The next season of Rainbow Six Siege, Shadow Legacy, is now live on the Test Server. This season might only have one new Operator, but that doesn’t mean that there will be any less content. The next free DLC will offer tons of new content and additional changes.
It will also come with operator balancing, new gadgets, and map changes. Ubisoft released the pre-season designer notes for the Season today. It doesn’t show all the changes that will be made in the update, but does include the important ones. Keep in mind that this update is only for the Test Server, as the new Season update will go live on the main build in a few weeks.
Maverick's blowtorch will now have six gas canisters instead of previous five and Iana's hologram will be able to ping utilities via the new Ping 2.0 system. Thatcher's EMPs will not destroy enemies’ gadgets anymore. The grenade will only disable them for 10 or 15 seconds, depending on the gadget. A new secondary hard breacher has also been added to the game, and over eight attacking operators will receive this new gadget.
You can read the highlights of the patch below. Complete patch notes are available on the official site.
RAINBOW SIX SIEGE Y5S3 PRE-SEASON DESIGNER'S NOTES
OPERATORS
MAVERICK
- Increased number of Gas Canisters to six (from five).
IANA
- The Gemini Replicator (Iana's hologram) is now able to use the Ping 2.0 system.
THATCHER
- EMPs will now disable gadgets instead of destroying them.
- Thatcher's EMP effect increased to 15s (from 10s when applicable).
- Picking up a disabled gadget will remove the EMP effect.
- The EMP effect will not affect gadgets within the Operator's inventory.
The following gadgets affected by Thatcher's EMP are now disabled for 15s instead of being destroyed prior to Y5S3:
- Nitro Cell
- Kapkan's Entry Denial Device
- Jäger's Active Defense System
- Lesion's Gu Mines
- Ela's GRZMOT Mine
- Mute's Signal Disruptor
- Smoke's Remote Gas Grenade
- Kaid's Rtila Electroclaw
- Mozzie's Pest Launcher
- Bandit's Shock Wire
- Echo's Yokaï Drone
Bandit Tricking (and other similar techniques):
Now, a disabled battery can be picked up to remove the disabled state. However, this takes more time to perform than deploying a new battery after the first one had been destroyed.
Bandit tricking should remain very efficient against slower hard breachers like Hibana, Ace or the new Hard Breaching Charge.
EMP Effect and IQ's Electronics Detector:
In addition, we have updated IQs gadget feedback when she locates a disabled electronic device.
The white outline around the electronic gadget is still present but the pulse animation around the gadget is not displayed.
Thatcher mains will have to think a bit more and increase synergy with their teammates, before spending their ressources.
We are aware that this is a big change for Thatcher which should lead to more consistency around the EMP effect in Siege.
It may improve Defender performance as a consequence, but we'll monitor the impact of this change and react as we feel necessary.
WEAPONS
Almost our entire pool of weapons is going to be changed with the addition of new sights.
Given how important these changes are, a dedicated blog with additional detail and information will be made available soon.
GADGETS
HARD BREACH CHARGE
- Adding a new Secondary Gadget: Hard Breach Charge
Operators affected:
- Montagne instead of Stun Grenades.
- Ying instead of Breach Charges.
- Fuze instead of Smoke Grenades.
- Finka instead of Breach Charges.
- Amaru instead of Claymore.
- Nokk instead of Breach Charges.
- Capitao instead of Stun Grenades.
- Lion instead of Claymore.
WORLD
REINFORCED HATCHES
- Multiple hard breach devices can be combined to destroy a reinforced hatch.
