoil of her SMG was already nerfed slightly with Y2S3.2, but this did not have the impact that we hoped.

For now, we’re trying to balance her while keeping her SMG’s uniqueness, which lets her fight several opponents at a time better than other defenders. We will consider other ways of nerfing this weapon if this is not enough.

In addition to the reduced magazine size, we will be reducing the overall strength of concussion effects across the board.

Reduction in Concussion effects

With Y2S4.2 patch, concussion effects will no longer disable sprinting. It will still reduce movement speed and camera rotation speed, but affected targets will recuperate much faster (4 sec, instead of 7 sec). The effect on sight and hearing will still last a total of 7 sec.

Game Designer notes: This change will affect both Ela and Zofia. We believe this will most heavily impact Ela, as Zofia also has impact grenades to rely on for increased effectiveness.

Compared to other gadgets of this nature, the concussion effect is superior in almost every way: it greatly affects movement speed, massively slows down rotation speed, and also reduces a player’s ability to hear and see.


We reduced the damage of the R4-C to 39 (from 41).



Game Designer notes: Ash is still a pick that is too attractive when compared to other attackers. We’ve compared her most popular weapon (R4-C) to other assault rifles stats and given the R4-C’s very high rate of fire (860), its damage is a bit too high.

*We are aware of a visual issue with Suppressed damage not displaying properly in the Menu. The values in-game are true to the table above.


We increased the Para-308’s raw damage is to 48 (from 43). We also slightly reduced the intensity of the random components of its recoil.



Game Designer notes: Capitao right now is not attractive enough. His gadget suffers from a few issues that will need long-term solutions, but in the meantime, it’s clear that his main assault rifle is too weak.

*We are aware of a visual issue with Suppressed damage not displaying properly in the Menu. The values in-game are true to the table above.


We reduced the max ammo for each Shock Drone to 5 (from 15).

Game Designer notes: Twitch right now is too strong. There are several possible reasons, one of them being that her drones have the potential to deny an unreasonable amount of electronics from defenders. We feel that this change will force players to start making choices about when to shoot or to save their ammo, and which Defender gadgets to destroy.


Bandit will now have two barbed wire (down from 3).

Game Designer notes: Even if Ela has eclipsed Bandit’s pick rate, players still pick him too often. Reducing the number of barbed wires he has should bring him more in line with other Defenders.


We lowered Lesion’s Gu Mine refill timer to 30 sec (from 35).

Game Designer notes: Lesion is in an OK place right now, but could use a slight buff. By reducing the refill timer, it will encourage his specific playstyle of staying alive as long as possible to increase the strength of his defensive gadget.


The T-AA has been fully implemented. As part of this, the Resolution Scaling and Sharpness Factor slide bars are in the Options menu.

With render scaling, you will be able to customize the ratio between render resolution and display resolution, which will allow you to maintain your target framerate. For example:



More details about Temporal Filtering and Anti-Aliasing can be found here.[www.twitch.tv]


We changed the player markers for players that are interacting with the Defuser. When a teammate is interacting with the Defuser, a new animation icon appears on the player. If your teammate is in the process of disabling the Defuser, you will also notice a new animated icon on that player. The new animated icon should make it easier to identify which teammate is currently interacting with the Defuser.

Additionally, once the teammate plants the Defuser, the progress of the Defuser replaces the round timer.

These are the first steps we are taking towards improving the Bomb game mode, and we will have more information about our next steps at the Six Invitational!


We will be making some adjustments to the Caster Camera. These adjustments will improve the viewer experience for those watching the spectator camera, but also provide them with more information in a more digestible format.

You can see a screenshot of the new UI here:



BUG FIXES


FIXED – Shield exploit that involves Deployable Shields being held in front of an Operator.

FIXED – Attack Operators can appear as a 2D texture when approaching broken walls while holding the hostage.

FIXED – Certain operator weapons produce extremely bright smoke and can obscure the view of the players.

FIXED – Zofia dies after using Withstand when a match has a Handicap of 75 or less Damage.


Terrorist Hunt

FIXED – Bombers do not always spawn during a Terrorist Hunt Classic on Tower map.

FIXED – Last three enemies of a wave will get stuck behind the reversed table in 2F Meeting room.

Spectator Camera

FIXED – Switching to Dokkaebi on support mode during her gadget animation will show her gadget screen empty.


Dokkaebi

FIXED – Dokkaebi loses functionality, and a broken animation is present if Dokkaebi gets into DBNO state while hacking the camera system.

FIXED – No warning appears when Dokkaebi is out of Logic Bomb uses and tries to activate it.

FIXED – When in ADS, you do not need to hold the appropriate key to use Logic Bomb.

Echo

FIXED – Yokai is stuck and has framed camera rotation rate on uneven terrain/debris.

FIXED – The drones including Yokai have issues smoothly turning when navigating on certain destructible surfaces.

FIXED – The Yokai drone loses signal in multiple places on Tower.

FIXED – Echo drone can stick to the canister under Mira’s Black Mirror.

Zofia

FIXED – Zofia's LMG-E should have 150 bullets instead of 151.

FIXED – Users can extend the bleed out timer by spamming Withstand.

Ying

FIXED – Ying's Candela will not go through the Ramps of 3F Watchtower of Oregon.


Chalet

FIXED – Players can prone between objects at 1F Trophy Room and be pushed inside the wall or outside at EXT Campfire Wood.

FIXED – Nitro cells do not inflict damage if detonated on the plants from 1F Great Room.

FIXED – Defenders in Prone stance in one corner of 1F Dining Room are not contesting the objective.

Bank

FIXED – Bullets pass through the desk located at CCTV room.

Clubhouse

FIXED – Player can be stuck inside a wall if they use the vault prompt on beer cases.

Consulate

FIXED – Castle’s double door Armor Panels do not cover the entire frame.

Tower

FIXED – Player can vault in a specific location to get on a window frame.

FIXED – There are lights on the side of the tower, which can block an Attacker's rappel trajectory.

Kanal

FIXED – Due to a missing texture, players can exploit an area using drones and kill enemies.

Coastline

FIXED – Attackers can plant the Defuser from outside the objective at Ext Main Entrance.

Theme Park

FIXED – Attackers can place a drone inside the barricaded window of EXT Sweet Shops.

FIXED – Vault prompt is missing on the rooftop of the building.


FIXED – Too much smoke appears when shooting with some weapons.

FIXED – Installing the latest graphics driver for AMD will cause a crash when explosives are triggered.

FIXED – Concussion and Sonic Burst effect applies to replays if applied after the start of replay.

Welcome to Year 3 of Rainbow Six Siege. Your continued support allows us to create new content and we’re thrilled to reveal what’s under the command tent. Push the flap aside and come on in. We’re starting the year with Operation Chimera and a new specialized CTU in the lineup.

Biological and chemical attacks are growing threats to Operators. Six created the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Threat Unit. CBRN is its own distinct CTU. The following two experts know what they’re doing and they’ll never turn their backs on a hotzone. These two new operators are joining the multiplayer roster and will also be playable in the limited time Outbreak event, along with other legacy operators.

One operator hails from France and uses a drone to maintain quarantine perimeters. Their service record is astounding, but their list of regrets seems endless.


The other operator moved to Russia to pursue their studies and they uncovered a range of applications for self-dissolving nanobots. All allies can benefit from the research carried out by this CBRN Specialist.

Within Operation Chimera is our limited-time event: 


Suit up and check your gear because Rainbow Six is tackling an epidemic consuming the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Choose your best team of three to neutralize the threat. If you don’t choose your Operator in time on the Operator Selection screen, your man Recruit will still have your back. As always, he’s ready to serve.


This limited time co-op event is free for everyone who has a copy of Rainbow Six Siege. To learn more about Outbreak, check-in regularly on the Rainbow Six website. This event also offers exclusive headgears, uniforms, weapon skins, and charms to customize Rainbow Six Operators. For more information about the Outbreak Collection, please consult this blog post[rainbow6.ubisoft.com]. But who’s the enemy in Outbreak? What’s new with the gameplay? What does our Lord Tachanka think of all this?

You’ll have to check our website often for more updates. To get all the intel your heart desires, tune in for the Six Invitational taking place in Montreal from February 13th to 18th, broadcasted on the official Twitch channel[www.twitch.tv].

The Outbreak event will mark the beginning of the third year of Rainbow Six Siege. We are grateful to the millions of players who have supported us for so long, and thanks to you, we are beginning a new year of Siege with a lot of exciting content ahead. To show our gratitude, we want to start Year 3 with a gift to our community, something truly unique. We hope you will enjoy playing Outbreak as much as we enjoyed making it.


Outbreak is a free coop event taking place within Operation Chimera. Over a duration of four weeks, all Rainbow Six Siege owners will be able to team-up with two of their friends to take on a mysterious threat. The Outbreak event will be deployed first on TTS on February 20th. It will then be playable from March 6th to April 3rd, for all of our players.


A few days ago, a mysterious space capsule crashed near Truth or Consequences in New Mexico. It turned out to be carrying an exotic parasite, the Apex, which infected the area and turned the town’s populace into monsters. The Quarantine Zone is the only thing keeping it contained but it will not last for long. If the parasite gets out, it would be a disaster of global proportions. Millions would die. Rainbow’s mission is to enter the devastated town and destroy the parasite’s roots before this happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQd-6RAZ4Qc


Outbreak takes the renowned Rainbow Six Siege gameplay and drops it in a new and fresh setting with an innovative twist. The parasite is unlike any threat the Rainbow Six team has ever faced before. From exploding monstrosities to hulking horrors, these armored monsters will bring the fight close and push the destruction engine to new heights – they won’t hesitate to tear through walls to get to you. Five archetypes of infected will challenge players in Outbreak, each with their own distinct abilities. Players must react quickly to fortify their positions and control their environments while under pressure. Play smartly and tactically to find new ways of using your arsenal, against a foe that doesn’t take cover and engages instantly in close combat.

There are two difficulty levels in Outbreak. The first one, Normal, will give a challenge to our players, but one they can overcome with coordination and team spirit. Where the real fun starts though, is with the second difficulty level: Pandemic. In this mode, friendly fire is on so watch were you’re shooting! Additionally, enemies can take you down with only a few hits. Smart tactical play and team play are the only way to prevail. In this punishing difficulty mode, only a select few will succeed… Will you be brave enough to dare it?


Three new exclusive coop-oriented levels are playable in Outbreak. These maps are bigger and more open than PvP maps, with sizable sections entirely outdoors. Being designed for coop, they are also more linear and feature a clear sense of progression. Nevertheless, the destruction and multi-path approach that are iconic to Rainbow Six Siege are still very much present. Will you go in guns blazing, or quietly sneak through a side door?


Not every Operator has the right skillset for this mission. The development team had to make an informed choice in who would be playable in Outbreak. We made a selection of Operators who are the most adapted and relevant for this specific game mode, from a design standpoint.

This is the list of playable Operators in Outbreak:

• The two new Operation Chimera Operators
• Smoke
• Ying
• Buck
• Kapkan
• Ash
• Doc
• Tachanka
• Glaz
• And last but not least, our faithful Recruit!


Within the duration of the 4 weeks event, an exclusive collection of cutting edge cosmetic will be available. This gear will be found in the Outbreak Packs.

In line with our promise to you from the beginning, the Outbreak Packs will not provide you with any gameplay elements, and will contain cosmetic items only.

The Outbreak Collection contains 50 cosmetic items ranging from Rare to Legendary quality. The items include weapons skins, headgear, BDUs, charms and a unique Elite skin. They are found in Outbreak Packs, which each contain one item. There are no duplicates. The Outbreak Packs are available for purchase only for the duration of the Outbreak event. Finally, four Outbreak Packs are granted to each player for free upon starting Outbreak for the first time. For more details about the Outbreak Collection, please consult this blog post[rainbow6.ubisoft.com].

Keep checking our blog for more updates on what’s coming up. Don’t miss the full reveal of both Operation Chimera and Outbreak during the Six Invitational. For more information about the Six Invitational, head to the official Twitch channel[www.twitch.tv]..[www.twitch.tv]

Fans, professional players, talents, content creators and developers will gather once more to celebrate a shared passion at the TOHU, Montreal, for an event twice as big as last year:

- 16 teams competing for a $500,000 prize pool and the title of World Champion

- Live showcases of new content including the anticipated reveal of our next season

- Developer and community panels



Watch live: http://steamcommunity.com/broadcast/watch/76561198812377756

In Operation Chimera, two new Operators join Team Rainbow to help contain a mysterious parasite infection that hit a small town in New Mexico. To safeguard the perimeter, Six selected the most qualified biohazard specialists in the world: Lion and Finka.

From France and Russia respectively, the hot zone Operators Lion and Finka are veterans of numerous conflicts involving bio-chemical threats. They join Team Rainbow to create a CBRN Threat unit, which will provide tactical gear and expertise to quell biological hazards.






After a space capsule crashed in New Mexico, an Outbreak and a surge of violence forced the authorities to establish a Quarantine Zone around Truth or Consequences.

The whole town was infected with an alien parasite, which triggered aggressive mutations in the residents. This parasite is highly adaptable, able to mutate into dangerous five lethal types of Infected.

The Quarantine Zone is the only thing keeping this Outbreak contained, but it will not last. If the parasite gets out, the resulting death toll would reach unprecedented numbers.


Outbreak challenges you to step up to the plate. Go on the offensive and venture inside the Quarantine Zone to contain the infection threatening to spread across North America. Explore our three new maps with your squad and survive hordes of hostiles to identity the source of the parasite.

This limited-time event will be held from March 6th to April 3rd 2018. We invite you to play Outbreak on our Technical Test Server starting on February 20th.

Outbreak will be made available periodically throughout the TTS phase, allowing us time to improve and implement fixes as necessary.




Outbreak’s three player coop mode will force you to revisit your strategies and push you to rely on teammates like never before. The infected hostiles outnumber you on every front, and your only way out alive is through innovative tactics that will give you an edge.

Your team will be composed of three of the following Operators: Ash, Tachanka, Doc, Smoke, Buck, Kapkan, Glaz, Ying, Finka, Lion and Recruit.

The loadout of Outbreak Operators will also be tweaked to incorporate gadgets that favor melee combat. The flashbangs will allow for special takedown combinations, and smoke grenades will encourage chaos that will thin out your enemies. Outbreak will bring the tension of CQC to another level.




GRUNTS
Grunts are common hostile that become highly resistant when the parasite detects an enemy presence. To protect its host, the parasite armors its body and becomes more resistant to bullet wounds. They will try to surround you, and flank you from the sides. Caution and stealth is recommended.

BREACHERS
Breachers are proximity bombs that crater anything in their path. They make for a very agile opponent, but they launch themselves into the fray and blow holes in indestructible walls. Make sure you are nowhere close to them.

ROOTERS
Rooters are a rarer type of hostile. They send out coral spikes from the ground to injure and immobilize their targets. Rooters are always on the move and will keep you on edge. Beware when dealing them the final blow; they become extremely lethal when on the brink of death.


SMASHERS
Smashers are not discreet. The parasite reinforces its body under a massively thick hide, making it practically impervious to bullet wounds. They can also tear down walls without suffering any injuries. Most weapons are ineffective against them so be wary, their goal is to split you up from your teammates.

APEX
Apex is at the top of the hostile food chain. It sends waves of hostiles your way rather than attack you head-on. They can hurl blinding projectiles, which can only be countered by Finka and Doc. This opponent is a real test on your team’s communication skills. To succeed you must eliminate the growing number of hostiles while hunting down the Apex.




RESORT
In Resort, you are dropped in the streets of Truth or Consequences for an insertion operation. You must breach an ageing resort heavily infested with hostile. According to our intel, the parasites are building a nursery. Foray into treacherous crevices and course through a kitsch décor crawling with hostile vacationers.

HOSPITAL
Hospital offers an elaborate hostage rescue operation, which is located deep in infested territory. The grim and narrow hallways set the stage for CQC tactics. The risk is worth it, though. The doctor trapped inside the hospital may be key to providing a cure.

JUNKYARD
The latest intel leads to a private property situated on the outskirts of Truth or Consequences. Junkyard offers an open outdoor setting with unique obstacles to keep you and your team vulnerable. Make a firm stand as waves of hostiles try to protect the heart of the infection.



The Outbreak Collection contains 50 cosmetic items of Rare, Epic and Legendary quality. There are a total of 50 unique items, including weapons skins, headgears, uniforms, charms and a unique Elite Uniform.

There are no duplicates.

Get 4 packs just by connecting to the event. Available only from March 6th to April 3rd, 2018. You can also get 10 packs with the Advanced Edition, Y3 Gold Edition, or the Y3 Complete Edition. The remaining packs can be purchased with R6 credits during the Outbreak Event.




For Operation Chimera, we’re rolling out two new seasonal weapon skins. Once unlocked, these skins can be applied on all available weapons until the end of the Season. The Rusty Trigger weapon skins come straight from the hotzones to give you that hazardous junkyard look without catching the infection. The Ancestral Southwest seasonal weapon skins bring New Mexico's rich culture to your fingertips.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for new content available in our Alpha Packs.

We are thrilled to launch another year of Rainbow Six Siege content with our Year 3 Pass. Your continuous support is essential as it drives us forward, and ensures our longevity.

As a thank you gift to Year 2 Pass owners who renew their Pass for Year 3, we offer 600 additional R6 credits. Follow the link below for a detailed list of everything included in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege Year 3 Season Pass.




ELA
We are going to continue building on our previous adjustments to Ela by making more substantial changes this Season. She is still too powerful and, logically, picked way too often. This is mostly because of her SMG still being too strong. As such, we are going to be making the following changes:

Increased recoil
The recoil will be harder to control. It will pull harder on the camera, and the maximum amount of kick (max diamond size) is bigger.

Damage Reduced
The damage is lowered from 28 to 23, to better take the high rate of fire into account



Our objective is that she remains efficient at taking fights at short distances when getting pushed by attackers, but is at a clear disadvantage when taking medium to long range fights versus assault rifles with ACOGs.

Loadout Changes
A deployable shield will replace her impact grenades. As many of you identified, she was too good at doing all the roaming work by herself: preparing rotations, being warned by Concussion mines, and of course killing with her SMG.
This loadout change will force her to rely on teammates for rotation holes, or to pick the shotgun if she wants to do them herself.

KAPKAN
Impact grenades will replace Kapkan’s barbed wires. He already has a lot to do in preparation phase to set his traps up – having impact grenades for faster rotations is a better fit for his playstyle.

BLITZ
Blitz has been working out, and will now be a 2 speed / 2 armor operator.
The previous rework of Blitz that let him sprint while holding his shield had a positive impact on his popularity, but he is still at the bottom of the pack. We believe making Blitz faster is the next logical step to making him a more attractive choice and help him close the gap, as he really shines when he manages to get in close quarter with isolated defenders.





GAME HEALTH

ROTATION DESYNC FOR DBNO PLAYERS
In some instances, the server was rejecting shots to players in a DBNO (Down But Not Out) state. The reason for this was a desynchronization with the game server. After downing an enemy, you could see him rotating in one direction from your point of view, while on the server, their movement was completely different, and that is why some of your shots to DBNO targets would not register.

Rotation Desync for DBNO Players
The image above shows the difference between what the player sees and what is happening on the server (in red). We have addressed this desync and your shots should now land properly and accurately on downed enemies.


PLAYER COMFORT

RELOADING CHANGES
Changes to ammo update timings
When you reload your weapon there is always a point in the animation where your ammo count updates. We have overhauled the “key” moment where it happens during the animation. All weapons ammo updates are now slightly faster. They have been rationalized according to their animation. This should make reloading a lot more comfortable.

Interrupting tactical reload with going to ADS
You can now interrupt a tactical reload (reloading with a round in still in the chamber) with aiming down the sights. Before you could only do it with sprint, but now if you are reloading and someone surprises you and you want to shoot, all you have to do is go to ADS and fire instantly with your remaining ammunition.

Reload resume points
Missing reload resume points have been added to all weapons reloads. When you interrupt a full reload, if you have done certain steps (ie. Discarding the empty magazine) you won’t do that step again when resuming the reload animation.

Raw Input on PC
We will be implementing a new input method on PC. This raw input option reads mouse/keyboard values directly from the hardware, without any post-processing. This may slightly improve the responsiveness of the mouse/keyboard during heavy load. This option can be found under Controls > Raw Input.

PLAYLIST CHANGES


CASUAL PLAYLIST UPDATE
We are removing Bartlett University from the Casual Playlist and adding Yacht back.

Ranked Playlist remains unchanged.

GAME BALANCING

DEPLOYABLE SHIELD WALKING
You can no longer walk on deployable shields. At any instant that an operator is considered walking on the shield, it will collapse on itself (be destroyed) and the shield is refunded in the inventory of the defender that placed it. That will prevent players from utilizing exploits by walking on a shield.

MELEE HIT VALIDATION
Throughout last season, we collected your feedback regarding hit validation in general and melee hit validation in particular. Many of you have experienced how it feels to flank an enemy, approach from behind, land a clear knife hit, hear the audio, but not get the kill. We understand how frustrating it can be, that’s why in Patch 3.1 we have applied some tweaks and improvements that should make melee attacks much more reliable, and we are looking forward to receiving your feedback!



GAMEPLAY
Fixed - The gadget crosshair will persist after switching to drone toss.
Fixed - It is possible to hear Mute's jammer even when standing very far away from it.
Fixed - The barbwires' slow down effect is still ongoing even after the player is no longer into the barbwire's effective range, or when the barbwire is destroyed.
Fixed - Resetting animation when switching views between one player standing up and one crouch.
Fixed - Rubberbanding can happen after detaching from rappelling.
Fixed - After scanning enemies, the distance to them might not be shown.
Fixed - A player will not take damage when spamming crouch.
Fixed - When the drone owner dies while controlling his drone, others can’t rotate the camera view of the dead player’s drone.
Fixed - Following certain steps, it's possible to have some gadgets out in a stance you normally can't.
Fixed - When the player interrupts the reload animation of the LFP586 revolver by switching weapons, then switches back to LFP586 and reloads again, there will be no new rounds loaded.
Fixed - Operator's body rotation is not replicated correctly when vaulting.
Fixed - Moving once you hit the ground after entering a window in rappel will lock the character’s movement for a couple of seconds.
Fixed - Operators can teleport if they remove a breaching charge while ending the rappel animation.
Fixed - The "American Anarchy" headgear's hairstyle slightly extends the hitbox upwards.
Fixed - When friendly fire is off, drones don't get destroyed by going out of bounds.
Fixed - Players randomly die by falling during Multiplayer sessions.

OPERATORS

BANDIT
Fixed - The shock battery disappears when the barbwire it is placed on is destroyed.

BLITZ
Fixed - Blitz's first person animation is faster than third person animation when equipping his shield from the back.

DOC
Fixed - Stim Pistol's reticule turns blue when aiming at an attacker.
Fixed - Doc is able to sprint and use his stim pistol without slowing down.

ECHO
Fixed - Yokai drone can be placed in a door/window frame in a way that a barricade placed over, allows it to see and fire on both sides.
Fixed - HUD will display "Kill assist" when a teammate kills a stunned player but will not count on the scoreboard.

ELA
Fixed - The Grzmot mine can be deployed between wall panels causing the tip of the gadget to clip through the wall.
Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.

FUZE
Fixed - The character can freeze while deploying the gadget from rappelling position.

HIBANA
Fixed - Pellets stick incorrectly in the corner of some trapdoors.
Fixed - When shooting at least two times before detonating, X-Kairos do not produce any sound in third person.

IQ
Fixed - Deploying IQ's gadget and entering Observation Mode at the same time causes the gadget to become opaque.

JÄGER
Fixed - Jäger’s gadget floats in the air when placed in certain locations.
Fixed - Jäger’s gadget clips through the wall when placed in certain locations.

LESION
Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.

MONTAGNE
Fixed - Following certain steps, it is possible to have Montagne’s shield up while rappelling.

TACHANKA
Fixed - Tachanka's LMG shields are inconsistent, players can get shot through them in some instances.

VIGIL
Fixed - Vigil's ERC-7 is deactivated when climbing or descending ladders.
Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.

YING
Fixed - The character can freeze while deploying the gadget from rappelling position.


GAME MODES

MULTIPLAYER
Fixed - The play ranked button can be selected for a second after a user below clearance level 20 joins the squad.
Fixed - In some instances, squads of two can split when matchmaking, forcing both players to play against each other.
Fixed - A squad is able to join a Ranked match even if there is one squad member below level 20.
Fixed - Sometimes a squad of 2+ can be split when trying to join a casual or ranked match.

CUSTOM GAME
Fixed - Users are able to create Player Hosted Custom Online Games.


LEVEL DESIGN

ALL MAPS

Fixed - When entering from rappel while breaching a window, the character animation will remain stuck looking up.
Fixed - Operators fall through the map when spawning.
Fixed - Rappelling while falling will make the character fall out of the map.
Fixed - Long rifle weapons can clip through walls.
Fixed - Players are able to land on window sills to spawn kill.

BANK
Fixed - A small gap in 1F Staff room reveals a spot in EXT Terrace.
Fixed - Attackers can place a drone inside the ceiling in B Server Room allowing them to see all of the basement area.
Fixed - Valkyrie can place a Black Eye inside the ceiling of B sever room.

BARTLETT UNIVERSITY
Fixed - Defenders are able to spawn kill attackers from 2F Classroom.
Fixed - Ela’s concussion mines are very difficult to pick up when place in the boat model.

CHALET
Fixed - Great room can be seen through a gap in the floor on 2F bedrooms hallway.
Fixed - There is a gap at the doorway located at 2F Office area allowing to see the EXT Backyard Patio and 1F Great Room area.
Fixed - Players can place drones inside the walls of Chalet from 2F office balcony.
Fixed - The red wall does not cover the full Kitchen window, which allows Echo to throw his drone outside during Preparation Phase.
Fixed - Players can push teammates out or into geometry with the use of reinforcements in Kitchen.

CLUBHOUSE
Fixed - Jäger gets stuck in 2F Logistic Office's bookcase after placing the ADS on the second shelf.
Fixed - The player is stuck under the table at 1F Bar when trying to get out from under it.

COASTLINE
Fixed - Jäger can clip through a wall after placing his ADS in a specific spot of the 2F Penthouse area.
Fixed - Players can get onto the purple tarps in EXT Pool by walking along the pool's glass border.
Fixed - When shot from the rooftop, Hibana pellets will not stick to the destructible wall from 1F Blue Bar area.

CONSULATE
Fixed - It’s possible to melee through reinforced walls when doing a rappel enter in 2F Exit Stairs.
Fixed - Defenders can spawn kill attackers near Riot Barricade from 2F Administration Office.
Fixed - One Way Mirror can be deployed on the opposite side of the reinforcement in 2F Break Room.

FAVELA
Fixed - Attackers are killed if they enter rappel on the wall near to the EXT Courtyard metal platform while sliding off the platform.

HEREFORD BASE
Fixed - In Terrorist Hunt, a player can spawn inside another when choosing EXT Shooting Range as spawn location.
Fixed - Defenders can have a one-way view outside from 2F laundry room.
Fixed - Valkyrie's camera becomes invisible if thrown on an iron frame between B Corridor and B Armory.
Fixed - Textures between reinforceable and indestructible walls allow bullets to pass through.

HOUSE
Fixed - Attackers near EXT Construction Site can be spawn killed by defenders from the window at 2F Upper Hallway.
Fixed - The Defuser can be planted between pillows and cannot be detected by defenders.

KAFE
Fixed - Inconsistent deployment of Active Defence System on walls with a lower wood panel.

KANAL
Fixed - A small gap in indestructible window allows players to see outside.

OREGON
Fixed - Some collisions with barbed wires and Grzmot mines are inconsistent.
Fixed - There is a space between the window frame and the wall at EXT Junkyard that allows the player to see inside the building.
Fixed - It is possible to shoot through textures from 1F Meeting Hall inside the B Supply Closet.

PLANE
Fixed - Drone can be placed inside walls of Plane from 3F cockpit stairs.
Fixed - Destroying South side of 2F Meeting room ceiling reveals a gap that exposes attackers coming in from EXT Caterer.
Fixed - Drone can be placed inside the plane ceilings from EXT Caterer.

SKYSCRAPER
Fixed - Players can vault on the wooden beam on 2F Work Office using a deployable shield.
Fixed - It’s possible to shoot from 1F Bathroom to 1F bedroom through the indestructible cabinet.
Fixed - Operators are able to clip through the stairs when prone and moving.
Fixed - The wood blinds in the windows block bullets completely until broken.
Fixed - Skyscraper map name is not in capital letters as the rest of the maps list in PVP & PVE map preferences.

THEME PARK
Fixed - Players can clip through the unbreakable wall between 2F Office and 2F Rail Corridor.
Fixed - A Black mirror cannot be placed next to another one when a reinforcement is placed on wall of 2F Daycare.
Fixed - Kapkan's EDD is sometimes destroyed when breaking a barricade.

TOWER
Fixed - There is a gap in the wall that allows the player to see through it with a drone at 2F Exhibit Hallway.
Fixed - The glass in 1F West Balcony facing the west side is indestructible.
Fixed - It is possible to walk in the air in some areas of the map.
Fixed - The lights on the side of the tower can block the attacker's rappel trajectory.
Fixed - Users may experience FPS drops when shooting a specific screen at 1F West Observatory.

YACHT
Fixed - Characters can clip through the stairs when prone and moving.


USER EXPERIENCE
Fixed - Spawn Locations are missing in the waiting screen of the Preparation Phase when Attacker Unique Spawn match setting is activated.
Fixed - Killer's pawn orientation is sideways during the death cam zoom in.
Fixed - "This weapon skin is available for" section can only display up to 4 operator icons when unlocking weapon-specific weapon skins in an Alpha Pack.
Fixed - Placing gadgets such as breach charges on exterior small barricades will show no prompt for removing the gadget.
Fixed - The Dialog Volume affects environmental sounds, especially footsteps.
Fixed - The exterior part of the tactical map is missing in the spawn selection menu.
Fixed - There's no visual indicator for muted players.
Fixed - Sometimes hovering over a bundle in the shop will not show its description.
Fixed - There is no username voice chat display when a squad member speaks in the menu.
Fixed - Players are not notified to collect reward from a completed Ubisoft Club Challenge.
Fixed - Voice chat cuts off in MVP screen.
Fixed - No scoreboard is displayed at the end of the game.
Fixed - After collecting rewards from a Ubisoft Club challenge, in-game challenge tab won't update.
Fixed - Renown-counting sound is still playing in transition if the player quits the match.
Fixed - When a player loses connection, the message displayed is "spectator, GAMESERVER, has left the game".
Fixed - Player will remain with the shield while spectating in drone.
Fixed - Caster and Spectator have a team chat.
Fixed - The concussion effects of mines and Echo’s drone are shown on the caster camera.