For almost 6 years now, the tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege has been holding strong, and there is no end in sight. Other games have long since had successors by this time. But the boss sees no reason for it – just like MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus.
What kind of shooter is this? Rainbow Six Siege is one of the best shooters ever, even in 2021. The shooter was first released in December 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
You play as agents of the “Rainbow” special unit, which brings together members of various police services and military units from around the world. The goal is counter-terrorism. Each agent (“Operator”) has a unique ability that sets them apart from the rest.
Rainbow Six is known for its tactical gameplay. Coordination within the team is crucial; a single bullet is often fatal, and reconnaissance and information on the enemy usually lead to victory.
Why doesn’t the game need a successor? I have been playing Rainbow Six Siege for years, not regularly, but now and then. And that’s the point: it doesn’t need a successor. Even after a break, I can return and simply jump back in.
In the meantime, things may have changed, but those are more reasons that a “Siege 2” is unnecessary. Because Rainbow Six keeps getting better. The Creative Director, Leroy Athanassoff, feels similarly.
“We want to protect your investment and increase its value”
Here’s what the boss says on the topic: In an AMA on Reddit in July 2021, Leroy Athanassoff spoke about the future of Rainbow Six and the possibility of a successor. He said:
“Siege 2 would mean a new game, a new environment, possibly a new inventory, and a new dev team. We don’t think that is what the community needs right now. Your investment in the game is important to us, and we don’t want to start a new [game].
Instead, we want to protect your investment and increase its value by making its current home (i.e., Siege) better. It’s like renovating your old home to make it contemporary, beautiful, and appealing.”
Leroy Athanassoff, via reddit
So why would Siege 2 be a bad idea? “Siege 2” would mean a new game, as Athanassoff explains. This means: everything players have achieved so far would disappear, and they would have to start over.
But since many fans – including myself – have played for years to acquire their favorite skins and have gotten used to their operators, this would be more of a step backward. I’m even sure that Siege would lose players because of this.
A possible solution would be the approach that Overwatch 2 is taking by simply expanding Overwatch. However, Rainbow Six doesn’t need anything like that; it’s simply getting bigger all the time.
But won’t it get boring at some point? Rainbow Six makes an effort to reinvent itself continually. The meta is constantly changing, there are reworks for the oldest operators or new toys for the players.
New updates keep the game fresh
What’s included in the updates? Rainbow Six Siege regularly receives new seasons with content – typically 4 per year. In the past, each of these seasons brought two new operators; now it’s just one. However, the roster already includes over 50 playable characters.
In addition to the operators, there are always new maps or revisions to existing content. Even new weapons or tools are introduced, such as a special explosives charge for reinforced walls.
The latest season starts on September 6. It is named Crystal Guard and is already thrilling the experts. The new operator of the season is Osa, the first transgender operator in the game with an interesting gadget.
What other content is there? In addition to the regular updates, there are always battle passes, events, and cross-promotions with other games or media. The events even bring limited, special game modes that are often very well received by the community.
What about new technology? Rainbow Six Siege has also made the leap to next-gen. Siege was already available in 2020 as a free upgrade on PS5 and Xbox Series X with 120 FPS – players didn’t even have to pay anything. The developers are continually working to eliminate bugs.
Hundreds of thousands still play and celebrate Rainbow Six
So many people play Siege: Rainbow Six regularly appears in the top titles on Steam, often when a new season is about to start. The all-time high is even 201,053 players simultaneously (via SteamDB.info). The figure is just above the successful beta launch of New World and just below No Man’s Sky. On average, 49,906 players were playing in August 2021 (via steamcharts.com).
These figures only represent numbers for PC and exclusively on Steam. Rainbow Six Siege is playable through Ubisoft’s own launcher and on consoles, which likely increases the actual player counts significantly.
How is Siege received? The rating on Steam has always been “very positive” since release, with 88% positive reviews out of over 808,000 reviews (via Steam). While there is criticism from time to time, a significant drop in ratings has never really been observed.
What about esports? Even in the professional arena, Siege is still considered one of the largest titles worldwide. The biggest tournament is the Six Invitational, which in 2021 offered a prize pool of $3 million.
Rainbow Six is thus among the esports titles with the highest prize money ever (via esportsearnings.com). The Invitational attracted over 300,000 viewers at its peak this year, averaging over 156,000 (via escharts.com).
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have their own league, the GSA League. Here, newcomers and professional teams compete against each other for a prize pool and even a spot in the pro league.
Rainbow Six Siege: So seht ihr die Deutsche Liga
Alle Infos, Ankündigungen und Streaming-Pläne zur großen deutschsprachigen GSA-Liga.
No one needs Siege 2 – just keep doing what you’ve been doing!
Siege 2 is pretty much off the table, and that is good, because Siege shows how service games should work. Instead of remaking the title, the existing game is simply expanded continually and improved until it’s at least “good”.
Unlike Call of Duty, Rainbow Six does not need an annual reboot. This also eases the wallet. Even if I were to buy the battle pass every season, I spend less in a year than on a new AAA title.
What’s next for Rainbow Six? The upcoming seasons will surely bring more operators and maps, revise existing maps and gadgets, or give operators completely new functions.
That is exactly what Siege needs and does well. The game is already good and doesn’t need to be much better. Siege doesn’t need a reboot; it just needs occasional incentives to play another round.
It’s nice to be able to return after a few months’ break and feel at home. After a short adjustment period, you’re almost back to the same skill level and can jump in fully.
Despite its age, the entry into the game is relatively easy. Or as easy as a shooter can be in which you can die from a single bullet. Some level of frustration tolerance is, of course, necessary, but with the right tips, even beginners can have a lot of fun:
How challenging is it actually to start with Rainbow Six Siege in 2021?
What do you think? Should Siege get a successor or is the current path just right? Share it in the comments!
