Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege shows no signs of stopping with Operation Grim Sky, a new content drop for Season 3 that redesigns one of the game's first maps and introduces two new Operators: Maverick and Clash, who will change how players breach and defend objectives.
Is it possible to enjoy a game while still being terrible at it? Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts that question to the test for me. I’ve always viewed Siege as “search and destroy on steroids” with its elimination-style gameplay that rewards patience and a tactical mind. The few times I hop into the game, I’m blown away by the fan reception and Ubisoft’s dedication to keep the game constantly relevant in the competitive scene.
Operation Grim Sky is the newest content drop for Year 3 Season 3 and, even as a casual player, I can see how the two new Operators will drastically change the meta. Grim Sky also brings new changes and fixes that further raise the bar on this delightfully complex shooter.
Maverick is the new attacker and acts as a hard breacher for players looking to poke holes in enemies’ defenses. This U.S. Army soldier can be equipped with two powerful primaries and either a stun grenade or a claymore as his gadget. What truly makes Maverick shine is his D.I.Y. blowtorch that is capable of breaching any surface. Maverick’s blowtorch is one of the most effective tools in Siege because of its ability to create holes in walls and floors, including reinforced walls and hatches.
Siege‘s destruction mechanic sets it apart from nearly every shooter on the market and players who are able to pinpoint the best access points through hard surfaces are the ones that will come out on top. Maverick causes every room to be a little more dangerous for defending players. The blowtorch can cut small but lengthy sight lines in walls, giving the team a peek into a room. The blowtorch can also burn tiny holes into walls at different heights, meaning players can get the drop on an enemy or watch movement patterns. Mute charges don’t effect the blowtorch so it will be easier to see enemy gadgets.
The inclusion of Maverick in the current state of Siege makes him an obviously lethal and tactical Operator. There are so many instances where the blowtorch can be used to surprise foes or just ensure your team isn’t walking into a kill box. Maverick’s popularity has definitely shone through in Siege‘s test servers. Before officially releasing with Operation Grim Sky, Maverick’s blowtorch will burn more loudly and take longer to cut through barbed wire. Part of what made the blowtorch hard to counter was that the it was so quiet and could only be heard in close proximity.
Clash is the first defender in Siege with a shield and it acts as her only primary weapon. Players can use a pistol or SMG as her secondary to get kills but the bulletproof shield will disrupt attackers’ flow in more obvious ways. First, the shield covers Clash’s entire front, meaning she is only vulnerable from the side, behind, or while switching to a secondary. Though the shield isn’t deadly, it can shoot out a high voltage pulse that slows down attackers and briefly damages them over time.
Due to her low lethality, Clash does rely on teamwork to allow her shield to flourish. One obvious use of Clash is to have her block a doorway or window to prevent attackers from flooding in. This can create a chokepoint where multiple hostiles get caught in the crossfire. Usually it is a bad idea to stray from your team but Clash has heavy frontal protection and can scout around and gain intel. She can even walk outside with a friendly behind her to get the drop on defenders before they even breach a floor.
Because I’m somewhat trash at reacting quickly and being sneaky, Maverick and Clash were more friendly to a player like me. With Maverick, I was able to poke holes around an entire floor where the other team was doubling down. I could see movements from vantage points I normally wouldn’t be able to. The blowtorch doesn’t feel too overpowered considering you do have to focus on a point for a few seconds to burn a hole without wasting fuel. Clash allows me to take a slow and steady approach to combat. Feeling like I won’t get instantly shot in the head for walking into a line of sight is a great feeling of relief. Plus, you do provide amazing support for your team while taking potshots at attackers who stumble into view. Despite not using a primary weapon, I think Clash may be one of the deadliest Operators in Siege.
Grim Sky marks the first time the team at Ubisoft is updating a map. The Hereford Base is the first map ever made in Siege and is a map rework meant to bring it in line for competitive play. Each floor of the Base will have a larger surface area, increasing the viability of rotations because there are more ways to move between spaces. Each floor and room has a theme to give Hereford a more distinct flavor and personality. Like any map in Siege, Hereford Base was deadly in how open and closed it felt. Sight lines were everywhere as were the opportunities to blast your way into a room to take the objective.
The development team is introducing a number of changes with Operation Grim Sky that have been detailed before and after the release of the test servers. The Consulate map is getting some buffs with an extended Police Line spawn point and adjustments to the Gas Station spawn point to prevent spawn peeking and early kills. A fourth bomb site has been added in Tellers and Archives as well. 2-Step verification will be required for PC players to join in on ranked matches. Players will also be able to mute chat and voice separately in the scoreboard. Fans of the esports Siege scene are going to be treated with purchasable team skins, where 30 percent of the revenue share will go to the teams. As for one of the most important changes, bullets will recoil in the dead center of players’ sights, rather than spray in an inefficient pattern.
Ubisoft has also released an extensive list of balancing changes and bug fixes that will arrive as Operation Grim Sky releases. To see the full list of adjustments, click here to be taken to the Rainbow Six Siege website.
Like any new content drop, Operation Grim Sky whets my appetite to get back into Rainbow Six Siege. Will I be successful by any stretch of the imagination? Doubtful. But there’s a good chance that I will get a few kills, relish in the chaos of blasting through buildings, and pull off awesome kills with unique Operator abilities. The formula has worked for this long, there is no reason it will stop any time soon.
