Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Developer(s) Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s) Ubisoft
Director(s) Xavier Marquis
Producer(s) Sébastien Labbé
Designer(s) Daniel Drapeau
Programmer(s) Jalal Eddine El Mansouri
Artist(s) Po Yuen Kenny Lam
Writer(s) Li Kuo
Composer(s) Paul Haslinger
Ben Frost
Series Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Engine AnvilNext 2.0
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Release
  • WW: December 1, 2015
Genre(s) Tactical shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide on December 2015 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game puts heavy emphasis on environmental destruction and cooperation between players. Players assume control of an attacker or a defender in different gameplay modes such as hostage rescuing and bomb defusing. The title has no campaign, but features a series of short missions that can be played solo. These missions have a loose narrative, focusing on recruits going through training to prepare them for future encounters with the White Masks, a terrorist group that threatens the safety of the world.

It is the eleventh entry in the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series and the successor to Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Patriots, a tactical shooter that had a larger focus on narrative. However, Patriots was eventually cancelled due to its technical shortcomings, and the team decided to reboot the franchise. The team evaluated the core of the Rainbow Six franchise and believed that letting players impersonate the top counter-terrorist operatives around the world suited the game most. To create authentic siege situations, the team consulted actual counter-terrorism units, and looked at real-life examples of sieges. Powered by AnvilNext 2.0, the game also utilizes Ubisoft's RealBlast technology to create destructible environments.

Announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014, it received four nominations from Game Critics Awards including Best of Show. The game received a generally positive reception from critics, with praise mostly directed to the game's tense multiplayer and focus on tactics. However, the game was criticized for its progression system and its lack of content. Initial sales were weak, but the game's player base doubled as Ubisoft subsequently released several packages of free downloadable content, developed in conjunction with Blue Byte. The company also partnered with ESL to make Siege an eSports tournament game.

Gameplay

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a first-person shooter game, in which players control an operator from the Rainbow team. Different operators have different nationalities, weapons, and gadgets.[1] The game features an asymmetrical structure whereby the teams are not always balanced in their ability choices.[2] The Counter Terrorism Units (CTUs) available for play include the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, the British SAS, German GSG-9, Russian Spetsnaz and French GIGN, each of which has four operators per unit. Players also have access to a "Recruit" operator who can choose from a more flexible assortment of equipment at the expense of having no unique gadget. Players pick an operator from any unit before a round starts, and are not allowed to change operators during a round. An in-game shop allows players to purchase operators using the in-game currency, "Renown", which is earned at the end of matches from actions performed in-game. The different gameplay modes award renown at different rates, with ranked matches offering the largest renown multiplier potential per match. Renown can also be affected with the addition of "boosters" which give the player a 100% increase in all renown earned for 24 hours (real time not play time). Renown can also be purchased using real-world currency.[3] Renown can be used to purchase weapon customization options, which allow players to put attachments such as silencers and scopes on their weapons.[4]

In ranked play, when a round begins, the attackers choose one of several spawn points from which to launch their attack. The attackers are then given control over wheeled drones to scout the map in search of enemy operators and targets,[5] while the defenders can use security cameras to spot the attackers.[6] Maps in the game are designed to encourage close quarters combat, and players cannot respawn until the end of a round. Despite that, players who were killed by opponents can enter "Support Mode", which allows them to gain access to drones and security cameras so that they can continue to contribute to their team by informing them of opponent locations and activities.[7][8] Matches generally last only a few minutes.[9] Teamwork and cooperation is encouraged in Siege, and players need to take advantage of their different abilities in order to complete the objective and defeat the enemy team.[5] Communication between players is also encouraged.[5][10] The game also has a spectator mode, which allows players to observe a match from different angles.[11]

An alpha gameplay screenshot of the game, showcasing the Hostage Mode. Players can destroy structures like walls to spot targets.

The game features heavy emphasis on environmental destruction[12][13] using a procedural destruction system. Players can break structures by planting explosives on them, or shoot walls to make bullet holes.[14] Players may gain tactical advantages through environmental destruction, and the system aims at encouraging players to utilize creativity and strategy.[14][15] A bullet-penetration system is featured, in which bullets that pass through structures deal less damage to enemies.[13] In addition to destruction, players can also set up heavy-duty fortifications on walls and deployable shields around them for protection; these can be destroyed through breaching or by utilizing operator specific melee-weapons like sledgehammers.[16] In order to stop attackers' advance, defenders can place traps like barbed-wire and explosive laserwire traps around the maps.[17] Vertical space is a key gameplay element in the game's maps: players can destroy ceilings and floors using breach charges and can ambush enemies by rappelling through windows.[5] Powerful weapons like grenades and breach charges are valuable, as only limited numbers can be used in a round.[9]

Modes

At launch, the game featured 11 maps[18] and 5 different gameplay modes. With the downloadable content (DLC) – an additional four maps from season one and the first map from season two – there are currently 16 maps with two more slated for release by January 2018. The gameplay modes featured include:

Setting

Angela Bassett performed voice works and motion capture for Six, the head of Team Rainbow.

Three years after Rainbow Program's deactivation, there is a resurgent of terrorist activities, with the White Mask being the most prominent. The terrorists' goals are unknown, yet they are causing chaos across the world.[27] To counter this rising threat, the program is reactivated by a new leader who is simply known as Six (voiced by Angela Bassett).[28] Six assembles a group of special forces operatives from different countries to face and combat the White Masks. Recruits go through multiple exercises to prepare them for future encounters with the White Masks, training to perform hostage rescue and bomb disposal. Eventually, the White Masks launch a chemical attack on a university (called Bartlett University), and the recruits are sent to disarm the bombs and eliminate the enemy presence. The operation is a massive success, though there are casualties. The story ends with Six affirming that the reactivation of Team Rainbow is the best and only choice in a time filled with risk and uncertainties. Team Rainbow are ready for their next mission – to hunt down the leader of their enemy – and they stand prepared to protect and defend their nation from terrorists.

Development

Origin

This entire project was born and has grown out of an in-depth study that looked to distill what the Rainbow series is at its core in terms of both fantasy and gameplay. At the end of the day, the Rainbow Six fantasy about being part of the greatest counter-terrorist organization and impersonating the best of the best operators, working as a team, [and] carrying out dangerous operations (hostage rescue) anywhere on the globe
— Andrew J. Witts, game designer of Rainbow Six: Siege[29]

The game's predecessor was Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Patriots, a tactical shooter announced in 2011. It had a focus on narrative, and the story campaign features many cut-scenes and scripted events. However, the game fell into a development hell shortly after its announcement. The game's outdated engine and frequent change of leadership hindered development progress, and game quality was not up to par.[30] In addition, it was planned to be released on seventh-generation video-game consoles which were not capable of processing certain game mechanics. Seeing the arrival of a new generation of consoles, the team wanted to make use of this opportunity to create a more technologically advanced game.[31] As a result, Ubisoft decided to cancel Patriots, and assembled a new team of 25 people to come up with ideas to reboot the series.[32]

To make the new game feel refreshing, only certain multiplayer elements were retained as the small team took the game in a different direction. They evaluated the core of the Rainbow Six series, which they thought was about being a member of a counter-terrorist team traveling around the globe to deal with dangerous terrorist attacks – operations which are usually intense confrontations between attackers and defenders.[29] However, the team wanted to fit these ideas into a multiplayer format which would increase the game's sustainability.[33][34] These became the basic concept ideas for the game. As the development team hoped that the game can be replayed frequently, the team decided to devote all the resources into developing the game's multiplayer and abandoned the single-player campaign.[35]

Development of the game officially began in January 2013. Ubisoft Montreal, the developer of Patriots, handled the game's development, with Ubisoft's offices in Barcelona, Toronto, Kiev, Shanghai and Chengdu providing assistance.[36][37] The game was originally called Rainbow Six Unbreakable, a title that reflected not only the game's destruction mechanic but also the mindset of the development team, who had to deliver a game that was once stuck in development hell.[33] According to Alexandre Remy, the brand director, the team was confident in their new vision for the game but very nervous when they revealed it, realizing the change of direction would likely disappoint some fans.[32]

Gameplay design

The 150-person team consisted mainly of first-person shooter veterans or longtime Rainbow Six players.[33] Despite having prior knowledge on how these types of games work, the team decided to study historic examples of counter-terrorist operations, including 1980's London Iranian Embassy siege, 1997's Lufthansa Flight 181 hijacking, and 2002's Moscow theater hostage crisis to ensure that the portrayal of these operations was accurate and appropriate. The team also consulted counter-terrorism units, such as the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), for their opinions on how they would react during a hostage rescue situation.[38] According to Xavier Marquis, the game's creative director, having a hostage rescue mission in the game helped create an immersive story. By allowing players to assume control of an operator tasked with saving innocents, it gives them an objective and a priority. They must be careful in dealing with the situation and try their best not to hurt the hostage. This further promotes teamwork between players and prompts them to plan before attacking, and further makes the game more realistic, tense and immersive.[39] To make the game feel more realistic, the team introduced a mechanic called "living hostage" to govern the hostage character's behavior – e.g., coughing if there is dust in the air or shielding herself if there is nearby gunfire.[40]

The environmental destruction mechanic was one of the game's most important elements. When the game's development was begun, The developer's in-house team completed their work on RealBlast Destruction, an engine that "procedurally breaks everything down" and remodels the environment.[41] The development team thought that this technology fitted the game's style and gameplay, and decided to use it.[42] This aspect of the game became increasingly important during development, and the team spent an extended period of time making sure that these destructions were authentic. As a result, the team implemented a materials-based tearing system, in which environmental objects of different materials show different reactions to players' attacks.[13] To render the game's texture, the team used physically based rendering, even though it was ineffective during the game's early stage of production due to issues with the game's engine. A material bank and substance painter were utilized to create textures for environmental objects when they were damaged or destroyed. The team also implemented subtle visual cues to help players identify whether a structure was destructible or not, as opposed to "distracting" players with more-obvious hints.[43] The destruction mechanic prompted Ubisoft to change their level-design approach, as they had to ensure that the level was still logical and realistic when parts of the environment were destroyed.[44]

According to Ubisoft, "teamwork, tactics, and tension" were the game's three most important pillars. The team initially worked on a respawn feature, allowing players to rejoin after they are killed in the game. However, following several internal tournaments, the team realized that some of their employees would always win a match. They concluded that the respawn system worked to the benefit of strong players and placed individual skill above teamwork,[45] which did not fit the developer's focus on game tactics. Removing the respawn feature meant greater consequences for taking risks, and players had to rely on their teammates in order to survive and achieve objectives. According to Chris Lee, the game's designer, the team initially worried that the system would only appeal to hardcore players. However, after several testings, they found that the removal of the respawn system provided new challenges to strong players and forced them to cooperate with their teammates – while it rewarded weaker players who were willing to take their time, plan their actions, and be strategic.[46][47][48]

The gameplay system was designed to allow players to have a lot of freedom. As a result, the team implemented the "Golden 3C Rules", which represents Character, Control, and Camera.[49] Players are always controlling their own actions and movements, and the team intentionally avoided any animation that would disrupt the players. As a result, actions such as setting explosives, or placing a breach charge, can be cancelled immediately so that players can react and shoot. The game's camera only moves when the player moves, as the team feared that the changes of camera angle may lead to players' in-game deaths. A free-lean system was introduced to the game so that players can have more control on their line of sight.[29] According to Ubisoft, this input-driven control mechanism makes the game feel more "natural" and "fluid". This is because it allows players to concentrate on planning and coordinating, rather than thinking if the camera or environment will interfere their actions.[50]

Several gameplay elements were scrapped or removed from the final game. One of the features of its predecessors, artificial intelligence-controlled squadmates, were removed from single-player missions. This decision was made because the team wanted players to play with a squad controlled by actual players rather than computers. The team once considered adding a map editor so that players could design their own maps, but this plan never came to fruition. Hit markers, which would indicate an injury inflicted on an opponent, were removed because the team feared that players would abuse the system by "peppering the walls with gunfire" and use hit markers to locate enemies. Players cannot jump in the game, as real-life counter-terrorist unit operators do not jump while carrying out their missions.[47]

Sound design

According to Louis Philippe, the game's audio director, the team originally used intense music and sounds to create tension. However, the team decided to scrap this idea, realizing that the best way to create a tense atmosphere is to create the sounds of other players, which are often unexpected. The team created Navigation Sounds, in which the sound a player made is determined by their operators' weight, armor, and speed. Gadget deployment such as fortifying and breach-charging create louder sounds that may reveal the player's presence. The team thought that this would be enjoyable for players and influence their gameplay experience.[51] The game's music was composed by Paul Haslinger, who had worked on the score of the previous Rainbow Six games and the Far Cry series. His co-composer was Ben Frost, who debuted his first video game soundtrack with Siege. Leon Purviance assisted Frost and Haslinger in composing the music.[52]

Release

Rainbow Six Siege stall at Gamescom

Ubisoft announced the game at their press conference during Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014.[53] In August 2015, Ubisoft announced that they had delayed the game's release from October 10 to December 1, 2015, in order to give additional time for the team to balance the game for cooperative multiplayer play.[54] A closed alpha-testing was held by Ubisoft on April 7–13, 2015, in which players could play an early version of the game in order to help the development team test their servers and core gameplay loops, and to provide feedback.[55] Ubisoft held a closed beta, starting on September 24, 2015, for further testing. The company originally wanted to hold another round of testing with the release of the game's open beta on November 25, 2015, but they delayed its release to November 26 due to matchmaking issues.[56] Players who purchased Siege for the Xbox One could download Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas and its sequel, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 for free.[57]

The game had multiple versions for players to purchase. A season pass was announced on November 12, 2015. Players who bought this version of the game could gain early access to operators offered in the DLCs and receive several weapon skins.[58] The game was also released alongside its Collector's Edition, which included the game's season pass, a hat, a compass and bottle opener, a backpack, and a 120-page guide.[59] A Starter Edition was released on PC in June 2016, featuring all the maps, modes and weapons of the standard edition, and included two operators plus enough Rainbow 6 Credits to purchase two more of the player's choice (players could purchase the rest of the operators with Renown or Rainbow 6 Credits). The Starter Edition was cheaper than the main game, and was initially available for a limited time.[60] In February 2017, the Starter Edition became permanently available via Uplay.[61]

According to Ubisoft, the game adopted a "game as a service" approach, as they would provide long-term support for the game and offer post-release content to keep players engaged. The management team initially doubted the idea, but eventually decided to approve it.[32] The title was supported with many updates upon launch, with the company introducing fixes to bugs, and improvements on both matchmaking and general gameplay mechanics.[62][63] They also introduced an auto-kick system, which automatically removes players from a match when they kill a friendly player,[64] and launched the BattleEye system in August 2016 to punish cheaters.[65] All downloadable content maps was released to all players for free.[66] The team avoided adding more modes to the game because most would not fit well with the game's close-quarter combat.[67] Downloadable content for the game were divided into several seasons, with a Mid-Season Reinforcement patch which added new weapons and modified some of the operators' core abilities.[32] This post-release content was developed by the Montreal studio in conjunction with Blue Byte in Germany.[68]

Downloadable content and expansion packs
Year Name Release date Notes
Year 1 Operation Black Ice February 2, 2016 The DLC introduces a new map, a frozen yacht in Canada. It also introduces two Canadian operators, Frost and Buck. Frost can use a trap to incapacitate enemies, while Buck has a underbarrel shotgun.[69]
Operation Dust Line May 11, 2016 The DLC introduces a new map set in the Middle East, which was described as "a mix of old and new construction with open air pathways".[70] It also introduces two new operators, Blackbeard and Valkyrie. Blackbeard has two shields that can be mounted onto his rifle, while Valkyrie has three Black Eye Cameras.[71]
Operation Skull Rain August 2, 2016 The DLC introduces a new map set in Brazil, and two Brazilian operators called Capitão and Caveira.[72] Capitão has a tactical crossbow and smoke grenades while Caveira has an ability called Silent Step, which allows her to interrogate an immobilized enemy for the location of other enemies.[73]
Operation Red Crow November 17, 2016 The DLC introduces a new map set in a skyscraper in Japan, and two Japanese operators called Hibana and Echo. Hibana possesses a weapon that launches up to three sets of six explosives that can break reinforced walls, while Echo uses a drone capable of releasing sonic blasts to disorient enemies.[74]
Year 2 Operation Velvet Shell February 8, 2017 The DLC introduces a new map set in Spain, and two Spanish operators called Mira and Jackal.[75] Jackal is a tracker who can reveal the location of enemies by tracking their footprints, while Mira can create one-way windows on walls which can be ejected, leaving a space for operators to fire through.[76][77]
Operation Health June 6, 2017[78] Operation Health is an update that fine-tuned many of the game's aspects, including fixes to hit boxes, spawn killing and audio issues.[79] This resulted in the delay of season 2's content, and the cancellation of season 3's map.
Operation Blood Orchid August 29, 2017[80] The DLC introduces a new map set in Hong Kong, two Hong Kong operators, and one Polish operator.

Ubisoft also envisioned the game as an eSports game. The company had their first meeting with David Hiltscher, vice president of ESL, in late 2013. ESL offered feedback on the game's balancing and helped the developer to ensure that the game was suitable for competitive play.[81] The team focused on introducing new operators to provide variety for eSports viewers after the game's release, a decision inspired by modern multiplayer online battle arena games such as Dota 2, as this type of game often has 80–100 playable characters.[82] ESL and Ubisoft officially announced Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Pro League, a global tournament for Windows and Xbox One players. The competition was held at Intel Extreme Masters eSports tournament on March 4, 2016.[83] A European team, PENTA Sports, became the champion of the first season of Rainbow Six Pro League after defeating another team, GiFu, at the final of the tournament held in May 2016.[84] In 2017, It was revealed that Pro League Year Two would return, but Xbox One tournaments would not be featured.[85]

Reception

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PC) 78/100[86]
(XONE) 74/100[87]
(PS4) 73/100[88]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid8/10[89]
Game Informer7/10[90]
Game Revolution[91]
GameSpot8/10[92]
GamesRadar[93]
IGN7.9/10[94]
PC Gamer (US)90/100[95]
Polygon6/10[96]
VideoGamer.com8/10[97]

The pre-release reception of the game was positive, with critics praising the game's design and tensions created during matches.[24] The game received four nominations from Game Critics Awards: Best of Show, Best PC Game, Best Action Game and Best Online Multiplayer Game.[98] The game eventually became the winner of the Best PC Game category.[99]

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege received positive reviews. Critics generally praised the game's destructive environment, tactical nature, map design, and its focus on teamwork. However, the lack of content and the game's microtransactions were subjected to criticism.

The game's multiplayer was widely praised by critics. Chris Carter from Destructoid praised the game's open-ended nature, which made each match unpredictable and helped the experience to stay fresh even after an extended period of playing.[89] GameSpot's Scott Butterworth appreciated the title for allowing players to make use of their creativity in approaching a mission.[92] James Davenport from PC Gamer echoed this thought, and he described Siege as a "psychological race" in which players are constantly trying to outwit their opponents.[95] Ryan McCaffery from IGN also praised the tactical possibilities, which make the game "tense and riveting".[94] The large number of operators available for players to choose were praised by both Carter and Matt Bertz from Game Informer, who commented that they added depths and variety to the game and that players could experiment to see which pairs of operators can complement each other.[90] However, McCaffery was disappointed by the lack of variety of game modes, and commented that most players usually neglect the mode's objectives and opted to simply eliminate their opponents.[94] Terrorist Hunt received divisive opinions from critics. Carter thought that it was more relaxing,[89] and Butterworth thought it was exhilarating. However, Bertz criticized its lack of variety, weak artificial intelligence, and its less-intense nature when compared with the player-versus-player modes.[90] Martin Robinson from Eurogamer also noted that the mode only ran at 30 frames per second, which limited its appeal.[100]

The game's focus on tactics was praised. Bertz applauded the tactical nature of the game, as it fostered communications between players. However, he noted that teamwork may not be possible if players did not have a headphone and microphone.[90] Arthur Gies from Polygon echoed these comments, stating that the game's over-reliance on teamwork meant that when teammates were not communicating, the game would not be fun to play.[96] The "No Respawn" system was praised by Butterworth for making each match feel intense, as even the best player needs to think tactically in order to win.[92] Jonathon Leack from Game Revolution enjoyed the scouting phase of a multiplayer match, which encouraged players to communicate with each other and coordinate their attacks.[91] However, Gies noted that the placement of game objectives does not vary much, thus making the scouting phase meaningless. Both Bertz and Butterworth agreed that the game's competitive nature increases the game's replay value.[90][92] Ben Griffin from GamesRadar praised the destruction mechanic for bringing tactical depth to the game.[93]

The gameplay received mixed reviews. Both Bertz and Griffin criticized the game's incompetent hit detection system, which made the experience unfair.[93] Bertz described the game's gunplay as "servicable",[90] while Leack noticed a delay in shooting, which drags the game's pace and leads to a steep learning curve. However, Leack appreciated the game's map design, which opened many possibilities. He also praised its attention to detail and sound design, which can often make a multiplayer match feel like a "great action film".[91] Bertz was disappointed by the lack of customization options, which did not offer long-term progression for the players.[90] Butterworth similarly criticized the progression system for being slow. As players cannot play as the same operator in the same match, he was often forced to play as the generic "recruit" character when he was only at the beginning stage of the game. He also criticized the limited weapon customization options, which barely affect gameplay.[92] McCaffery described customization as the "least interesting" aspect of the game, and claimed that most gameplay features were locked when players started playing.[94] Griffin, Gies, and Steven Burns from VideoGamer.com were annoyed by the microtransactions featured in the game,[97][96] with Griffin describing it as a greedy attempt by Ubisoft to make more money,[93] though Davenport did not mind these features as they were limited to cosmetic items and could be unlocked through earning Renown.[95] Bertz was annoyed the lack of clan infrastructure, which may cause players troubles when they were finding matches,[90] while Griffin thought that map rotation often felt random and was disappointed that players cannot vote to decide which map they are going to play next.[93]

Single-player was generally considered a disappointment by critics, with Situations receiving mixed reviews. Carter described it as one of his "favorite non-campaign additions" as the mode gave players incentive to return due to its rating system. Butterworth described it as a "surprisingly robust" mode, and thought that there were great tutorial missions that help players to understand gameplay before trying multiplayer.[92] However, Bertz criticized it for its lack of replay value,[90] and Griffin noted their short length.[93] McCaffery thought that it served as a competent tutorial, but its solo play nature meant that players could not practice teamplay and tactics.[94] Davenport criticized the narrative in Situations, which he thought was not meaningful.[95] Many critics were disappointed with the lack of a single-player campaign or a cooperative campaign,[90][91] but Butterworth believed that the strong multiplayer components can compensate for this absence.[92] Gies noticed certain network issues would affect the single-player.[96]

Many critics generally had a positive opinion on the package. Bertz thought that the game's multiplayer design had laid a great foundation for the game, but it was not taken advantage of due to the small number of game modes.[90] Leack felt that Siege's tight focus on tactical gameplay had "provided something unlike any other game on the market".[91] Butterworth found the game very unique and that there was "nothing else like it" when he put aside the game's minor annoyances.[92] Griffin wrote that the title felt very fresh, as most games in the market did not value tactics.[93] Davenport similarly praised the game for being very concentrated and making no compromises on gameplay design, which in turn make the title one of the best tactical multiplayer shooters on the market.[95] Gies recognized the game's potential but thought that they were overshadowed by the game's numerous technical annoyances, frustrating progression system and its lack of content.[96] Robinson was impressed by the game's multiplayer mode, and that the overall package could be considered as the year's best multiplayer game. However, he questioned Ubisoft for releasing the game with so little content while still selling it at full-price.[100]

Sales

On May 15, 2015, Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, announced that Ubisoft expected Rainbow Six Siege to outsell Far Cry 4's 7 million sales over the course of its lifetime because of post-launch support, saying: "This game will continue to live for a long time as we update with content for a long time."[101]

At the game's launch, it debuted at number 6 in UK Software Charts, selling 76,000 retail copies across all three platforms.[102] Critics thought that the launch performance was underwhelming and lackluster.[103] However, through continued post-release support and updates, the player base had doubled since the game's launch.[104] Following the summer 2016 launch of the third DLC, Skull Rain, the size of the player base had a 40% increase, and the title had more than 10 million registered players.[105] Two years after launch, the game remained as one of the top 40 best-selling retail games in the UK.[44] The game reached 20 million players in August 2017.[106] The strong performance of Siege, alongside with Tom Clancy's The Division (2016) and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) boosted the total number of players of the Tom Clancy's franchise to 44 million in 2017.[107] The post-launch success for Siege further solidified Ubisoft's belief in the model of "game as a service". Future Ubisoft multiplayer-focused titles – such as For Honor – adopted this structure, in which the company would provide free DLC and updates several years after the game's official release.[108]

References

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  2. ↑ Cowen, Nick (June 13, 2014). "E3 2014: Rainbow Six Siege preview". The Guardian. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  3. ↑ Bell, Larryn (December 2, 2015). "Rainbow 6 Siege: How to Earn More Renown". Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Annie (December 1, 2015). "Rainbow Six Siege Dos and Don'ts". UbiBlog. Ubisoft. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Burns, Steven (April 10, 2015). "Rainbow Six Siege alpha impressions". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ Davenport, James (December 4, 2015). "Seven things I wish I’d known before starting Rainbow Six Siege". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  7. ↑ LeJacq, Yannick (November 14, 2015). "Why There Are No Respawns In The Next Rainbow Six". Kotaku. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  8. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (October 15, 2014). "Why Rainbow Six Siege Doesn't Let You Respawn". GameSpot. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Mccaffrey, Ryan (March 30, 2015). "6 Thing We Think About Rainbow Six Siege". IGN. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ Buckeridge, Rory (June 12, 2014). "E3 2014: Rainbow Six: Siege details emerge as Ubisoft unveil explosive hostage situation shooter". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  11. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (August 14, 2015). "Why Ubisoft put Spectator Mode in Rainbow Six: Siege". VG 247. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  12. ↑ Devore, Jordan (June 17, 2014). "Ubisoft talks single-player in Rainbow Six: Siege". Destructoid. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 Lahti, Evan (June 18, 2014). "Rainbow Six Siege interview: how destruction works, moddability, hostage design". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Lien, Tracey (June 11, 2014). "Rainbow Six Siege lets you do damage in creative ways". Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  15. ↑ Langshaw, Mark (April 28, 2015). "Hands-on with tactical, destruction-filled shooter Rainbow Six Siege". Digital Spy. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  16. ↑ Lewis, Anne (June 11, 2014). "Rainbow Six Siege - Destruction, Fortification And Other Modes". Ubisoft. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  17. ↑ Wong, Steven (April 10, 2015). "Rainbow Six: Siege Closed Alpha Impressions: What Hostage?". Shacknews. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  18. ↑ Prescott, Shaun (September 16, 2015). "Rainbow Six Siege will launch with 11 multiplayer maps". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  19. ↑ Chieng, Kevin (June 9, 2014). "Siege is the Next Rainbow Six Game". GameTrailers. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  20. ↑ Dawson, Bryan (January 4, 2016). "Rainbow Six Siege - Bomb Mode, Preparation and Action Phase Tips and Tricks". Prima Games. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  21. ↑ Dawson, Bryan (January 4, 2016). "Rainbow Six Siege - How to Win in Secure Area Mode". Prima Games. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  22. ↑ Martin, Matt (September 30, 2015). "No Rainbow Six: Siege story campaign? Try lone wolfing Terrorist Hunt". VG247. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  23. ↑ Phillips, Tom (June 16, 2015). "Rainbow Six Siege player-vs-AI Terrohunt mode detailed". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  24. 1 2 VanOrd, Kevin (June 15, 2015). "The Crushing Tension of Rainbow Six: Siege at E3 2015". GameSpot. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
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