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After hitting the huge milestone of 10 years of live service, Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Instead, it’s shaking things up with a surprise addition that fans didn’t quite see coming but are more than happy to welcome. Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid is officially joining the roster as the next operator in Operation Silent Hunt.
It’s not the first time characters from other franchises have appeared in RS6 as the game has previously featured skins like Master Chief and Lara Croft, while Sam Fisher joined as a full operator. However, this marks the first time an operator from outside the Ubisoft universe will appear in the game.
Solid Snake abilities are quite interesting and introduces a mini-map for the first time in the game. This is probably the first time I’ve been interested in a new operator and will shake up the game.
A three speed and one armour character, Snake is perfect for team information as the gadget can detect enemies within a radius and their directional view – the game also makes the iconic MGS ‘!’ ping notification when this happens adding fan service to the character.
There’s some cons on the new gadget however, with enemies who are detected able to see that they’ve been detected and have a limited radius. In the right hands, Solid Snake will be ideal to lock down roamers such as Cav and hard anchors on site.
Snake’s iconic .45 will be introduced as a new secondary weapon in the series. A semi-automatic pistol with a built-in suppressor, it’s as synonymous with Solid Snake as David Hayter’s unmistakable voice bringing the operator to life. Solid Snake is also able to pick up utilities on the map from dead operators giving him the extra option to equip a nade, smoke or stun to adapt – a signature trait for the infiltrator himself.
Solid Snake as a fast and agile operator will be an interesting addition to the current meta with buffs given to operators such as Skopos that will attempt to lockdown Snake’s – as a player that loves to roam – I’m actually fearful of Snake’s abilities to shut down players like me and I’m keen to see how I can work around it. While my time was limited with testing out Snake, I’m really keen for his addition to the current roster as he’s been the most interesting operator in my opinion in recent times.
Ubisoft ain’t stopping there, calling this update the ‘Metal Gear’ season. Dual Front, a mode that was aimed to change up the – giving newcomers a less hardcore approach to Siege will unfortunately be sunsetting. However, before they shut down the mode – they’re going out with a bang giving a full Metal Gear themed overhaul with characters such as Meryl and Gray Fox – so expect a full lineup of skins from your favourite Metal Gear characters. This is honestly a good send off for a mode that didn’t really grab the attention from the community.
Starting from Y11 S1, R6 Siege will receive 4 updates per season with a focus on balancing and drip-feeding content to push their live service motif for the series. While we get a full Metal Gear themed drop for Season 1, they will also be adding a time limited 1v1 mode where players can challenge their friends or randoms online which has been quite popular among the streamer community for R6 Siege.
While it’s been a rollercoaster ride across the many seasons of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, the game keeps pushing forward, now with a stronger emphasis on community feedback. Listening to players is crucial for a title that’s been running this long, especially as it looks toward the future. Collaborations like Metal Gear Solid raise an interesting question. Are crossover events the next evolution of Siege? It certainly feels like a natural fit, but I’m curious to see what other doors this could open, only time will tell.
THE AUTHOR TRAVELED TO PARIS AS A GUEST OF UBISOFT FOR THE RAINBOW SIX SIEGE YEAR 11 PREVIEW EVENT