Following the rumor shared earlier this month, Ubisoft confirmed during the Six Invitational eSports tournament that Rainbow Six Siege X is real. A full-fledged showcase will take place on March 13 at 10 AM PT / 7 PM CET via the Rainbow Six Siege Twitch channel, though folks will also be able to attend this event in person in Atlanta, Georgia. For now, the developers said Rainbow Six Siege X will include graphics and sound upgrades, deeper tactical gameplay, and new ways to play the game. You can check out a brief video teaser below.
Of course, the live service of the regular Rainbow Six Siege goes on in the meantime. Year 10 kicks off shortly with the first season, called Operation Prep Phase. Again, just like in the leak, the season will introduce a new Operator called Rauora. Hailing from New Zealand, she joins the Attackers team and will be available at the start of the season with the new Battle Pass; two weeks later, she'll become unlockable with Renown or R6 Credits.
Rauora brings with her a powerful pair of primary weapons: the 417 designated sniper rifle or the M249 light machine gun. Her secondary weapon options include the GSH-18 9mm pistol or the new Reaper MK2 submachine gun. The Reaper is equipped with a red dot sight and an extended magazine, making Rauora very dangerous in close combat. Smoke grenades or breach charges round out her kit.
Arguably, what distinguishes her the most is the gadget called Deployable Omnilink Mesh (D.O.M.) Launcher. This is a bulletproof smart cover system that only works in doorways. When Rauora aims at a doorway, an on-screen icon indicates when she has a valid target and can fire the gadget. Once the projectile reaches the door, it attaches and deploys a bulletproof panel that extends all the way to the floor. This is unusual for Rainbow Six Siege, as there is usually room for drones to pass under barricades, but the smart cover panel can sense when a drone is nearby; it will then lift the panel slightly, allowing the drone to pass through before fully closing again.
With her bulletproof barriers, Rauora is able to block enemies' lines of sight and impede their movement, and she can use them relatively safely from a distance. But what if she and her allies want to get through? There's a rectangular trigger at the top of the panel that appears on either side of the door. The trigger will remain locked unless an Operator approaches, at which point it will unlock and open. If someone shoots the trigger, the panel door will open. If the door is open and you pull the trigger, it will close.
Both Attackers and Defenders can interact with the panel to open or close the barrier, but the attacking team has a few advantages. Firstly, when the panel is first deployed or has just closed, the trigger will lock out the defenders for a short time; their presence will not open it, only the Attackers' will. Second, the door moves much faster when triggered by an Attacker. These two tactical timing advantages give attackers the power to dictate the pace around the panels, hopefully catching their opponents off guard.
Whether you're walling off doors for cover as your team enters the building, closing off flanking routes as you advance in the field, or fortifying your defenses after the plant, Rauora's ability to act as a one-woman renovation team can have a profound effect on the flow of battle. Team her up with Ying or Fuze, and their plates can help you pack a real punch.
However, Ubisoft warned that the plates are bulletproof but not blastproof. Or Oryx-proof. They won't knock over a Castle barricade, and they won't work properly under the influence of Tubarão's Zoto Canister. Even Jäger's ADS can stop them before they get started, so be smart about how and when you use them.
Operation Prep Phase will be available to try next week ahead of the full launch scheduled for next month. As for Rainbow Six Siege X, there's no date yet, but the aforementioned leak said it would be released alongside the second season of Year 10.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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