Giving players more options for roles and characters to control, Rainbow Six Siege has revealed new Operator Aruni and her futuristic laser-powered Defender ability. The last Operator added to the game was Splinter Cell protagonist Sam Fisher, who also crossed over into Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Fisher was added a couple months after Ace and Melusi, who debuted in Rainbow Six Siege in June 2020 as part of the game’s Operation Steel Wave.
Rainbow Six Siege was also added to Xbox Game Pass in mid-October after an amusing tweet hinted at the development via an image displaying a Medieval castle under siege with a rainbow arcing overhead. In addition, the game added respawns for the first time in this year’s Halloween event, which is scheduled to end on November 10, the same day the Xbox Series X/S launches. Owners of Rainbow Six Siege will be eligible for a free upgrade of the game to next-generation consoles, giving PS5 and Xbox Series X users peace of mind knowing their progress will carry forward when the systems launch next week.
As Rainbow Six Siege enters its fifth year of existence, Ubisoft revealed via YouTube the game’s newest Defender, Aruni, and her laser barrier ability. Dubbed Operation Zero Dawn, the teaser is narrated by the Operator, who says, “My gate stands like a star in the darkness. A burning light that keeps enemies at bay. Can you take the heat?” The laser barrier appears to be activated by a piece of equipment that attaches to the frame above a doorway, producing and expanding colorful lights that fill the threshold and block entry. The full reveal for Operation Neon Dawn will be Sunday, November 8, 2020.
Rainbow Six Siege has maintained impressive popularity since its release in December 2015. The game is a shining example of the model toward which the gaming industry has shifted: games as a service. With continuous support for the game, from full expansions to simple updates and additional characters, Ubisoft has kept the community coming back for more, upgrading their characters and putting their tactical skills to the test. This continued support is representative of what most companies have started doing since the model entered its infancy in the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, arguably existing prior to the launch of those consoles with the existence of MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft and Star Wars Galaxies.
With the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One, the games-as-a-service model became the primary form of development for games. Titles such as Destiny 2, the Call of Duty franchise, and even Ghost of Tsushima have implemented different forms of the live-service model. Patches, free and paid DLC, and other forms of ongoing support are the primary ways of keeping games sustainable for years after their release, as opposed to the original model of a purchased game being as-is upon release during the early console days and continuing through LAN parties being so popular. Rainbow Six Siege’s popularity, while impressive, is not surprising given the quality of its ongoing support.
Rainbow Six Siege is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, and it will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X in Q4 2020.
Source: Ubisoft