Leaked information allegedly shared by disgruntled QA testers claims Rainbow Six Extraction once had a single-player story campaign that Ubisoft canceled following the advent of COVID. This supposed bit of insight came alongside a premature look at Rainbow Six Extraction's microtransaction-heavy shop, which QA testers revealed to YouTuber BigfryTV.
Reportedly, members of Ubisoft's contracted QA team feel disappointed that their feedback about Extraction continues to go ignored. By the looks of the leaked footage, which could, admittedly, be from an older build, in-game monetization is already a major issue. One screen from the build in question shows players may be able to pay $10 for 1,100 worth of in-game credits. The problem lies in that a single Operator skin costs 1,000 credits, while a bundle of two skins requires payment of 1,200 credits. And skins that users can unlock by playing don't seem to boast a comparable quality to their high-priced counterparts. Of course, similar monetization issues have plagued Ubisoft titles in recent years.
One of the more interesting details shared in the leak from BigfryTV revolves around Rainbow Six Extraction's original status as a $40 standalone. Allegedly, Ubisoft later decided to expand upon Extraction, turning it into a full-priced game complete with a single-player campaign and "all the bells and whistles," according to QA testers who spoke with the YouTuber. Yet, the project suffered considerably once COVID hit, the leaker claims. Features landed on the cutting room floor and the single-player story fell by the wayside; the pricing model, however, never changed. New levels and Operators were thrown into the mix, but the jury's out on whether the sci-fi Rainbow Six entry will feel worth the price of admission.
As always, it's best to take leaked information with a grain of salt, especially since there currently exists no corroborating evidence to back up the above claims. The in-game shop-related footage does look legitimate, though; as such, there could be some merit to the intel relayed by BigfryTV. If so, one question remains - since Siege is doing well, why wouldn't Ubisoft give developers the extra time necessary to complete Extraction's supposed single-player campaign? Perhaps the original Quarantine subtitle wasn't the only aspect of the new Rainbow Six that hit a little too close to home following the pandemic?
At the time of writing, that much remains a mystery. Why Ubisoft hasn't learned its lesson about egregious in-game purchases continues to confound as well, especially when considering the backlash the publisher received for Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, and AC Valhalla.
Rainbow Six Extraction comes to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S in January 2022.
Source: BigfryTV/YouTube