Rainbow Six Siege had an action-packed weekend. New players enjoyed a free-to-play weekend, a new Six Invitational champion was crowned and Ubisoft has finally released its full patched notes for the highly anticipated Operation Chimera update and its Outbreak event.
First things first, Chimera introduces two new CBRN operators, Lion of France and Finka of Russia, whom we introduced extensively in our operator breakdown earlier this week. Interestingly, both operators are attackers, which breaks Siege’s common tradition of releasing one new attacker and new defender each season. Lion introduces a unique UAV drone that tracks the movements of the enemy teams. Meanwhile, Finka’s gadget features nanobots that deliver global performance enhancements to the entire team.
Not only will the update introduce new operators, but Ubisoft will deliver some significant balancing updates as well. Ela has been nerfed again and again, yet the Polish GROM operator still boasts one of the highest pick-rates and win-rates. Because of this, the Ubisoft team has no choice but to nerf Ela again. Firstly, Ela’s SMG is still too strong and the latest nerf will address this with increased recoil and reduced damage.
As the chart above explains, the intention of the nerf is to make Ela’s SMG weaker, but not completely take away her effectiveness and efficiency in short-distance combat. Damage falls significantly and recoil is more difficult to manage when Ela is engaged in medium to long range exchanges.
And while Ela is identified as an extremely effective roamer, devs also thought it would be more interesting if Ela was less of a one-man-army and relied a little more on her teammates. The nerf will also remove Ela’s impact grenades, which will be replaced by a deployable shield, to prevent her from creating quick rotations.
Next, Kapkan receives an interesting buff—his barbed while will be replaced with an impact grenade. Due to Kapkan’s time-consuming job of setting five traps, the impact ‘nade may yield Kapkan with faster rotations to get around the map. Finally, Blitz will get a buff and become a 2 speed/2 armor operator. While Blitz’s last buff enabled him to sprint with the shield up, Ubisoft did not see any significant improvements to his pick rate. Improving Blitz’s speed could make him a more attractive pick.
The introduction of the CBRN operators comes with a really exciting backstory in the form of a brand-new co-op Outbreak event, which will take place for four weeks, from Tuesday, March 6, to Tuesday, April 3. The Outbreak event follows a Soviet space capsule that crashed in the quiet town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The fallen spacecraft brought with it a mysterious parasite that infected the population, causing people to mutate into deadly monsters. Containing the infection will not be easy and will bring players to three high-contamination maps: Resort, where the parasites have built a nursery; Hospital, a deeply-infected territory; and Junkyard, the origin of the parasite and where the Soviet capsule is kept.
Last week, we also shared the five sorts of infected that players will face: Grunts, Breachers, Rooters, Smashers and Apex. Unlike Terrorist Hunt Classic and Multiplayer, the Outbreak event will only allow a three-player co-op gameplay. With a five-man team, we sometimes witness one particular player have a dominant performance and carry the team for the win. However, a three-man co-op forces every player deliver and do their part. Communication is more critical communication and blind spot coverage becomes a big responsibility. Players can choose the following operators for the Outbreak event: Ash, Doc, Tachanka, Smoke, Buck, Kapkan, Glaz, Ying, Finka, Lion and the trusty Recruit.
The latest Chimera update also brings a new collection of charms, weapon skins, headgears, and more. Players will also acquire Ash’s Sidewinder Elite Set. Be sure to visit Ubisoft for the full Rainbow Six Siege Chimera patch notes.
Check out the list of General Tweaks and Improvements below:
GENERAL TWEAKS & IMPROVEMENTS
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.
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!
MAIN BUG FIXES
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.
