We are introducing two new features during the Test Server of Operation Para Bellum. We are improving the user interface (UI) of the observation tool system and adding a secondary gadget for Defenders, the Bulletproof Camera.


Right now, players need to perform many actions to reach the drone or camera that they want to see through – especially if they want to switch between two active observation tools (i.e. if Twitch wants to swap between piloting her first and second drone). Our main goal is to simplify this flow, provide a better user experience and a cleaner UI.

This image is an early screenshot of the new UI that we will be implementing. As you can see in the bottom left corner, we replaced the black dots representing the observation tools with actual icons of the tools that you have available.



One of the main benefits of this change is the possibility of observing through your teammates drones during preparation phase while preserving your drone. It will also be much easier to scroll through the list of available cameras and/or drones. Furthermore, this will allow our team more freedom to implement operators with complex intelligence gathering tool kits in the future.

The observation tool changes come right in time for the new addition to the Defenders intel-gathering arsenal: the Bulletproof Camera.


The Bulletproof Camera is a secondary gadget that will be given to six Defenders. This new device will allow them to have more options to hold an objective and counter some attack strategies.

The Bulletproof Camera is unbreakable from the front, but can be shot and destroyed from the sides. Thatcher’s EMP grenades and Twitch’s Shock Drone can counter it. It can scan enemies and see through smoke. It cannot be thrown and needs to be deployed, similarly to Jäger’s Magpie.

This is the initial list of Operators that will have a Bulletproof Camera added to their loadout:

• Frost – Bulletproof Camera instead of Deployable Shield.
• Doc – Bulletproof Camera instead of Deployable Shield.
• Mute – Bulletproof Camera instead of Deployable Shield.
• Castle – Bulletproof Camera instead of Deployable Shield.
• Caveira – Bulletproof Camera instead of Barbed Wire.
• Vigil – Bulletproof Camera instead of Barbed Wire.

We expect the Bulletproof Camera to provide an alternate intelligence gathering tool for the Defenders, and to allow them to have more variety with Operators picks. It may also act as a counter against strategies like the smoke grenade/plant meta.

After the introduction of the Bulletproof Camera, Attackers might have to think twice before rushing the objective and planting the defuser, as they will need to decide whether to move to counter the Bulletproof Camera or accept the risk and plant.

We are interested in hearing your thoughts, and gathering your feedback! Please jump into the discussion on the subreddit and forums and let us know what you think.

Maestro is a colorful addition to the intel gameplay family. His expertise lies in blocking access to key locations, and his blunt style allows him to see through smoke and mirrors, for which he has no patience. He shines when joined by his long-time G.I.S. teammate, Alibi.

The character of Maestro was inspired by explorers from the Italian counter-terrorism unit, Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (G.I.S.). He is a wanderer known for his brilliant exploration, reconnaissance, and scouting techniques.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9yz2SANoQg

His name is Adriano Martello. Oldest in a family of eight children, he grew up in Rome, but attended the Military Academy of Modena at 18. He then joined the Carabinieri and earned a spot as an Explorer Paratrooper in the 1st Paratrooper Regiment known as Tuscania. After several distinguished tours, Martello qualified for Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (G.I.S.) and participated in joint operations in Iraq, earning a facial scar from a roadside IED. He went into private consultation where his courses quickly became a top-rated operator boot camp for teaching advanced techniques to Tier 3 and Tier 2 units, as well as private military companies.

The Tuscania eventually convinced Martello to re-enlist to help upgrade one of their units to a Tier 2 Special Forces classification, and this enabled him to join Rainbow as a representative of the Italian Units.

Watch the Pro League Finals on May 19-20th for a full reveal of Maestro.

Picking Alibi is an invitation for a battle of wits with your opponents. This Defender is all about finding clever ways to force the Attackers’ hands. Any hesitation comes at a heavy price.

The character of Alibi was inspired by undercover infiltration specialists in the Italian Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale unit. She is a cunning woman with a gift for infiltrating dense networks of organized crime.

Her name is Aria de Luca. She was born in Tripoli, Libya and immigrated with her family when she was three years old. Her father managed a small ordnance manufacturer, using his contacts to open up exports. De Luca earned her understanding of Italian firearms through the family business and training on the shooting range. At 18, Aria entered the European Championships, and won gold in two divisions. Following the event, a Carabinieri recruiter convinced her to join the police force.

https://youtu.be/2d860gKLdtU

De Luca’s precision shooting skills shot her up the ranks, and she served for a time with the elite Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale in fighting organized crime. She eventually earned a spot in the Gruppo Intervento Speciale (G.I.S.), and following a successful operation in Afghanistan despite being separated from her unit, she was singled out for undercover work in organized crime. She infiltrated the Vinciguerra Crime Family and spent several years among them before bringing them down from the inside.

Visit our channel twitch.tv/rainbow6 on May 19-20th for a full reveal of Alibi during the Pro League Finals.

In Operation Para Bellum, two G.I.S. Operators join Rainbow as the unit raids a luxurious Tuscan villa, our 19th map.

The villa was specifically designed to offer a competitive showdown. It sets the stage for diverse gameplay, providing wide staircases, narrow tunnels, and secret hatches. Don’t let the lush décor fool you, the villa is deadly: some of its floors are destructible and can fully expose you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWiQ5GWCcHE

The land belongs to the Vinciguerra, a dangerous crime family known for their smuggling activities. The house is their retreat, where they lead a lavish lifestyle and collect rare art pieces. Now we catch the villa in a snapshot of time: Vinciguerras are burning documents and transporting their holdings before the big raid. But they’ve got wind of Operation Para Bellum and fled, leaving everything in disarray with vital information ready for the taking.

Visit our channel twitch.tv/rainbow6 on May 19-20th for a full reveal of villa during the Pro League Finals.

We have two major changes coming in Operation Para Bellum, an Echo buff and Operator speed changes. These changes will come with the Y3S2 patch, and will be available on the Y3S2 Test Server.


Echo will receive a second Yokai drone. The max charges for each drone are reduced from 3 to 2, and the recharge time between shots is increased to 20s.

Our original intention was to have an anchor that would be active throughout the whole round. We have seen Yokai drones used outside of the site to provide intel, or support roamers with the sonic burst. In other situations, players try to keep their Yokai drone alive for the last seconds of the round. This is especially true in Bomb, to interrupt the Defuser plant.

We decided several months ago to give Echo a second Yokai. The goal is to encourage him to take more risks with them throughout the round. This change was not possible then, as the observation tool suite made two drones difficult to maintain. The new interface will allow for switching between the two drones easier. Given that the new observation tool will deploy in Y3S2, we can now implement this change.

The drones sonic burst resources have been lowered for balancing purposes. We will keep an eye on Echo’s performances and tweak these parameters as needed.


With the release of Operation Para Bellum, we are adjusting Operator movement speeds. Over the last two years, we have noticed the trade-off between armor and speed is too skewed to higher speed. As such, we will be making the following changes:

• 3 Speed Operators slightly slower.
  
• 1 Speed Operators slightly faster.
  
• Small increase to movement speed with handguns out.
  
• Automatic sidearms (SMG-11, SMG-12, etc) excluded.

1 AND 3 SPEED OPERATOR CHANGES

One of the foundations of the speed vs. armor system is the balancing act between the two. However, we have seen that speed was stronger than armor in almost all situations. To refine that balance, we will bring both ends of the spectrum closer to the middle. The intention of this change to the speeds is to make high armor Operators more viable.

To us, it is also good for the health of the game to slow it down a bit. Slower movement speeds make for a better player experience, and reduce the impact of things such as peeker’s advantage.

HANDGUN SPEED CHANGES

There is interesting gameplay potential in having players choose between their primary and a handgun for a movement speed increase. We have seen the impact this has on Blackbeard, and would like to expand this dynamic.

Historically, players have selected automatic sidearms over handguns. This will push players towards giving more thought to their secondary weapon choice. We do not expect this to drive a significant change, but feel it is worth investigating.


As with most changes, we will keep an eye on the impact during the Test Server and the launch on the Live Servers. We are ready to tweak these movement speed values as much as needed. We will communicate any tweaks prior to their implementation.

First announced at the Six Invitational, Pick and Ban will change the selection process of Operators in a match and will bring a variety of new strategies to competitive Rainbow Six. Pick and Ban will be introduced into custom game options with the launch of Year 3 Season 2, and it will be a highlighted feature during Rainbow Six Pro League Season 8 and officially supported competitive events. While it was available on the latest Test Server, we wanted make sure all the details are covered.


The Pick and Ban is a new game flow that players can activate when creating a custom game. At its core, Pick and Ban is a competition-focused feature that introduces a banning mechanic in which up to two Attack and two Defense Operators become unavailable for the entire duration of a match.

The goal of this feature is to deepen the strategy of the game by altering the pool of Operators available in a match allowing players to craft their own Meta.

For instance, if a particular Operator is considered a challenging threat, this puts power into the hands of the players to create a strategy that works for them. We also intend for the Pick and Ban to allow the team to counter their opponent’s strategy. A team may decide to ban an Operator, not because they are strong, but because the opposing team plays that Operator better.


SET-UP

First, you need to create a custom game, and then navigate to the match settings section of the custom game options. From here, you can activate/deactivate the ban feature. You will also need to select the time per ban phase. To mirror the Pro League settings, you will also want to activate 6th pick, and select the time for this pick phase. Finally, set the objective rotation to rounds won.

Pick and Ban - Caster Flow

BAN PHASE

During the Ban phase, teams alternate turns to ban Attackers and then Defenders for that map following that order:

• 1. Defending team: ban Attacker 1
  
• 2. Attacking team: ban Attacker 2
  
• 3. Attacking team: ban Defender 1
  
• 4. Defending team: ban Defender 2

The Ban order is set to prevent the team that will play on one side first to lock pairs of critical Operators for the other side. For example, the team that starts in Attack will always have the second Attack Operator ban, and the Defenders will always have the second Defending Operator ban.

There is a possibility that both Hibana and Thermite could be banned for an entire match, but we feel that there is a certain strategy and balance to this. The team that will ban the second breacher will start on Attack and face a difficult challenge for the next five rounds, allowing the enemy team to build momentum. If they have a specific strategy in mind that does not involve metal breachers and believe they can win rounds without them, then it could be a valid strategy. However, both teams can only ban one Operator per side, so no team can force a no metal breacher Meta on their opponent.

Note that while Operators are banned for the entire duration of the map, the pick phase is still done for each round.

Pick and Ban - Attacker Flow

SPAWN AND SITE SELECTION

After the Ban Phase, the Attackers will select their spawn, and Defenders will select their bombsite.

PICK PHASE

Both teams will select their Operators after the spawn and site selections have been made. Not much has changed here, but teams will be able to select their Operator knowing where they will be defending or spawning for Attack.

Pick and Ban - Defender Flow

DURING MATCH

REVEAL PHASE AND SIXTH PICK

Following the Pick Phase, all Operators are revealed to both teams making every player aware of the team composition of their opponent. Following the Reveal, each team can activate a Sixth Pick, which is the possibility to re-pick one of their Operators. This Sixth Pick is oblivious to the enemy team, as they do not know if an Operator has been swapped out, let alone which one.

Quick thinking and good decision making is key in Sixth Pick, as players will want to misinform opponents, while trying to understand their strategy. Bluff, adaptability, diversity are all key part of this process.

ROUND ROTATION

For esports settings, there will be five Attack rounds in a row and five defense rounds in a row. Teams will not switch back and forth between Attack and Defense. First team to win six rounds will win the match. Both teams will still be required to win a round on the opposite side. Therefore, this is more of a flow change than a major gameplay change. For example, if teams trade Attack rounds back and forth, the first team to win a Defense round wins the match. The same is true with this new round rotation.

The new round rotation should be less confusing for our viewership, as teams will not swap side every round. Similarly, this should allow teams to adapt their strategies on the fly without needing to switch their mindset from Attack to Defense each round.

OBJECTIVE ROTATION

There are two options for Objective Rotation: Play, and Win. Play is the current implementation where if a team wins an objective, they must play X number of rounds on other objectives to be able to play it again. Win is an alternative ruleset where if a team wins an objective, they must win X number of rounds on other objectives to be able to play it again. Losing on other objectives does not unlock the objective won previously.

With the new style of Objective Rotation, named Rounds Won, teams will be required to win a given number of rounds on other bomb sites prior to returning to the site they won on previously. This will prevent teams from simply playing out rounds and taking the loss before returning to a bombsite they have won on previously.

Stay up-to-date on all the latest information on Operation Para Bellum on rainbow6, and follow Rainbow Six on Twitter and Facebook.

Year Three Season Two brings a breath of innovation, spawning a new intel gadget, a Clubhouse map buff, an Echo buff, lots of gameplay fixes, and the Pick & Ban settings.

On the gameplay front, expect a series of enhancements. We are adjusting how dropshotting is handled and implementing a new counter defuser animation. Make sure to play on our Test Server and submit your feedback on the R6 Fix.

And we can’t wait to see you perform unprecedented tactics through the Pick & Ban system. This feature provides an extra layer of strategy between teams, as each side tries to counter their opponents’ picks during the banning phase. We also anticipate a thrilling twist at the last moment, when teams swap Operators for the unexpected 6th Pick.

Lastly, we are releasing our Y3S2 major update: Operation Para Bellum. Two new Defenders are joining Team Rainbow in our most competitive map to date.

Visit our channel http://twitch.tv/rainbow6 on May 19-20th for a full reveal of Y3S2 during the Pro League Finals.

Below you will find the bulleted list of balancing changes in 1.2. For a detailed explanation of why we have made these changes, please reference the Designer’s Notes, found here.

LION

• Outline will only appear for the duration of player movement.
  
• Scan charges reduced from 3 to 2.
  
• Cooldown between scans increased from 10 to 20 seconds.

JÄGER

• Magpie no longer destroys Hibana’s X-KAIROS pellets.

BLITZ

• Shield Flash range reduced from 8 meters to 5 meters.
  
• Shield Flash charges reduced from 5 to 4.

VIGIL

• Electronic Rendering Cloak will deplete its charge in 12 seconds, down from 30 seconds.
  
• Electronic Rendering Cloak will now recharge in 6 seconds, down from 12 seconds.

HIBANA

• Claymore replaced with Breaching Charge.

YING

• Smoke Grenades replaced with Claymore.

GAMEPLAY

Fixed - Players are able to exploit hip fire accuracy by performing a series of actions.

Fixed - Weapon turns invisible if a player throws their drone and it is destroyed instantly.

Fixed - Defenders can remain stuck after deploying a gadget if using the Advanced Gadget Deployment setting.

Fixed - Sometime Deployable Shield's replication is not the same after doing specific actions.


BORDER

Fixed - Attackers can plant the Defuser on top of a shelf in 2F Armory Lockers.

KAFE

Fixed - Character model will become 2D if prone close to the 1F VIP Section stairs.

COASTLINE

Fixed - The Defuser can be disabled by destroying the floor underneath it if is planted in 2F Billiard Room.

HOUSE

Fixed - Players becomes invisible under the stairs in 1F Lobby area.


LION

Fixed - Lion's scan sound effect persists into the next round.

FINKA

Fixed - If Finka's boost ends while a player is in Smoke's Gas, the damage multiplier is not removed.

Fixed - When the Spear .308 magazine is completely empty, aiming down sights while reloading will shorten the animation slightly.

KAPKAN

Fixed - The EDD will not give 40 damage if it is positioned on the lowest point possible on a door.

VALKYRIE

Fixed - Black Eyes are able to see through borders in 2F Stock Trading room on Bank.

DOC

Fixed - Activating the Stim Pistol while holding a deployable shield switches weapon instantly.

ELA

Fixed - Ela will lose functionality if her gadget will be destroyed while trying to pick it up.

BANDIT

Fixed - Shock wire remains active on a deployable shield after the shield was destroyed

JÄGER

Fixed - Operator is sometimes stuck when trying to pick up deployable gadgets.


Fixed - Players with VS Notifications preference OFF still see the notification in-game

Fixed - Players are able to equip a standard and Elite BDU at the same time

Fixed - Slasher Headgear for Buck is missing the red eyes.

We will be testing a variety of systems and changes on the next Test Server. This is part of our ongoing effort to test features before implementing them in the live game. As such, any features present in the Test Server do not have final release dates, and are subject to change. More information about each change will be shared prior to their release. Please also note that our balancing changes planned for patch 1.2 are included in this Test Server. You can find more details about those changes, including the nerf to Lion here.

For this Test Server phase, our focus is on Pick and Ban, and the recoil change feedback.

PICK AND BAN

Pick and Ban is a set of custom game options that players are able to activate when they create a custom game. To play with the new Pick and Ban system, you will first need to create a custom game. Then navigate to the match settings section of the custom game options. From here, you can activate/deactivate the ban feature. You will also need to select the time per ban phase. To mirror the Pro League settings, you will also want to activate 6th pick, and select the time for this pick phase. Finally, set the round rotation to Win/Play.

We are looking for feedback on the UI and overall player experience with the Pick and Ban settings active. Additionally, any feedback regarding how Pick and Ban plays out within the game is welcome as well! Please submit that feedback here.

WEAPON SIGHT MISALIGNMENT

We are iterating on the weapon sight misalignment fix that was tested in the previous Test Server. We have made some minor tweaks and will be testing it again. We are looking forward to your feedback on this version of the weapon sight misalignment fix, and request that you submit all feedback here.

COUNTER DEFUSER

We wanted to improve the visual and audio feedback when disabling the Defuser. This is an animation change, so the interaction distance and conditions will be the same.

DROPSHOTTING

We are changing how your character behaves when going from standing or crouch to prone. If you are aiming down sights while doing this action, you will shift to a hip fire shooting stance. We felt this action is too strong and frustrating to play against.

OBSERVATION TOOL MANAGEMENT

With additional Observation tools coming to the game, we needed to rework how players interact with them. This new system will come with a cleaner UI, and a better player experience overall.

BULLETPROOF CAMERA

Some of our Operators will receive a deployable bulletproof camera to as a secondary gadget.

OPERATOR SPEED

Over the last two years, we have noticed the trade-off between armor and speed is too skewed to higher speed. As such, we will be making the following changes:

• 3 Speed Operators slightly slower
  
• 1 Speed Operators slightly faster
  
• Small increase to movement speed with handguns out (Automatic sidearms excluded)
  
• No movement speed penalty for shield Operators when the shield is on their back

ECHO BUFF

We are looking at giving Echo a second Yokai drone, and adjusting the recharge rate of his gadget. The goal is to encourage him to take more risks throughout the round.

KNOWN ISSUES

• Clubhouse appears in the custom game list but is not playable.
  
• If a player leaves the game while their Yokai drones are deployed, they will disappear.
  
• Lone Wolf Terrorist Hunt does not launch on first try.
  
• Occasionally, players can be stuck in their spawn.

The “Designer’s Notes” series will provide you with insight into our Balancing team’s thoughts on Operator balancing around the middle of each Season. These will come after we have reviewed the data and feedback from the new Operators and changes. We are hosting an AMA on our subreddit starting at 2:00pm EDT (April 24th). After reading these changes, please head here to ask your questions!

We utilize data and player feedback to make decisions on adjustments. With that in mind, we wanted to share some of the data they have been looking at for our various Operators. The following charts plot the power (Win Delta) and popularity (Pick Rate) of the Operators on Attack and Defense. The Win Delta is the average win ratio when an Operator is picked minus the average win ratio when an Operator is not picked.

ATTACKERS



DEFENDERS




LION

Our data indicates that Lion is currently too strong. He is close to 100% pick in Pro League, and his win delta is too high in Ranked as well. We have also observed feedback stating that he was not fun to play against. As such, our Balancing team has been looking at a few changes to bring him in line with other Attackers.

SCAN OUTLINE

If you are detected by Lion’s Scan, it will stop displaying your outline as long as you are not moving. This has two main consequences:

• If detected and a player stops moving, the outline will no longer appear – Attackers may know where you are, but you will be able to change your stance without them knowing.
  
• If detected very briefly, it will be more difficult for Attackers to locate your position.

This is only a first step to give Defenders more options of counter-play against Lion’s detection. We are still looking into improving how Lion’s detection works and your feedback will help us get a better idea of how to proceed.

SCAN CHARGES AND COOLDOWN

We will be reducing the number of charges from 3 to 2, and increasing the cooldown between each charge from 10 to 20 seconds. We want to force players to make a more careful choice when they want to trigger Lion’s Scan. Players are currently able to chain the scans too much during crucial moments.

JÄGER

Jäger’s Magpies will no longer destroy Hibana’s X-KAIROS pellets. We have disabled that interaction, so that she cannot deny Jäger’s Magpie system so efficiently.

A single shot from the X-KAIROS launcher is able to deplete the charges from multiple Magpies without the large utility cost for the Attacking team. This contributes to Hibana’s overall utility, and thus increases her pick rate. Removing this interaction will drive teams to utilize more of their utility in order to maneuver around Jäger’s Magpie systems.

BLITZ

We are looking for ways to make Blitz fun to play without making him frustrating to play against.

As such, Blitz’s shield flash range is being reduced from 8 meters to 5 meters. He will also have fewer charges, from 5 to 4.

The Y3S1 Blitz change has brought his pick rate closer to the average, but his win delta remains too high. Reducing his flashing power is a first step in that direction. We are looking into ways to give Defenders more options to counter him at melee range, but that will take more time.

VIGIL

We are altering how players use the Electronic Rendering Cloak. It will now deplete its charge in 12 seconds, as opposed to 30 seconds. It will now refill in half the time, from 12 seconds to 6 seconds.

Following the nerf to Ela, Vigil has risen to the top of the pack and has become one of the strongest roamers in the game. This change will challenge Vigil player’s resource management, and require more skillful use to remain effective. We plan to keep an eye on his load out (weapons in particular) moving forward.

HIBANA

Hibana will be losing her Claymore, and receiving a Breaching Charge.

She is picked too often in Pro and Ranked play. This is because she brings crucial utility to the Attackers. She is better at gunfights than Thermite, but we want to adjust her utility before touching her weapons. Thermite will be the only hard breacher with a Claymore, and we expect this swap will rebalance their popularity. There may be more changes in the future, but we would like to keep an eye on the impact of this utility change first.

YING

We are swapping out Ying’s Smoke Grenades for a Claymore.

She is currently too strong in highly organized groups, and too weak in high level Ranked matches. This change, coupled with the LMG changes, will make her a more balanced choice in both contexts.

LMG DAMAGE

Globally, LMGs are too weak right now. We made a pass on their damage to normalize it against their generally low rate of fire. We will also review their recoil once we have implemented the new recoil system.










FINKA

Our data indicates that Finka’s win rate is too high right now. We want to take some time to investigate why that is before making any changes. Our focus will be to study the effects of her recoil reduction, speed boost through barbed wire, and health boost. For the speed and health boost, we will need more data to ensure that we are making the right adjustments. For Recoil, we do not want to change it before the implementation of the new recoil system. Doing so would result in clouded data and feedback.

ELA

Ela is currently in a much better place. The data indicates that she has an acceptable pick and win rate. We do not foresee any more changes being necessary in the short term, but will keep an eye on her.

UNIQUE OPERATOR GADGETS

Our team learned a lot from the test server and iterations on Blitz’s changes. One of our key takeaways being a clarification on priorities.

When an Operator’s core gameplay varies from your typical Siege gunplay, it is particularly difficult to handle balancing wise – with Shield Operators and Glaz being the best examples.

We will keep trying to make each Operator a viable choice, but we recognize that this cannot be done at the cost of players’ enjoyment. If we see that increasing an Operator’s pick rate while keeping their current mechanics is frustrating, we will look for other ways to make changes.

CURRENT META

We have seen player feedback that the META currently feels faster than it has in the past. The average round length has gone from 2:24 to 2:15. We expect that the nerf to Lion will have an impact on how the META feels, and the length of rounds.


To ensure that your questions from these changes are answered, our balancing team will be participating in an AMA on our subreddit starting at 2:00pm EDT, April 24th. Please head here to ask them your questions! We look forward to seeing you there.