As Ubisoft continues the Year 6 content updates for its long running multiplayer tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege, today it brought forth the full unveiling of Operation Crystal Guard, the next seasonal update hitting the game. There is a brand-new attacker, multiple map reworks, as well as gameplay tweaks involved in this update.
Arriving to the attacking side this season is Osa, a Croatian operator that carries the new gadget: Talon-8 Shield. This is a bulletproof shield that is see-through, one that can be placed down on a window, door, or the ground for quickly making a fortified location for attackers. Osa comes with two of them equipped.
Shooting the canister on the bottom of the shield will crumple the gadget after a short pause, similar to Mira"s Black Mirror. Explosives will also destroy the Talon88 entirely. However, melee the shield and the glass will shatter, removing its see-through capabilities.
Instead of a single map receiving changes, Ubisoft will be reworking Coastline, Bank, and Clubhouse with this update. The tweaks range from minor ones like changing the location of bomb sites – as is the case with Clubhouse –, to major changes across the entirety of the map like with Bank. See the gameplay video above for a full rundown of the changes.
Existing operators aren"t safe from Ubisoft changes in this update either. IQ players will be able to 3D ping gadgets and objectives they see through walls while using the scanner, while Fuze"s charges will be deployable on reinforced surfaces, but with a longer timer and easier spotting for defenders. Meanwhile, the Shock Drone of Twitch is getting the ability to jump, and its shots will now be laser based, meaning infinite range. As a downside, the operator will only have a regular drone to scout the map during the prep phase.
Elsewhere, flashbangs have been buffed to affect players even if they are looking away and at longer distances. However, the duration of the flash effect has been lowered.
The test server with all these changes and more will be going live tomorrow, August 17, with Osa being introduced on August 18. Ubisoft will decide on when Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Crystal Guard hits the live server across all platforms once the studio is happy with the balance during the testing phase. Don"t forget Ubisoft is also working on crossplay support across platforms, though console players will be waiting till next year for that.