Rainbow Six Siege X, also called Siege X, is the most recent evolution of Tom Clancy’s trendy fight franchise. It’s a basic title the place a staff of operators tries to interrupt right into a home or different construction and take out a defending staff and carry out a mission, like rescuing a hostage.
It launched on June 10, 2025, together with Operation Dawn and features a free-to-play model, modernized maps, new destructible components, and the brand new Twin Entrance sport mode.
Siege X additionally introduces a brand new decide and ban system for ranked matches and an audio overhaul. The newest replace is the largest the corporate has ever executed, and I spoke with Alex Karpazis, inventive director at Ubisoft Montreal for Rainbow Six Siege on the current Summer season Recreation Fest in Los Angeles.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege got here out in 2015, and the esports tournaments began in 2017. Now it’s one of many extra sustainable esports competitions amongst video games on the planet, and it’s a part of the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Each new season comes alongside each three months, with new operators, devices, maps and options. There are actually greater than 70 operators within the sport.
Breaching in Rainbox Six Siege X.
Siege X additionally brings a brand-new 6v6 mode, gameplay adjustments that deepen its tactical core, a visible overhaul of basic maps and extra. The goal is to create extra pleasure across the sport and appeal to extra new followers, whereas on the identical time protecting the hardcore gamers happy. That’s all the time a tricky balancing act to stroll. Karpazis stated this model has an improved onboarding course of, and he famous that 6v6 takes off a few of the strain on every staff member within the 5v5 matches.
The newest maps now even have destructible components. All through the map there are hearth extinguishers, fuel pipes, metallic detectors and extra to disrupt enemy plans. Most of the new units and methods for breaching will reward the groups that assault with moment-to-moment technique in thoughts, Karpazis stated.
Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Alex Karpazis is inventive director for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X.
GamesBeat: Are you able to deliver me on top of things on Rainbow Six?
Alex Karpazis: We name it Siege X, but it surely does signify the tenth yr of Siege being reside and rising. [We have gone] reside with a giant replace, the largest replace we’ve ever executed, with a brand new sport mode, new adjustments. The sport goes into what we name free entry. Anyone can obtain it and play with their buddies. That’s one thing we’re actually enthusiastic about.
GamesBeat: What led to a few of the choices round this?
Karpazis: The massive factor–first, we wished to make it possible for all of our group may nonetheless benefit from the sport, which is why we determined to do an enormous evolution that solutions plenty of what they’ve been asking for. Adjustments to motion, adjustments to the audio system, which we fully revamped to make it extra pure and rather more correct. We additionally wished to make it possible for despite the fact that the sport is insanely powerful – it’s a difficult sport – new gamers can test it out and obtain it at no cost with their buddies. We’ve revamped the onboarding expertise to allow them to see what makes Siege so satisfying.
On high of that we made a model new sport mode. Each veterans and new gamers can take pleasure in it collectively. They’re each on a degree enjoying discipline, as a result of it’s all new. We’ve made large, large adjustments. You may play in opposition to bots now till you’re prepared. You already know the maps. You’re feeling assured you may bounce on-line with different gamers. Now we have the brand new 6v6 sport mode. It relieves a few of the stress of being in a 5v5 state of affairs. It mixes attackers and defenders collectively, and it’s a smaller pool of operators. You don’t must be taught all 70-plus characters to play the sport mode. A number of adjustments so you may bounce in and possibly get a bit extra assured extra shortly.
GamesBeat: What had been some observations that led to this? If you watch one of the best gamers in an esports setting, what do you be taught from them that possibly seems to be one thing you wish to change within the sport?
Karpazis: A [few] weeks in the past we had our first esports match in Brazil on the brand new Siege X construct. It was unimaginable to see. These are execs pushing it to its limits. One of the crucial thrilling new issues we’ve launched–we name them destructible components. All through the map there are hearth extinguishers, fuel pipes, metallic detectors. Now, as a substitute of simply having a personality the place you want to use their gadget as a chunk of the technique, it’s extra concerning the surroundings. Seeing the professionals use that–after they’re operating round, possibly they wish to minimize off a rotation or cowl their flank. They’ll pop a fuel pipe and it detonates and explodes all over the place. It’s so satisfying to see that degree of technique come alive with the professionals enjoying.
GamesBeat: Players in Brazil all the time appear tremendous enthusiastic. Is {that a} large marketplace for you?
Karpazis: It positively is. Primarily as a result of we actually do see the fervour of the Brazilian group. They all the time present up on the massive stage. A Brazilian staff received the match there, they usually’re fairly dominant, really, in our esports scene.
Combating with a fireplace extinguisher in Rainbox Six Siege X.
GamesBeat: How a lot of the common participant’s sport is peeking round a nook and getting shot between the eyes?
Karpazis: [laughs] What we delight ourselves on a lot is the tactical gameplay. You see it by means of all the degrees. However really, you see it essentially the most with high gamers. They work as a staff. They’ve methods. It’s not about run and gun, ready for somebody to dip from behind a nook. That’s what makes Siege so particular. Once more, with Siege X we simply wish to heighten all of that second to second technique. Ensuring it’s all viable. We’re additionally going again to outdated characters, ensuring that their devices are enjoyable. We reworked an operator known as Conflict. All of that is to make it possible for ways and technique is king within the sport. We’re not simply rewarding run and gun. I feel that’s why we nonetheless stand a lot in opposition to different video games.
GamesBeat: How does the sport have this endurance? Why has it lasted so lengthy?
Karpazis: We wish to assume, to begin with, that we take heed to the group. We wish to be certain that we reply their wants and preserve issues recent for them. However actually, Siege is such an unique thought. No one else has ever tried to repeat it. It has such strategic depth that you may spend 1000’s of hours – and a few gamers do – simply studying and rising and mastering the sport. The talent ceiling is so excessive. It’s so satisfying to go on that studying journey, ranging from the underside, studying every operator, studying every map. Gamers actually take pleasure in that have. They know that they’ll get invested in it when it’s been out for 10 years and we’re promising one other 10 years with Siege X.
GamesBeat: Did you ever take into consideration doing a brand new sport as a substitute of the massive replace?
Karpazis: Truthfully, once we began interested by this, it was one of many first issues we checked out. Additionally, it was one of many first issues we dismissed. Gamers make investments a whole lot of hours in our sport. They make investments some huge cash as effectively. We wish to respect that. We don’t wish to throw it away with a sequel that might eliminate all their time, cosmetics, skins. We wished every thing to stick with them. We wish to honor that sooner or later as effectively, so that everybody is aware of that there’s a future after they come to Siege.
GamesBeat: Have you ever ever had a second the place you introduced one thing basic again? There’s a lot historical past to a few of these video games now, like World of Warcraft with Traditional. Warzone simply introduced again their unique map.
Rappeling in Rainbow Six Siege X.
Karpazis: It’s attention-grabbing you deliver that up. Our precise tenth anniversary is in December. We plan to have an in-game occasion that can honor a few of that historical past, a few of the components that gamers affiliate with the sport by means of the years, the various years. That’s one thing we’re going to rejoice for the tenth anniversary of Siege.
GamesBeat: Generally it’s additionally a blended factor. There are generally unfavorable reactions to large adjustments. How do you consider how your adjustments are going over?
Karpazis: We’ve really been testing all the Siege X adjustments over the previous two years with the group, behind the scenes. Getting their suggestions and making tweaks. We have to follow our identification as a tactical PvP shooter. That’s what we’re good at. We don’t wish to stray away from that. Each single change we did, we made positive that the group was concerned and was testing it. We had been getting that suggestions. We additionally included the professionals. We don’t wish to break this sport. We wish to make it possible for it thrives.
GamesBeat: The place have you ever had your largest esports occasion? Was it the Brazilian one, or have there been others?
Karpazis: Simply over a yr in the past we had been in Brazil. The stadium was at max capability, 10,000 folks. Greatest crowd we’ve ever had, and possibly probably the most thrilling finals we’ve ever had. Two twin brothers really confronted off in opposition to one another within the finals. It was insane. We didn’t script it. It was implausible, and we noticed an enormous turnout.
GamesBeat: Are you a part of the Esports World Cup?
Karpazis: We’re, sure, however we even have our personal sort of seasonal league that goes on. The Esports World Cup is its personal competitors that doesn’t funnel into the league standings on the finish of the yr. It takes quite a bit out of the groups that take part, however I feel we now have one of many healthiest esports ecosystems. Our groups benefit from the competitors. They get the remainder that they want, too, to ensure they’ll proceed within the league format. I feel they’ve actually appreciated that.
Vertical combating in Rainbow Six Siege X.
GamesBeat: Do you discover some distinction between the varieties of groups who play in Rainbow Six versus different video games?
Karpazis: Talking for our esports scene, we’ve acquired wonderful suggestions from the groups. They are saying it’s probably the most sustainable and powerful esports scenes. They know that in the event that they get invested, they are going to be rewarded. Now we have a partnership program known as R6 Share. We associate with them and make it possible for they’ll create skins so as to add into the sport. There’s a income share for them there. It’s sustainably constructed. Due to that, we now have nice partnerships and nice suggestions. SSG has been singing our praises. It’s been nice to see.
GamesBeat: The place do you see the esports groups and stars coming from?
Karpazis: For us, it all the time begins within the sport. Now we have a challenger league, which helps discover new expertise, basically. It feeds into the highest tier league. Now we have our ranked competitions. We launched Siege Cup, which is an in-game match that anyone at house can join to play with a full 5 stack and have enjoyable.
Due to how a lot we imagine within the esports scene, for Siege X we’re introducing the esports tab, which lets folks observe tournaments and perceive what the esports scene is all about. It hyperlinks each time there’s a reside match happening. Ensuring there’s sufficient visibility in all of our esports ecosystem to ensure anybody who’s a sizzling new expertise can get scouted by the professional groups and picked up. That’s essential for us. The grassroots means a lot to the sustainability of our esports scene.
GamesBeat: Do you’ve got outdoors manufacturers taking an curiosity in supporting tournaments?
Karpazis: Now we have sponsorships. Once more, some nice partnerships. The final Reload occasion we partnered with Xbox Recreation Cross. They had been actually supportive. It was plenty of enjoyable to see that sort of help at a giant occasion like that.
GamesBeat: There was plenty of discuss for some time concerning the esports winter. Did you see a development like that after which a restoration? Do you’re feeling like we’re previous that?
Karpazis: Truthfully, our scene has been going fairly sturdy ever for the reason that inception of our league. Once more, due to the partnership we now have, this shared sustainability, ensuring that they’ve a rev share inside our sport–which means we are able to maintain that for lengthy durations of time. Our prize swimming pools have all the time been tremendous wholesome and tremendous aggressive. That’s what orgs wish to see. They wish to see dedication. It’s a balancing act for us between ensuring the sport itself is all the time thriving, however the esports scene as effectively. Now we have that dedication.
A downed comrade in Rainbow Six Siege X.
It’s a implausible showcase for the sport. When you watch it on-line, not solely is it entertaining for folks to look at, however in addition they be taught quite a bit. Our gamers often undertake the methods of execs, what they see within the esports scene, about six months after the professionals present the way it’s executed. It’s nearly an academic software. It’s invaluable for us. Folks can get that rather more invested and be taught that rather more concerning the depth of Siege.
