Ubisoft, the developer of the first-person shooter game Rainbow Six Siege, released the latest developer notes showing tons of new changes applied to operators. But these changes will undergo testing and might not make it to the live build, depending on the feedback from players. These operator buffs and nerfs are mainly targeted towards the ranked audience and some of the changes are huge, which will affect pro players in the Six Invitational.
Ash
Ash is one of the strongest attack operators to be introduced in R6 Siege. No matter how many nerfs she’s received, her play rate still skyrockets no matter the game modes (casual, ranked, and competitive). Ash has received tons of nerfs previously like the removal of ACOG from R4-C and flashbangs, but these don’t stop players from playing her. Since Ash is very effective in taking down most things, the developers decided to nerf the explosion range on her Breaching Rounds. The range will drop from 3.5 meters to 2 meters, preventing the rounds from easily destroying the Kaid Electroclaws and other gadgets.
Buck
Buck is a really good operator when it comes to making vertical angles. His Skeleton Key allows players to open destructible surfaces like the top and bottom layers of floors. Buck received a decent buff on his Skeleton Key ammo, raising the magazine size to 30 from 26. Another change Buck received was swapping Claymore for Breaching Charges, and this might make Buck even stronger in vertical plays.
Kali
Kali is a very difficult operator to master because she carries around a sniper for CQC combat. Her secondary SMG is rather useful but isn't reliable at all times. Currently, Kali is a low-picked operator as she is usually only used when both Thatcher and Maverick have been banned. The recent change on Kali can be considered a nerf and buff at the same time, due to the 1-shot-DBNO mechanic being removed from the game.
The Down But Not Out mechanic can be frustrating at times, though its consistency makes Kali quite powerful. The latest test version makes her sniper closer to a normal weapon, which makes it difficult for players to handle. Kali’s damage output in test servers are as follows:
- 1 body shot will kill a 3-speed operator.
- 1 body shot will down a 2-speed operator.
- 1 body shot will damage a 1-speed operator.
Zofia
Zofia is a very versatile operator. She has good weapons and tons of utility that can help with roam clearing and executing into a site. Yet Zofia’s passive ability, Withstand, got removed in the test version as she is the second most present operator on the attack. Withstand allows the player to get back up into action from a DBNO state, however, she only receives five hit points once she gets up. Zofia also loses resistance to Concussion effects. The concussion resistance mechanic was part of the sibling rivalry between her and Ela, which actually makes no sense as to why developers removed it. Zofia’s Impact Grenade received a small nerf in terms of explosive radius, similar to ash. The damage radius got lowered from 3 meters to 2 meters in the test servers.
Lion
Lion was considered one of the most broken operators on the launch day. This was due to his gadget the EE-ONE-D that grants all attackers a visual clue of where all the defenders are. Since then, Lion has been nerfed and now sits in a decent spot, where his pick rate is pretty low. The current change for Lion traded Hard Breach Charge for Claymore, which better suits his role.
To read more about the dev notes click here.
