Rainbow Six Siege backlash addressed after player revolt

Decreased player numbers and rumblings online about cheating have lead to Ubisoft addressing several issues with Rainbow Six Siege X. 

While player number initially spiked after Rainbow Six Siege was made free-to-play and given new features for its 10th anniversary earlier this year, there has been growing discontent amongst the community. 

Ubisoft has now addressed the community directly via a release on their website, acknowledging the crtiticism of R6 Siege X and promising a swifter and more transparent development path. 

The games publisher emphasized that it had “not communicated clearly enough” in recent months, and aims to remedy that by sharing more frequent and substantive information about any changes.

“We’re committed to improving transparency and taking meaningful action on the issues you’ve raised,” the statement read. 

“Based on your feedback, our upcoming priorities include anti-cheat, balancing, and ranked improvements.”

Ubisoft there would be further announcements ahead of the Munich Major, which kicks off on November 8 at BMW Park Arena in Munich. 

What does Unisoft say about correcting cheating issues

At the heart of Ubisoft’s announcement is a renewed commitment to tackling cheating, which has surged since Siege’s switch to free access. Ubisoft admitted its existing systems “did not keep pace with the surge of cheaters” and outlined plans to target prominent cheat creators, disrupt marketplace exploits, and issue permanent bans to repeat offenders. While full technical details are being withheld to avoid aiding cheat developers, the studio confirmed that sabotage of exploit markets will be part of the crackdown.

Balance and Meta Course Corrections

Responding directly to community outcry, Ubisoft is rolling back the recent nerf to the defender Denari in patch 3.3 (arriving October 14), while also buffing its Glaive-12. 

Several other operators are also slated for buffs, including Solis (impact grenades) and hard breachers such as Thermite and Hibana in the upcoming Year 10 Season 4. Ubisoft will also introduce a “Testing Grounds” environment, enabling players to test proposed changes — first focusing on armour and speed adjustments.

Rank Overhaul Incoming

The original R6 Seige Ranked 2.0 system has drawn criticism for failing to deliver on its promises. Ubisoft confirmed changes are underway, starting in Year 10 Season 4, with enhancements to matchmaking (accounting for rank + squad size) and the introduction of clearer ranked rewards and visible skill progression.

The full “ranked overhaul” is expected during the first half of Year 11, with community workshops slated at the upcoming BLAST R6 Munich Major to refine its design.