Rainbow Six Siege Y9S1: Operation Deadly Omen — Huge Update!
Rainbow Six Siege has revealed what's to come in Year 9 Season 1, known as Operation Deadly Omen. Here are the major updates and changes to look forward to come in March.
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Revamped Shield Mechanic
Shield operators have been given some updated shield mechanics that will allow them to be a bit more aggressive — for a price. You will want to be defensive "90% of the time," developers said in a press panel, but you can be offensive if you "give something up."
Basically, if you want to go for a kill, you open yourself up to becoming vulnerable. Meanwhile, reloading behind the shield will be safe. This "reinforces the fantasy of being a tank," allowing you to be on the frontline and carve a way into a new territory.
There will also be a ballistic shield focus, where operators like Fuse, Blitz, Montagne can break right through full-health barricades and have a melee pushback that does damage. They can also activate triggerable gadgets and deploy throwables from behind their shield.
Free Look
Another sweet gameplay change is free look replacing hip fire. This allows you to hold positions better and give intel to your allies. You'll see a lot better rotations when you communicate with your team and utilize free look properly. For example, have Monty approach a doorway and then look from the left to the right for traps.
Attachments and ADS
There will be a massive upgrade to the ADS and attachment system in Rainbow Six Siege come Year 9 Season 1 in an attempt to make gunplay feel even better.
When you use ADS, or aim down sights, you'll notice the time it takes to fully aim will be a bit slower. This will force players to plan or be in control of an angle, rewarding them for being strategic.
In Deadly Omen, the scopes will also be in four categories: Iron Sights, Universal 1x, Magnified Scope, and Telescopic Scope. The 1.5x will be removed. Defenders will have limited access to Magnified Scope and no Telescopic Scope. Attackers, however, will have access to both of those on every operator, including Ash. Yep, the Ash and R-4C combo is back.
The laser also gives you a 15% ADS bonus. And a new grip, the Horizontal Grip, gives you a movement speed buff. The Angled Grip has been updated to give you a 20% reload speed bonus.
Player Protection
Ranked is R6's most competitive place and developers have put new restrictions on it come Operation Deadly Omen. This will ensure that inexperienced players who haven't used new operators and experienced the recent balance updates don't ruin the competitive integrity of ranked.
From now on, a player will be considered "inactive" if they haven't played a regular PvP match for an entire season. When they return, these players will have to "rediscover the game" by winning five quick matches. This will unlock ranked.
New players that haven't played ranked before Deadly Omen will also have to have at least 10 attacking and 10 defending operators before they are allowed to play ranked.
On the topic of protection, developers are also looking at better ways to detect and act on cheaters. At the same time, they don't want their anti-cheating strategy and software to impact fair players.
Balancing
There are some big balance updates planned for Year 9 Season 1. This includes changes to operator Azami and the LMG weapon category.
Azami has changed defense and inspired new strategies due to her ability to "reshape the map." This is sometimes frustrating for attackers, however. Her Kiba Barriers will now be vulnerable to bullets, making it a bit easier to deal with her defensive capabilities.
LMGs had a massive recoil overhaul in Year 7. Due to this, they have been less and less used. To combat this, the heavy weapons will become focused on support fire. Developers are changing recoil to make the weapons easier to control but they will make operators move 10% slower, encouraging LMG players to support instead of entry kill.
Training and Onboarding
New players will have a lot to look forward to before jumping into ranked in Operation Deadly Omen.
The Versus AI playlist is adding five new maps: Chalet, Cafe, Bank, Consulate, and Oregon. AI can also play as two new operators, Melusi and Alibi. Newcomers can play Ash, Finka, Buck, Jackal, Lion, and Iana. On top of that, more veteran players can benefit from Versus AI now that AI has been improved. It's now much smarter, creating a better challenge.
Meanwhile, the training playlist has four new maps: Skyscraper, Coastline, Border, and Nighthaven.
New Inventory: Locker
Browsing your entire collection will be much easier.
The Locker puts your inventory into different categories, whether it's by appearance or weapons. You can also sort your inventory by operator, name, and rarity. Players will be able to manage items more in-depth, by latest item category or by marking some as a favorite.
Player Comfort
To make gameplay more comfortable, developers have updated the repel action to make it more responsive and intuitive. Throwable gadgets also have an aim visualization that allows you to set up your sights quickly. This can also be turned off.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!