Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started

Appreciated by a community of tens and tens of millions of players, Rainbow Six: Siege is a tactical shooter with one of the best-kept multiplayer sectors currently on the market. The Ubisoft title debuted in 2015 and is currently available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, PC, Google Stadia and Amazon Luna. Starting to play now could be a bit confusing: with the numerous editions available, Operators, the seasons system and the Battle Pass, it's easy to get stunned even before buying the game. But don't worry, we'll give you a hand!



In this Rainbow Six: Siege guide we will offer you an overview of the features of Ubisoft's multiplayer shooter, the differences between the various editions and game currencies, how does the Battle Pass and much more.

What is Rainbow Six: Siege? Overview and game modes

Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six: Siege, rescuing hostages is one of the many objectives of the game

Rainbow Six: Siege is one multiplayer tactical shooter which rewards coordinated team play and carefully planned tactical actions. We don't say it so much: charging head down with a Rambo approach will only ensure an indecent end and the defeat of your team. Since its launch in 2015, the game has been significantly expanded, with extra maps, new weapons, themed seasonal events and of course with many new Operators, which are now more than 60 (more than double those available at launch).


The core of the gaming experience lies in the PvP mode (i.e. match between players), but there is also a PvE component (players against enemies guided by artificial intelligence) which will come in handy for learning the basics or for carefree games in the company of friends.


In PvE you will be able to face the "Simulations", with which you can practice with specific exercises, and "Terrorist Hunt", where together with other players you will have to neutralize targets controlled by the AI ​​and complete specific objectives. PvP, on the other hand, is based on clashes between two teams of five players (blue and red) who battle to defuse bombs, save hostages or defend key points.

In multiplayer, you take on the role of one of many Operators by Rainbow Six: Siege. These are divided between attackers and defenders, each with their own specific role. The attackers are tasked with raiding, eliminating threats and conquering the target. They have dedicated equipment, such as a wide range of bullets, reconnaissance tools and crowd control weapons. Defenders, on the other hand, must protect the target, reinforcing building entrances and fortifying key points on the map. Their equipment includes armor and medical skills to support allies, devices to knock out incoming threats, and to gather intelligence.

All Operators have unique features and a certain balance between armor and agility. In addition, each has unique gadgets that can upset the balance of battle, such as shields to protect the team, grapples to quickly reach strategic points and grenade launchers, just to name a few. Using and learning the characteristics of the various Operators is part of both the fun and the experience needed to get the best of Rainbow Six Siege's three PvP modes, of which you will find an overview below:


  • Rescue: The attackers must find and extract a hostage from a building, escorting him to a point out of range, while the defenders must prevent it, setting traps and barricades. Both teams must prevent the death of the hostage, under penalty of direct defeat.
  • Garrison: Attackers must find and occupy a particular room on the map, defending it for a set period of time. The defenders will have to obstruct them in all ways, fortifying the area and / or eliminating the opponents before time runs out.
  • Bomb squad: the attackers must find and neutralize two bombs with a defusing kit to place in their vicinity and protect at any cost. Defenders must prevent this by fortifying the target or eliminating the defender kit bearer.

As previously mentioned Rainbow Six Siege is a tactical multiplayer shooter, so there are so many things to learn before you can play at high levels. However, if you are going to start now, even the simple basic knowledge of a FPS is enough and advances to start having fun. The rest is learned by playing.


Renown and Credits R6

Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six: Siege, Osa is one of the many Operators in the game that can be unlocked with Renown or R6 Credits

By playing the various modes of Rainbow Six: Siege the game will reward users with two currencies that allow them to purchase new equipment and new operators: Renown and Credits R6.

Renown is achieved in a variety of ways, such as completing matches and completing daily and weekly objectives. It works as a universal currency with which to buy new weapons and accessories, cosmetic skins or unlock new operators. What about R6 Credits? They have the same function but are obtained in a completely different way. In fact, let's talk about the premium currency of Rainbow Six: Siege, available for purchase with real money through packages of different denominations. So let's talk about an alternative, for a fee, of the Fame.


Mind you, as in all games that include a premium currency, you don't have to spend real money to unlock fundamental elements like Operators, for that you just need to accumulate Fame. R6 Credits allow you to get what interests you faster by paying.

Updates, Seasons and Battle Passes

Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six: Siege, thanks to the Battle Pass you can get new skins for your Operators

As mentioned at the beginning Rainbow Six Siege despite six years have passed since its launch is still one of the most played multiplayer titles on the market. A remarkable result obtained thanks to a full-bodied and reasoned post-launch support, thanks to which the game expands from year to year. The evolution of Rainbow Six Siege is marked through the Seasons, big free updates extend and improve the gaming experience. Each season includes new content such as maps, features, game modes and unlockable content such as operators and weapon skins.


Each "Year" of Rainbow Six: Siege includes 4 Seasons lasting three months represented in turn by the so-called "Operations". Practical example: at the time of writing this article we are in Season 3 of Year 6 of Rainbow Six: Siege, or Operation Crystal Guard, which began on September 7, 2021 and will end on November 16 of the same year.

Ubisoft has abandoned the Season Pass formula (i.e. paid content published in stages over time) to embrace that of Battle Pass. Thanks to them it is possible to obtain new content every season by unlocking the various levels of rewards. Basically the more you play, the more Battle Pass reward tiers you will unlock.

There are two Battle Pass routes: free and premium. In Premium route (purchasable for 1200 R6 Credits) there are more items available, but both work identically when it comes to progress and unlocking rewards. The most important difference, however, is that the new Operator of a given season is obtainable at the first level of the Premium path of the Battle Pass, along with an exclusive pack. However, this is not the only way to unlock Operators. If you prefer the free course you can get them by paying in Fame points or R6 Credits at a later time.

The editions available and the various differences

Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six: Siege, l'artwork ufficiale

One of the potentially more complicated and confusing aspects for players starting Rainbow Six: Siege now is, unbelievably true, the purchase of the game itself. From debut in 2015 to today, Ubisoft has released numerous editions of the shooter, each accompanied by different contents, in particular as regards the number of Operators included. So it is good to know the differences between the various versions of the game to choose the one that best suits your needs.

First of all, to date there are 4 main editions worth considering: Standard Edition, Deluxe Edition, Operator Edition e Ultimate Edition. Each obviously allows you to access the base game, all the modes and maps present both at launch and added in subsequent years. However, starting from the Deluxe Edition onwards, each version allows you to have immediate access to a certain number of Operators, without having to unlock them in game with Renown and Credits R6. Since there are currently more than 60 Operators in Rainbow Six Siege, there is a big difference between starting with the 20 of the base game and the over 50 guaranteed by the Ultimate Edition.

We have listed below the differences of the four main versions the Rainbow Six Siege:

  • Standard Edition (19,99 euro): Includes the base game. You will have access to all maps, modes and updates released so far and those coming in the future. Beyond the 20 basic Operators, the others will be unlocked with Renown and R6 Credits. Officially this version is no longer available on consoles and you will not be able to purchase it on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store. The same goes for Google Stadia and Amazon Luna. However, it is possible to buy the retail version: some stores still have some unsold stocks and there is always the second-hand market. The Standard Edition, on the other hand, is still available for PC in digital version, on Steam, Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store.
  • Deluxe Edition (29,99 euros): In addition to the base game, it includes instant access to 16 Rainbow Six Siege Year 1 and 2 Operators. In practice this is the new "standard" version for PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Important to note that the Deluxe Edition is currently included in the Xbox Game Pass subscription.
  • Operator Edition (69,99 euro): in addition to the base game, it includes immediate access to all 38 Operators from Year 1 to Year 5. This version is only available digitally in the reference stores of each platform.
  • Ultimate Edition (89,99 euro): In addition to the base game, it includes immediate access to all 38 Operators from Year 1 to Year 5 and also the Jammer package, of which you will find more details below. This edition is only available digitally in the reference stores of each platform.

Il Jammer package of the Ultimate Edition of Rainbow Six Siege allows you to access four complete Operator Packs for Zero, Melusi, Ace and Aruni coming in the course of year 6. Specifically:

Zero package (available at the beginning of Year 6 Season 1). Includes the following items for Zero:

  • Nightvision Shield Pendant
  • Uniform Terminal Framework
  • Headgear Terminal program
  • Datum Processor weapon skin

Melusi package (available at the beginning of Year 6 Season 2). Includes the following items for Melusi:

  • Banshee Shield Pendant
  • Uniform Terminal Framework
  • Headgear Terminal program
  • Datum Processor weapon skin

Ace package (available at the beginning of Year 6 Season 3). Includes the following items for Ace:

  • Selma Shield Pendant
  • Uniform Terminal Framework
  • Headgear Terminal program
  • Datum Processor weapon skin

Aruni package (available at the beginning of Year 6 Season 4). Includes the following items for Aruni:

  • Surya Shield Pendant
  • Uniform Terminal Framework
  • Headgear Terminal program
  • Datum Processor weapon skin
Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six: Siege, fortifying goals is paramount

After this overview it is normal to ask: what is thebest edition of Rainbow Six Siege? The answer is, very simply, a bit of all (perhaps excluding the Ultimate), but a lot depends on your needs, expectations and style of play. Let's try to explain ourselves better.

As you may have noticed from the comparison of the various editions we have done above, the greatest benefit of buying the more expensive versions is to get immediate access to a greater number of Operators. These as explained above are decisive in the gaming experience, since each one is equipped with unique characteristics. More Operators means having more choice options. Furthermore, it must be taken into consideration that manually unlocking the various characters requires a large amount of time and Fame (or R6 Credits), which otherwise you could invest in the purchase of objects for aesthetic customization.

On the other hand, however, when you start playing Rainbow Six Siege it will take some time to assimilate the mechanics behind the game and learn how to play each individual Operator separately. In practice, you will hardly be able to take advantage of the variety of choices of the complete Rainbow Six Siege roster right away. Better maybe take it slow, perhaps learning one Operator at a time and unlocking the ones that seem potentially best suited to your style of play. And then of course there is also the quantity / price ratio to evaluate, but that is a decidedly subjective aspect.

Having said that, in our opinion, probably the most balanced choice is represented by Deluxe Edition, given that it includes a good number of Operators (38 in total) at a very affordable price (basic € 29,99), in our opinion an excellent starting point for everyone.

PC requirements

Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six: Siege, shooting from behind a wall is an effective way to take out an opponent

If you play the PC version of Rainbow Six: Siege of course you will need to make sure you can satisfy the system requirements recommended by Ubisoft. Fortunately, as we're talking about a 2015 game, you don't need a monster of power to run the game well.

The following are the minimum and recommended system requirements for the PC version of Rainbow Six Siege:

Minimum

  • Operating System: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64bit version required)
  • Processor: Intel Core i3 560 @ 3.3 GHz o AMD Phenom II X4 945 @ 3.0 GHz
  • Memory: 6 GB of RAM
  • Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 o AMD Radeon HD 5870 (DirectX-11 con 1GB of VRAM)
  • Memory: 61 GB of available space
  • Audio card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

recommended

  • Operating System: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64bit version required)
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.3 GHz or higher or AMD FX-8120 @ 3.1 Ghz or higher
  • Memory: 8 GB of RAM
  • Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 (o GTX 760 / GTX 960) oppure AMD Radeon HD 7970 (o R9 280x [2GB VRAM] / R9 380 / Fury X)
  • Memory: 61 GB of available space
  • Audio card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

As previously mentioned, the game also runs well on configurations with a few years on the shoulders. The important thing, however, is to be able to reach at least i 60fps to ensure a smooth gaming experience, essential in a first person shooter. And if you manage to reach 120fps or even more, so much the better!

Upgrade to next-gen versions and graphical improvements

Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six: Siege, watch out for the traps!

Those who purchase Rainbow Six Siege's Rainbow Six Siege for PS4 or Xbox One and own or will purchase PS5 or Xbox Series X | S in the future will be able to run theupgrade to the next-gen version without additional costs.

To upgrade your PS4 copy to PS5, you will need to download "Rainbow Six: Siege PS5 Upgrade Edition" for free from PlayStation Store. This copy will be available for download only to those who own one of the supported PS4 versions of Rainbow Six Siege. In addition to the ones we have mentioned so far in the article, you will find the complete list at this address.

As for the Xbox family consoles, things are even simpler thanks to the Smart delivery. In a nutshell this means that there is a single version of the game for all Xbox platforms. For example, if you start playing on Xbox One and then switch to Xbox Series X you will automatically have the version optimized for that console without any additional steps.

The PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of Rainbow Six Siege have graphic improvements not indifferent to the old-gen counterparts, which allow you to enjoy the action of the shooter at a higher resolution or with a smoother framerate thanks to the Performance Mode and the Resolution Mode. You can choose which of the two to activate in the Video section of the Game Settings.

La Performance Mode aims to achieve 120 frames per second (FPS) with Dynamic Resolution Scaling at 4K on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. On Xbox Series S, performance mode runs the game at 120 FPS in 1080p resolution. Keep in mind that this mode only works correctly if your TV or monitor supports 120Hz refresh rates.

La Resolution mode aims to achieve 60 FPS at 4K resolution on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, or 60 FPS at 1728p resolution on Xbox Series S.

Which of the two to choose? If you have a suitable TV or monitor, the best choice is performance mode. In a first person shooter, the fluidity of the action is essential.

Cross-play e cross-save

Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six: Siege, riot shields are just one of the many tactical gadgets you can use

Rainbow Six: Siege supporta cross-play and cross-save (or cross-progression), but only between different consoles of the same family and between PC and Stadia.

For those unfamiliar with these terms: cross-play allows you to play with your friends even if they are on a different platform than yours. Cross-save allows you to play on one platform and continue your progression on another.

This means that currently in Rainbow Six: Siege it is possible to move progress between PC and Stadia, between PS4 and PS5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S. However, you will not be able, for example, to share progress between PC and PS5 or between Stadia and Xbox One. Similarly, you can play together with other players, as long as they have the same family of platforms. For example, PS5 players can play PS4 players, but not Xbox or PC players.

At the beginning of 2022 cross-play between Xbox and PlayStation consoles and cross-save between all platforms will be available. This means that Playstation and Xbox users will be able to play together. However, PC gamers will not be matched with console gamers and vice versa. Cross-play can be disabled at any time. Players joining the game from another family's platform will have the cross-platform icon. Those on the same platform family will show your platform icon.

For more information about cross-save and cross-play, we recommend that you visit the dedicated Ubisoft Support page at this address.

The Rainbow Six: Siege and Rainbox Six Extraction “United Front” pack

Rainbow Six: Siege - editions available, Operators and everything you need to know to get started
Rainbow Six Extraction is Ubisoft's new cooperative shooter

Those in possession of both Rainbow Six: Siege and Rainbow Six Extraction will have the opportunity to unlock rewards for both titles after the release of the latter thanks to the United Front Pack.

Rainbow Six Extraction is Ubisoft's new first-person shooter focused on cooperative component and inspired by Siege's Outbreak mode, in which Rainbow operators will have to face a new species of mutated alien parasite. The title is scheduled for release in January 2022 on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, PS5 and Xbox Series X / S.

To be eligible for the rewards, you will need to launch both games at least once (on any platform) by logging in with the same Ubisoft account. Once this requirement has been met, simply log into Ubisoft Connect via the web version or directly from the main menu of one of the games and access the "Rewards" section. For more information, please refer to the dedicated Ubisot Support page, at this address.

The United Front Pack includes an Operator Set for Ela and Lion in Rainbow Six: Extraction and an Operator Set for Pulse and Smoke in Rainbow Six: Siege. You will also unlock the 18 operators (yet to be fully revealed) of Extraction in Rainbow Six: Siege.

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