Balance changes and updates coming to Rainbow Six Siege with Operation High Calibre

Rainbow Six Siege Operation High Calibre has been officially revealed, with Thorn, the new Defender, taking center stage. However, there’s so much more to this season than Thorn, her spiky new gadget, the Razorbloom Shell, and the new SMG. This guide will cover every balance change and update that you can expect to see in Rainbow Six Siege when Operation High Calibre goes live.

Outback revamped

Unlike last season, there’s only one map getting some attention in Operation High Calibre. Outback, a map that the development team is keen to see added to the pro roster, has been extensively reworked for the better. The focus with this rework was decluttering, with areas such as the restaurant now split in two between the shark.

Additionally, the open terrace is now an internal area, not an external one, making it harder to move through and gain entry into while adding a new choke point for Defenders to work from. Finally, the majority of bottlenecks on the map where one team could pin another and slowly chip away at members until they win has been decreased. You’ll find it hard to pin the enemy down anywhere now, making for a far more balanced, and therefore more enjoyable, map.

General balance updates

A lot is changing this season, starting with one specific alteration to Finka. She’s always been able to revive teammates with her ability if they’re downed, bringing them back from the brink for one last shot at survival. However, she’s never been able to do the same for herself. Once Operation High Calibre launches, players will be able to get back up once downed by using Finka’s ability, providing they save a single charge to do so.

A larger balance change is being applied to cameras and drones that are placed outside of a map. Attackers and Defenders have been taking advantage of outdoor spaces to predict movements and generally get one over on their enemies. In Operation High Calibre, these cameras and drones will stop working once the match starts. This is an effort to make each round fairer and force players to use cameras more tactfully around the interior of each map.

Finally, the test servers are being given a polish this season. In addition to a new bug reporting system, there will now be a series of test servers to try out. The first test server is just as it’s always been. It holds a preview of the upcoming season for you to try out in the lead-up to its launch. The second test server is called a Test Server Lab and holds upcoming changes for future patches. This will only be available once the new season has launched. The final new test server is a balance changes server, which will give you the chance to try out balance changes for upcoming seasons long in advance.

Ubisoft has stressed that all of these servers may not be available at one time or even for every season. However, it is working to provide more test server experience for players, and a new reward scheme, which will be rolled out in the future, is planned to get players involved with that.

Quality of life changes

Something most fans will have noticed in the Operation High Calibre presentation is the updated HUD. This is something that’s been in the works for a while, and it’s going to make its debut in Rainbow Six Siege with this new season. The HUD simplifies the information on-screen, using more icons over text, and condensing the compass into a small circle in the screen’s bottom-center. Additionally, a lot of work has been put into making it clear where pings are located, how to differentiate between indicators on each floor, and marking where enemies and ally deaths are on the map.

Ubisoft is experimenting with a new nickname system to help all players protect their identities, particularly content creators and streamers. Nicknames will appear on a player instead of their account name, making it far more difficult for anyone to identify them when they see them in a match. Initially, this will be rolled out to content creators and streamers but will eventually be delivered to all players.

Finally, a new system to help colorblind players make Rainbow Six Siege more accessible is coming. There’s a simplified menu in Operation High Calibre, but this will be expanded with future updates to offer a much more comprehensive range of accessibility options for all players to utilize in their game.