Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
Nintendo Switch 2 info seekers: here are some games you reportedly may be able to play on it, including one all of us have had to wait longer than expected forJan 14, 2025 - VG247Look fast! The Nintendo Switch 2 isn't just a thing you can speculate about the reveal of or trawl the internet looking for allegedly leaked pics which may or may not tell you anything about what it'll look like - it's actually set to have some games you'll be able to play on it. Plus, one of them is reportedly a game most of us were originally supposed to be playing late last year. Read more R6 SIEGE | Welcome a new Operator to your squad with the free Holiday Pack!Dec 23, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsHappy Holidays from the Rainbow Six Siege team! We have got a surprise for you! The free Holiday Pack contains 1 random unowned Operator or a Bravo Pack if all Operators are already owned. To get your pack go to the shop and claim the “free gift” item. The in-game news bulletin should also direct you there. We hope you enjoy and have a great time with us heading into your new year. The festivities continue until January 6 and winter descends upon Siege as Attack and Defense sides cease to exist with only a free(ze) for all in the cold! Celebrate the holidays the best possible way: spraying countless enemies in a minus-100 degree, Free For All-inspired event. In Permafrost, everyone is an opponent and there are infinite respawns. The pace starts fast and never stops, with the winner reaching 40 points first. This year's game mode includes a festive new mechanic called Frozen Souls, where players get an extra points for snatching the soul off their opponent's corpse. There's also a few changes to the Artic Workshop map. The landscape is covered with snow, the roof is gone, and the sniper posts, walls and barracks have all been decorated for the holidays.Rainbow Six Siege | Freeze for All Permafrost Live Now!Dec 16, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsCelebrate the holidays the best possible way: spraying countless enemies in a minus-100 degree, Free For All-inspired event. In Permafrost, everyone is an opponent and there are infinite respawns. The pace starts fast and never stops, with the winner reaching 40 points first. This year's game mode includes a festive new mechanic called Frozen Souls, where players get extra points for snatching the soul off their opponent's corpse. There's also a few changes to the Artic Workshop map. The landscape is covered with snow, the roof is gone, and the sniper posts, walls and barracks have all been decorated for the holidays. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/9198cfabb99d17fadb356b92fda07989bc1ce3b5.png Equip Thermite, Mira, and Finka with uniforms, headgear, weapon skins, and more from the limited-time Freeze For All Permafrost Collection bundles! Enhanced variants for Thorn, Ash, Vigil, and Dokkaebi will also be available and bring a frosty upgrade with their refreshed, stylish designs! The three new bundles will be available for 1,680 R6 Credits, while the price of the four enhanced Variants Bundles has been reduced to 1,200 R6 Credits. You can also get Collection packs for 300 R6 Credits (12,500 Renown) each. A new exclusive signature pack is also available and includes a universal weapon skin, a drone skin, and more for 1,680 RC. Shop now {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/f3d51d47861dd0084deae152b15475c0dfa32b8d.jpg If you connect to the game during the event, you will receive one Collection pack for free, plus additional ones and a full bundle for Frost when completing weekly challenges. The event packs will also be available in-game and on the website for just 300 R6 Credits, giving you a chance to unlock limited-time legendary skins and other exclusive items. Shop now {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/97c49e8ed1bc4b36a33fe58e7c3bdd62a11cfdc6.png And for collectors, owning all eight of the above bundles comes with a special high-quality reward: the limited-time Memento 3D animated weapon skin for R4-C! Will you be the one to dominate the frozen chaos… or will you be left out in the cold? Read the complete event details here!Y9S4.1 PATCH NOTESDec 12, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/3bd10f764d1f16d0766394b489df3355830bd9ea.jpg Here you can find the fixes for the Y9S4.1 patch. Y9S4.1 PATCH SIZE Find the download sizes for each platform below. Ubisoft Connect: 32.8 GB Steam: 5.3 GB Xbox One: 8.09 GB Xbox Series X: 7.9 GB PlayStation®4: 9.8 GB PlayStation®5: 7.4 GB BUG FIXES GAMEPLAY FIXED - Squad leader is unable to select banned Operators in a Custom Lobby. FIXED - Timer animation for recharging Gadgets will grey-out when the available Gadgets reaches zero. FIXED - Context to toggle preview on or off is missing for Brava's Kludge Drone Twitch's Shock Drone guide. FIXED - Blackbeard's SR-25 clips through the H.U.L.L Adaptable Shield when viewed by an Opponent. FIXED - Blackbeard's H.U.L.L Adaptable Shield remains unequipped after performing a full reload in rappel. FIXED - Aim Down Sight desync between first-person and third-person view when Blackbeard is selected as an Attacker. FIXED - Task system is empty when selected for the first time through "Wait in Shooting Range" in Siege Cup or Matchmaking. FIXED - Weapons appear to float behind the Operators in the Weapon Roulette session. FIXED - Blackbeard doesn't get pushed back when colliding with Oryx's Remah Dash with his own dash ability. FIXED - Blackbeard's H.U.L.L Adaptable Shield can't vault through Osa's Talon-8 Clear Shield. FIXED - Teammate sprint animation isn't visible to the player in support. FIXED - Hard Breach Charge is floating on Azami's Kiba Barrier while being destroyed. FIXED - Instead of sprinting, the Operator seems to walk faster in third-person view. FIXED - Operator guides are accessed only by using D-pad in Match Replay. LEVEL DESIGN FIXED - Cubicle walls in 1F Open Area disappear when viewed from EXT Back Alley on the Bank map. FIXED - Skybox is too dark on several maps. OPERATORS FIXED - Reload animation for Golden Gun is missing for Operators in the Golden Gun Arcade Mode. FIXED - Skopós's idle V10 Pantheon Shell doesn't deploy its shield when spawned in 2F Penthouse on the Stadium Alpha map. FIXED - Skopós's Idle V10 Pantheon Shell doesn't deploy its shield when spawned in 1F Piano Room on the Stadium Alpha map. FIXED - Skopós's Idle V10 Pantheon Shell doesn't spawn properly in 2F Office on the Stadium Alpha map. FIXED - Skopós's Idle V10 Pantheon Shell spawns too close to the wall in 2F Lockers on the Stadium Alpha map. USER EXPERIENCE FIXED - Osa's Talon-8 Clear Shield skin thumbnail is too large to be previewed in the Loadout section. FIXED - Buck's Elite uniform is not visible on screen previews when selected. FIXED - Battle Pass Points total boost is at 30% on the After Action Report of Events. FIXED - Status Change notification on Reputation Tile remains visible when leaving and entering Career tab. FIXED - Ribbon for "EXPAND YOUR ROSTER" remains after operators have been purchased. FIXED - Tile effect is missing for The Old Stock Weapon Skin in the Battle Pass. FIXED - Buck's Elite device skin is oversized in the ...Rainbow Six Siege is completely free to play right now, but you need to act fastDec 9, 2024 - PCGamesNRainbow Six Siege was originally a tricky proposition. Between Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Counter-Strike, back in 2015, it felt like online shooters were driven more by outright aggression and pace than by tactics and teamwork. Ubisoft was trying to take the mechanics of slow-burn, single-player FPS classics like SWAT 4, Ghost Recon, and of course the R6 series itself, and make them work in competitive multiplayer. It wasn't easy, but nine years and dozens of seasons later, the studio has clearly made Siege's mix of brains and brawn into a success. XDefiant might be closing down, but with Year 9 Season 4 and Operation Collision Point underway, Rainbow Six Siege is as strong as ever, and now you can play it for the low, low price of zero dollars. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Rainbow Six Siege update makes a dramatic change to reduce matchmaking times Rainbow Six Siege players blast new membership announcement Rainbow Six Siege reputation system will remain in beta for now Y9S4 PATCH NOTES ADDENDUMDec 4, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/295f0d5b9da052357bf75df7c6e4ae055a77d76e.png Here you can find the updates and fixes made over the course of the Y9S4 Season Test Server. Y9S4 PATCH SIZE Find the download sizes for each platform below. Ubisoft Connect: 73.99 GB Steam: 14.8 GB Xbox One: 34.4 GB Xbox Series X: 40.7 GB PlayStation®4: 39.90 GB PlayStation®5: 36.74 GB Y9S4.0 PATCH Shotguns ecosystem tweaks for PC and Console: ADS Dispersion Cone Reduction: ITA12L, M590A1, M870, SG-CQB, FO-12, SASG-12. Hip-Fire Dispersion Cone Reduction: ITA12L, M590A1, M870, SG-CQB, Supernova. First Shot Reduced: M1014, SPAS12, Super 90, SASG-12. Increased Vertical Recoil after first shot: M1014, SPAS12, Super 90. WINDOW BLOCKER To reduce toxicity and spawn peeking, players will no longer be allowed to navigate onto window ledges. Vaulting and Hot-Breaching through windows will not be affected. TEXTURE REFORGE A texture reforge has been done which means players will be expecting a larger than usual Patch Size (between 30 and 40GB update). BUG FIXES GAMEPLAY FIXED - Shield doesn't lean with the Operator when holding a grenade when viewed as an Opponent. FIXED - Blackbeard's H.U.L.L. Adaptable Shield occasionally doesn't block damage from throwable devices. FIXED - Defender Bots leave the building when player picks Montagne. FIXED - Barricades and objects behind them aren't destroyed by Impact Grenades thrown underneath them in 2F White Stairs on the Kanal map. FIXED - Defender Operator animation pauses briefly after being affected by Dokkaebi's Logic Bomb. FIXED - Goyo's Volcán Canister floats in the air after destroying Azami's Kiba Barrier if the canister is placed on the barrier. FIXED - Operator change stance when existing Observation Tools. FIXED - Sens' R.O.U. Projector System VFX and SFX remains when destroyed while being held by Wamai's MAG-NET System. FIXED - Aiming down sights during free-look causes shaking animations. FIXED - Hibana's X-Kairos pellets stick to the metal frame of hatches and clip through. FIXED - Dust VFX is missing in Third Person when using Sledge's Breaching Hammer. FIXED - Goyo loses points when detonating his Volcán Canister. FIXED - Player can vault through a single barricade window by breaking part of the barricade and using melee on the frame twice in a row. FIXED - Devices can't be deployed on debris of a destroyed Deployable Shield. FIXED - Players can clip through barricades by making a hole in the barricade and rappelling into the wall. LEVEL DESIGN FIXED - Luggage used as drone vent blockers are destructible and allow for line of sight when removed in 2F Master Bedroom on the Villa map. FIXED - Attackers can shoot through drone vents due to clipping issues with fire extinguishers used as drone vent blockers in 1F Throne Room on the Theme Park map. FIXED - Ying's Candelas and Fuze's Cluster Charges can be deployed through metal sheets in 2F Bedroom on the Oregon map. FIXED - Skopós's idle V10-Pantheon Shell spawns misaligned in 2F Cafe...Rainbow Six Siege update makes a dramatic change to reduce matchmaking timesDec 4, 2024 - PCGamesNA new Rainbow Six Siege season has begun, and with it comes a dramatic change that's set to alter your matches forever. With the news of Ubisoft's XDefiant shutdown, eyes are now back on its most successful multiplayer FPS. As it looks to boost matchmaking pools and cut down wait times, the developer has finally introduced crossplay to R6 Siege, meaning PC and console players can team up or compete. The long-requested move comes alongside updates to anti-cheat, and a rework for operator Blackbeard. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Rainbow Six Siege players blast new membership announcement Rainbow Six Siege reputation system will remain in beta for now Rainbow Six Siege is a free game for a week, and 80% off on Steam R6 SIEGE | Operation Collision Point is liveDec 4, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsOperation Collision Point is here, bringing exciting new features and improvements to Rainbow Six Siege. Let’s dive into what’s new in Year 9 Season 4: Blackbeard’s Remaster Blackbeard steps back into the spotlight as a more strategic and empowering operator. Equipped with a new adaptive Breach Shield, he can now create rotations by breaking soft walls while maintaining optimal cover both on foot and in rappel. This updated gadget enhances his versatility, allowing him to lead the charge as a powerful point man, creating opportunities for his team. Cross-play for PC & Console Cross-play now allows PC and console players to team up or compete seamlessly. This expansion increases matchmaking pools and reduces wait times. Player Protection Upgrades MouseTrap V2 enhances anti-cheat measures by targeting cheaters using input-spoofing devices. Matches detected with cheaters will now be instantly canceled, ensuring fair play for all. Shield Adjustments To improve balance, shields have been nerfed this season. Changes include a reduced bullet count for suppressing shields and a decrease in guard break intensity. What have they done to my beautiful boyNov 21, 2024 - PC GamerI can't believe it finally happened... Read more.Y9S4 Designer's NotesNov 21, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/8ab6b2a3e075aa0f593b9430316781c22583e2fb.png In this latest edition of Designer's Notes, we'll go into detail about the balancing changes that'll come with the Y9S4 update and give you some insight into the reasons behind them. BALANCING MATRIX AND TOP OPERATOR BANS WIN DELTA VS. PRESENCE {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/2f2d8165a4b6a859458aa81621f71704fa1137fd.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/59089effced9197e77c6509b15fa10d2de768a09.png WIN DELTA VS. PRESENCE {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/813d92b581c8074b444f8452fbdb4946217e2d5a.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/ab97707d6edeaaf20ff71cf4c2c2c98d949b5dd9.png Please note that we are using presence to gauge the popularity of an Operator. This notion had to be introduced to reflect the implementation of the pick & ban. Presence definition: pick rate of an Operator when not banned. Win Delta: The Win Delta is aggregated from Operator's Win Deltas per Bomb Site. OPERATOR BAN RATE {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/7612f3ebe4a1e63f5883789eb45f894971cc5198.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/0c5d9aad2b243eb5546de29ab9781c051169bc5f.png OPERATOR BAN RATE {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/ac5a2da18091991eaf808d48bcb68ae241243845.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/8d0d1a8c17280486540b78e3cb63c7dfdf6696a5.png OPERATOR BALANCING BLACKBEARD Blackbeard's ability is designed to provide a defensive advantage while remaining lethal. Despite numerous adjustments to balance his ability, success has been limited. Currently, the Rifle Shield can withstand only 20 HP, making it unreliable for protection. This frustrates both Blackbeard and his opponents, as it can block a single headshot but leaves Blackbeard vulnerable. To address this frustration, we decided to eliminate the Rifle Shield and introduce a completely new gadget. The Blackbeard Remaster aims to balance his defensive and offensive capabilities. Additionally, we want Blackbeard to contribute more than just killing potential to his team. Blackbeard's new gadget is the H.U.L.L. Adaptable Shield. This shield functions like any other Ballistic Shield but with added features: - Rappel Shield: Blackbeard can change the shield's shape to use it while rappelling. - Breaching Dash: Blackbeard can perform a short, powerful dash using the H.U.L.L. Adaptable Shield's pneumatic system to breach Soft Walls, Barricades, Deployable Shields, Armor Panels, Talon Shields, and Kiba Barriers. After breaching, he will be concussed and slowed for a few seconds. - Big Guns: Blackbeard can use Primary Weapons (Mk-17 and SR-25) while wielding the Ballistic Shield. However, he cannot hip fire like other shield operators and will expose his upper body when aiming and reloading. We've aligned this new gadget with some changes to the Operator Balance aiming to compensate for his new fast breaching capabilities. Blackbeard will now move slower, as a 1 Speed / 3 Armor Operator. He no longer has access to the D-50, and the Stun grenades have been removed. We want Blackbeard to fulfill two main roles...R6 SIEGE | Y9S4 Reveal: Operation Collision PointNov 18, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsThis season brings exciting new features to Rainbow Six Siege, including crossplay between PC and console, strengthened player protection with the Cheater Match Cancellation system and Mousetrap V2, balancing update for shields, a remaster of Blackbeard and the full release of the Siege Cup tournament.Y9S3 MID-SEASON ROADMAP UPDATENov 13, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsEach season, we provide a Roadmap update to offer further insights into the development of upcoming features to ensure transparent communication with all players. Each update and decision we make takes into account various elements such as player feedback, time allocated to ensure the quality of the features delivered, and more. With that in mind let's delve into this Mid-Season Roadmap Update! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/0ad2a32ff9ee4dea8fc99a484eb4513594f9229b.jpg ROADMAP UPDATES SHIELD NERF Status: Confirmed for Y9S4 The revamped shield mechanic was first released in Y9S1 and since then we've seen an evolution in their overall usage, becoming more relevant and impactful. It's now time for shields to be adjusted and to reduce their oppressiveness. PHANTOM PLAYER - IMPROVED LOBBY BALANCING Status: Confirmed for Y9S4 Phantom Player is coming to enhance the experience of all players. In a nutshell, the Phantom Player is a mathematical value, a ''6th player'', which will bring an extra layer of balancing to matchmaking. Concretely, the Phantom Player sees the skill disparity between players of a stack and adds the appropriate skill value to even out the matches depending on the number of players within this stack. CONSOLE TO PC CROSSPLAY 1.0 + MOUSETRAP IMPLEMENTATION Status: Confirmed for Y9S4 Console to PC Crossplay will enable PC and console to play together. This will work by allowing console players to join their PC friends, opting into the PC matchmaking pool. In Y9S4 MouseTrap will also force confirmed mouse and keyboard console players into PC matchmaking, with PC recoil values. CHEATER MATCH CANCELLATION Status: Confirmed for Y9S4 With Cheater Match Cancellation, once a cheater is confirmed and consequently banned, the match they are in will be automatically cancelled. This will lead to less time being spent by honest players in unfair matches, while ensuring that the legitimate players in these matches aren't incurring abandonment penalties or unjust Ranked losses. SIEGE CUP (BETA) - ALL PLATFORMS Status: Confirmed for Y9S4 The Siege Cup will provide a highly competitive experience on both PC and console, while remaining in its Beta phase to allow further testing. For more information, check out our FAQ. YING, SENS, & THUNDERBIRD Status: Confirmed for Y9S4 YING: Introducing a tweak to Ying aimed at reducing defender frustration. SENS: An update for Sens will expand the opportunities for more strategic plays. THUNDERBIRD: An adjustment for Thunderbird will help make her a more valuable asset for the team. AI CHAT MODERATION Status: Confirmed for Y9S4 AI will analyze and moderate all text chat messages in real-time, resulting in problematic messages being flagged or removed. Your messages will have an impact on your Reputation Standing, whether they are censored, flagged, or positive. REPUTATION SYSTEM REFRESH Status: Confirmed for Y9S4 This update will feel different from the Reputation System you know. We are actively working on the refres...R6 ESPORTS | Montreal MajorOct 31, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsWe are delighted that Rainbow Six Esports is returning to Montreal for its final BLAST Rainbow Six Major of Season 2024, in November this year, with tickets available starting now! With Stage Two of the Regional Leagues set to get underway from September, teams across the 9 different regions of BLAST R6 will be looking to become one of the 20 teams to qualify for the Montreal Major. These teams will compete for a lion's share of the USD $750,000 prize pool, as well as points to qualify for the Six Invitational 2025. We are returning to Canada with the Montreal Major set to take place at the Verdun Auditorium in Montreal. The BLAST R6 Montreal Major will feature a 3-phase format with the final weekend playing out in front of a live audience in the Verdun Auditorium, Montreal, Canada. Dates & location: Phase 1: 7 - 8 November - not open to public Phase 2: 10 - 13 November - not open to public Phase 3: 15 - 17 November - open to the public at the Verdun Auditorium, Montreal Address: 4110 Bd LaSalle, Verdun, QC H4G 2A5, Canada Format: The format for the BLAST R6 Montreal Major will be identical to the format of the previous BLAST R6 Manchester Major. Phase 1 will consist of eight teams competing in a modified Best of 3 Double Elimination Bracket played until we are left with the top four teams. The four triumphant teams from Phase 1 will join Phase 2 in a 16 Team Swiss Bracket Phase. Phase 3 will be played in front of an arena audience in a Team Single Elimination. Predict & win! The best R6 players in the world square off in Montreal November 7-17, and you can predict who will hoist the trophy and who gets eliminated along the way. Who's winning it all? The best team? The hottest? The craziest? The sooner you shoot your shot, the bigger your chance to win the biggest rewards. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/bcb1703ec6377798aace5b064ec8485fecf4c3f3.jpg Twitch Drops {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/526810684911ba03547b86c90a70ff7c610f09bb.jpg Twitch Drops will be available throughout the tournament! The offers swap out after each phase, so be sure to tune in regularly and link your Ubisoft account to keep receiving them.PLAYER PROTECTION UPDATE - OCTOBER 2024Oct 25, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/fbd2fab9955f05a2cf0f2565e2669242352fa472.jpg Today we'll be sharing updates on some of the developments we're making on our Anti-Cheat systems. We've also got updates covering Anti-Toxicity, including some info on changes that we've already rolled out. IN THIS UPDATE ANTI-CHEAT Current Status Encryption - Binary Hardening MouseTrap Detection Performance MouseTrap PC Matchmaking QB System Ban Data ANTI-TOXICITY Reputation System Refresh Update How It Will Work Automated Text Chat Moderation Unfair Abandonment Penalties Teamkill Kick Deactivation DBNO RFF Deactivation Privacy Mode Nickname Acceptance Next Steps {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/d1b6625cacf22cc36946d8d966769b4be297020d.png CURRENT STATUS The topic of cheating remains at the forefront for us here on the Rainbow Six Siege team. We're aware that cheating continues to affect high ranked players in most cases, however with the launch of Y9S3 seeing a decrease in cheating overall compared to S2, we know that we're finding the results needed to provide safer matches, more often. Below, we have updates on some of the topics we're working on, but not all; it's crucial that we're not giving any information away that could benefit cheaters. ENCRYPTION - BINARY HARDENING Reminder: Binary hardening is the act of using encryption and hardening techniques to update the game code base and enhance security, and we've continued to deploy these updates to the game with each patch. The launch of Y9S3 was a step forward in our efforts against cheating, with cheats being down for nearly an entire week. We can see that this was also felt by players, as we measured a stark decrease in cheater reports being submitted. Cheats are adapted over time however, and so while this was temporary, it does demonstrate that our hardening measures are having a meaningful impact in delaying the return of cheats. Previously, we also saw success in Season 2, when a security update resulted in a shorter delay to cheats coming back online. While this is an ongoing challenge, the delays we've seen are encouraging and to this end we've implemented further security fixes ready for Siege Cup, to help us maintain a fair and competitive environment, which is a top priority for us. We will keep pushing hardening updates throughout Y9S3 and of course, beyond. As we progress further, we'll continue to share our findings with you. MOUSETRAP - MOUSE & KEYBOARD DETECTION ON CONSOLE Reminder: MouseTrap is our console Anti-Cheat which works to detect devices that enable the use of mouse and keyboard. MOUSETRAP - DETECTION PERFORMANCE We've recently released an update to MouseTrap which has resulted in both an increase in detection performance and a reduction in false positives. As well as this, we're now completing tests for devices that aren't yet being recognized. MOUSETRAP - PC MATCHMAKING Since spoofing devices and controllers can be matched together, it's clear that frustration has remained. While working to relea...Y9S3.3 PATCH NOTESOct 22, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/12a63002451ab97dea3d8bd89282c6266589b56b.jpg Here you can find the fixes and balancing changes for the Y9S3.3 patch. Y9S3.3 PATCH SIZE Find the download sizes for each platform below. Ubisoft Connect: 1.04GB Steam: 301.3MB Xbox One: 898.77 MB Xbox Series X: 1.12GB PlayStation®4: 1.439 GB PlayStation®5: 920 MB OPERATOR BALANCING IANA Reduced hologram cooldown when destroyed to 20 seconds (from 30). JACKAL Removed distortion caused by bullets. KALI Added Smoke Grenades. MOZZIE Increased Pests to 4 (from 3). Added Impact Grenades. ZERO Increased Argus cameras to 6 (from 4). ZOFIA Removed Breach Charges. Added Hard Breach Charges. WEAPON BALANCING CSRX-300 Reduced bullet trail duration and size. BUG FIXES GAMEPLAY FIXED - UI element that lets a team know they're moving into the lower bracket of Siege Cup says "unknown" instead. FIXED - A player watching a match is unable to access text chat. FIXED - Siege Cup banner says "Waiting for others to join" despite being paired against an enemy team. FIXED - Caster card placement differs when spectating certain Custom Game presets. FIXED - Devices briefly reactivate when picked up despite being affected by an EMP. FIXED - "!!Missing Timer" text present in the AAR screen. FIXED - The More Info section of Siege Cup has incorrect information about the registration requirements. FIXED - Some Siege Cup players' games do not start, and those players remain with the ribbon stating: "NEXT MATCH IN Starting Soon". OPERATORS FIXED - Skopós's idle V10-Pantheon Shells spawns without a shield at 2F Executive Office in the Plane map. USER EXPERIENCE FIXED - Redeem button is missing from the Bravo Collection with a Bravo Pack Ticket. FIXED - Marketplace is missing the thumbnail for the Crushing Canes skin for Montagne's Le Roc shield.R6 SIEGE | Doktor's Curse 5Oct 16, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsHorror awaits you From October 16 to November 6, Doktor’s Curse returns for its fifth terrifying night. In the darkness of Doktor’s Castle, hunters track down fearsome monsters, but this time, the creatures won’t be the only ones hiding in the shadows. Prepare to face your worst nightmares in this sinister game of hide-and-seek! Danger lurks in the dark A 5v5 asymmetrical showdown! As a Hunter, your mission is clear: track down and eliminate every Monster hiding in Doktor’s Castle using only a Breaching Hammer and tracking devices. But beware, Monsters have traps, the ability to rush for increased speed, and the Nightstride ability to turn invisible. Monsters win if they survive until the end of the round, while Hunters must eliminate them all before time runs out. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/31d7d553c30c8ff213beac097887ce1062cce8f9.png Doktor’s Curse 5 takes place exclusively on a night-time version of Doktor’s Castle, a twisted take on the classic Theme Park map, now resembling a haunted fortress. The darkness is key, making it a fast-paced, fear-filled event with no room for idling. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/9658a614f8b756b22157084e045035480841c707.png In addition to previous Operators, this edition introduces new Hunters and Monsters, including Deimos and Zofia as Hunters and Fenrir as a Monster. Doktor's Haunted Wardrobe The new Doktor's Curse Collection introduces special limited-time bundles for Deimos, Zofia and Fenrir which include uniforms, headgears, weapon skins, and more. In addition, Doktor's Curse bundles for Jackal, Frost, Lesion and Aruni are spookier than ever in their new Variants style. You can also get Collection packs for 300 R6 Credits (12,500 Renown) each, and if you connect to the game during the event, you will receive one Collection pack for free, plus additional ones and a full bundle for Kapkan when completing weekly challenges. Shop the collection on the web or find them in the Highlights section in-game. Collectors rewarded {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/537f2a8fc809b7d1dabbb0cd903179376d12ab8b.png If you collect all 3 new bundles, as well as the 4 new Variants ones, you will be rewarded with a unique limited-time gift: the C8-SFW Doktor's Curse Memento animated weapon skin for Buck! To Hunters, happy hunting! To Monsters, good luck... Y9S3.2 PATCH NOTESOct 8, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/abfa934549c1f47c7a94172e56e68a63e2402998.jpg Here you can find the fixes for the Y9S3.2 patch. Y9S3.2 PATCH SIZE Find the download sizes for each platform below. Ubisoft Connect: 943.3MB Steam: 556MB Xbox One: 2.66GB Xbox Series X: 2.85GB PlayStation®4: 3.347GB PlayStation®5: 985MB BUG FIXES GAMEPLAY FIXED - Jackal loses visibility when Motion Blur is turned off if he takes damage while Eyenox Model III is active. FIXED - Hitting Maestro's Evil Eye with a melee attack corrupts the texture. FIXED - PCX-33 assault rifle has no rumble effect during a full reload when Controller Vibration options are turned on. FIXED - The reticle of the Reflex C sight isn't centered on the SPAS-15 shotgun. FIXED - Shield Operators are unavailable in the Weapon Roulette arcade. FIXED - Deploying Kapkan's Entry Denial Device on any doorway or window displays a second deploy prompt during the animation. FIXED - The End of Round replay shows the player who downed the last Operator of a team instead of the player who killed them. FIXED - The Equip button is missing when viewing an owned item in fullscreen from the Pack Highlights section. LEVEL DESIGN FIXED - Placeholder texture is present on the cans located on top of the vending machine in 1F Service Stairs of the Consulate map. FIXED - Player can vault onto the crate stack in EXT Generator on the Nighthaven map and drop the defuser into an unreachable area. OPERATORS FIXED - The equipped primary weapon of some Operators float behind them when previewing their default Victory Celebration in fullscreen. FIXED - Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells will place its shield behind itself if it switches into an idle state in a doorway with a lot of assets. FIXED - Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells doesn't have a death animation in the Kill Cam or End of Round replay. FIXED - Corrupted model and texture of Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells in the End of Round replay for the last-killed Attacker. FIXED - When swapping Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells, the arrows in the fantasy HUD point the wrong way and the swap doesn't occur. FIXED - The shield of Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells reattaches to the other side of the door frame after swapping Shells in the middle of a double door. FIXED - Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells will sometimes spawn without its shield. USER EXPERIENCE FIXED - Sometimes the player will get stuck in a loading screen if they launch the Shooting Range from the Operator section during matchmaking. R6 SIEGE | October Membership Drop is hereSep 30, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsOctober's drop is here! This month, subscribers of the R6S Membership unlock the exclusive Maverick Noir Set and a legendary weapon skin for Buck's C8-SFW. You will also receive Premium Battle Pass with the new Operator, Skópos, and 10 Battle Levels. To learn more about the Membership or to subscribe, click here.Y9S3.1 PATCH NOTESSep 24, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8328525/f7ffe00eee54182fe054c9949b39f620cd9123a1.jpg Here you can find the fixes for the Y9S3.1 patch. Y9S3.1 PATCH SIZE Find the download sizes for each platform below. Ubisoft Connect: 1.15 GB Steam: 669 MB Xbox One: 1.34 GB Xbox Series X: 1.55 GB PlayStation 4: 1.89 GB PlayStation 5: 1.49 GB BUG FIXES GAMEPLAY FIXED - Synaptic charm equips a placeholder charm. FIXED - Thunderbird's Kona Station keeps healing while affected by EMP or Zoto Canister if the elite uniform is equipped. FIXED - Unable to type in chat using Cyrillic layout. FIXED - Players are able to block the EXT sewer with a Deployable Shield, preventing Attackers to pass. FIXED - Drone can see through wall in 2F Yellow Stairs in the Consulate map. FIXED - Tutorial Rewards modal does not appear after completing the tutorials. FIXED - Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells prevent players from vaulting through windows. FIXED - Player is unable to customize Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells Swap action on the controller. FIXED - Host and clients can have different rotation replications while in rappel. FIXED - The Luision weapon stats are displaying stats of the PBR92. FIXED - Join as a spectator is missing for custom local match. FIXED - Iana cannot be scanned while she has Gemini Replicator active. FIXED - Key bindings do not revert to default values. FIXED - Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells transfer action cannot be remapped or assigned a secondary input. FIXED - Skopós's idle V10-Pantheon Shells can get concussed by Echo's Yokai drone. FIXED - Fire area of effect doesn't affect the hostage. FIXED - Placeholder name is present when user goes to the Shooting Range while matchmaking. FIXED - Grey filter is applied to the spectator POV when changing cameras during Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells transition. LEVEL DESIGN FIXED - Excessive light coming out of the ceiling projector in 1F Projector Room on the Kanal map. OPERATORS FIXED - Skopós has an unusual position during the Victory Celebration and is distorted in the team lineup. FIXED - Skopós has various camera, collision, and texture issues in Free for All Arcade game mode. FIXED - Fuze, Thunderbird, Clash, and Aruni are invisible when equipped with skins from certain Esports bundles. FIXED - The Operator's feet slide inward when using an Observation Tool while idle. FIXED - Skopós's foot sometimes lifts while idle. FIXED - Operator's left hand bends strangely and the knife model floats above it while performing a melee attack after firing the .44 Vendetta. FIXED - Skopós does not die from headshots in certain Arcade game modes. USER EXPERIENCE FIXED - When spectating, player cards don't collapse or expand following an input. FIXED - Skopós's idle V10-Pantheon Shells will sometimes spawn in T-Pose. FIXED - Player is unable to customize Skopós's V10-Pantheon Shells Swap action on controller. FIXED - Stutter issues with DX12. FIXED - Crash during start-up with older GPUs on DX12. Steam Global Top Sellers for week of 10 Sep — 17 September 2024Sep 17, 2024 - SteamDB * Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2; * Steam Deck; * Black Myth: Wukong; * NBA 2K25; * Forza Horizon 4; * Satisfactory; * Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR'S CUT; * The Crew™ 2; * Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Siege; * Forza Horizon 5; * excluding free to play games View top 100 on SteamDBRainbow Six: Siege Hits New All-Time High Player Count, Up 51% After Operation Chimera UpdateMar 7, 2018 - GitHypRainbow Six: Siege was last year’s biggest comeback story on Steam. Launching with a peak of only 12k players back in 2015, Ubisoft’s tactical shooter saw its player base break 100k players for the first time ever in 2017.
Now in its third year on Steam, Rainbow Six: Siege is bigger than ever. Today, R6S saw its player base rise by 51% from yesterday, hitting a new all-time peak of 176k concurrent players after releasing its biggest content update yet.
[caption id="attachment_334858" align="aligncenter" width="770"]
Rainbow Six: Siege's Peak Concurrent Players on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
The Operation Chimera content update that was responsible for the explosive growth brings two new operator characters, a co-op zombie mode called Outbreak, and has also unlocked features such as weapon attachments and all 20 of the original operators for those who purchased prior versions of the game.
2018 was already a great year for R6S with the player base increasing by 10k players in both January and February. And with interest among gamers now stronger than ever for the competitive shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege is likely to continue its growth this year and remain in Steam’s top 5 most played games right behind PUBG, Dota 2, and CS:GO.Gaming's Biggest Bombs and Best Comebacks on Steam in 2017Jan 10, 2018 - GitHyp2017 was an odd year for gaming. After most of the overhyped games that didn’t deliver in 2016, gamers weren’t as quick to jump on the hype train of new titles in 2017. As a result, only one game in 2017 broke into Steam’s top 10 most played, compared to five in 2016.
That one game? If you couldn’t guess, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which had a record-breaking year and toppled Valve's own top games, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2, to become Steam's new #1 game.
The next closest new game was Divinity: Original Sin II, which despite very positive reviews and winning multiple Game of the Year awards, only debuted at #12 with 93k players. So, what exactly happened in 2017?
Conan Exiles was the hottest new game at the start of the year. The game's open world combined with nude character models caused it to explode in popularity on Twitch, which in turn helped the player base skyrocket to a peak of 53k players back in February 2017. But Conan quickly lost momentum and saw 93% of his player base exit the game just a couple months later due to bugs, limited content, and other early access issues.
With Ubisoft’s poor track record and some of the previous year’s biggest bombs, many still had hope that their new melee brawler, For Honor, was unique enough to break the cycle. And it seemed possible after a successful beta. Sadly, For Honor went on to become 2017’s biggest flop with an even quicker player base drop-off than The Division -- falling from a peak of 71k players all the way down to an average of 1.9k players to end the year.
GitHyp predicted LawBreakers would flop based on early beta player counts and we compared it to 2016’s Battleborn. But LawBreakers ended up much worse than Battleborn’s disappointing peak of 12k players at launch. The new shooter from CliffyB peaked at 7.5k players and since has lost 99% of its player base, now struggling to break 50 concurrent players each day and often dropping down into the single digits. Publisher Nexon recently wrote the entire game off, blaming PUBG for their shooter not clicking with audiences, while most games have placed the blame on the marketing and developers at Boss Key.
Speaking of Battleborn, it too was in the news in 2017 despite its failed launched in 2016. The dying class-based shooter switched to the free-to-play model in 2017 to try and salvage the title. And sure enough, the f2p switch helped spike the player base back up to over one thousand players… but, that number quickly dropped back down to under one hundred. And just like LawBreakers, it too has since lost 99% of its player base.
Although, switching to the free-to-play model wasn’t enough to save most struggling games, there were also many success stories in 2017. The MOBA-inspired, Battlerite, started with a peak of 13k players towards the end of 2016. One year later it was struggling to break 1k players. After switching to f2p, the peak spiked at 45k players, and the arena brawler is still managing to maintain an average of over 10k concurrent players.
Ubisoft might have been responsible for 2017's biggest bomb, but they were also responsible for 2017's biggest comeback. Their competitive squad shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege, had a rough start when it was overshadowed by Ubisoft's other upcoming title, The Division, back in 2015. But after numerous tweaks, balances, and updates to the gameplay and pricing format, Siege has seen its player base continue to rise each month. In November 2015, Siege launched with a average of 7.6k players per hour. In December 2017, that number grew to an average of 69k players per hour. Siege even broke 100k players at its peak last month and is now almost always in Steam's top 5 most played games.
Payday 2 was the year's other biggest success story. The four-player co-op shooter originally launched on Steam all the way back in 2013, but the game exploded in popularity over the summer hitting a new all-time peak of 245k concurrent players after the developers gave away five million free copies. That number has since dropped, but Payday 2 has remained in Steam’s top 20 games each day pulling in an impressive average of 36k players per hour.
Other popular f2p games also set new all-time peaks in 2017. Warframe’s 'Plains of Eildon' expansion helped double its player base with 122k players. While Path of Exile saw its player base peak just short of 100k players for the first time ever after launching its most popular content update in over five years.
Even some of the previous year’s biggest bombs showed signs of life in 2017. No Man’s Sky released multiple big content updates throughout the year with its latest bringing in the most players since launch and breaking back into Steam’s top 20 most played games. Ubisoft’s The Division also came back from the dead, hitting its highest peak since December 2016 with 33k concurrent players over a free-to-play weekend in December 2017.
So, what's going to happen in 2018? With PUBG continuing to dominate at the start of the year, 2018 could already be in the same situation as 2017. Dragon Ball FighterZ will likely be the biggest fighting game launch ever on Steam, but most fighting games see their player bases decline shortly after launch, so its hype might not last outside of the FGC. And it’s not helping that some of the year’s other most anticipated games have been delayed on Steam way after their console launches (or not even confirmed to be coming to PC yet), such as in the case with Monster Hunter: World and Red Dead Redemption 2. Looks like it’s all up to you to make 2018 a great year for new PC games on Steam, Untitled Goose Game!Rainbow Six: Siege Breaks 100k Concurrent Players on Steam for the First TimeDec 9, 2017 - GitHypAfter only managing to bring in a peak of 12k concurrent players during its first weekend, Rainbow Six: Siege's launch on Steam back in December 2015 was underwhelming to say the least.
With the player counts dropping after its first week, things didn’t look good for the squad-based shooter. And to make matters worse, Ubisoft’s own upcoming launch of The Division shifted most of the publisher's marketing focus to promoting the more highly anticipated of the two Tom Clancy shooters.
But while The Division's player base started with over 100k players and overshadowed Rainbow Six, it quickly lost 93% of them 3 months after launch. Now, two years later, Siege has become Ubisoft's flagship shooter and is on the heels of surpassing The Division's all-time peak after hitting 100,048 concurrent players this weekend on Steam.
[caption id="attachment_309285" align="aligncenter" width="786"]
Rainbow Six: Siege's Peak Player Counts on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
Siege's success is due to a combination of factors, many of which Ubisoft hasn't been able to successfully pull off in any of their other recent multiplayer games. Free-to-play weekends have enticed new players, while constant waves of new updates and characters such as this weekend's 'Operation White Noise' have been enough to keep players around.
Although Rainbow Six: Siege started as a full priced $60 game, Ubisoft made the clever decision to adopt a free-to-play model with a hybrid season pass system to reduce the game's barrier to entry. Siege still costs $14.99 for the base game (which doesn't include all of the Operator characters), but Ubisoft's handling of the tiered systems has been embraced by the community with Very Positive recent and overall reviews on Steam.
The increase in Siege's player base has even been enough to help it surpass Team Fortress 2 and become the #4 most played game on Steam. But Rainbow Siege: Siege still has a long way to go before it topples Steam's current top squad shooter, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which pulls in peaks of 400-500k concurrent players at #3 on Steam.Rainbow Six: Siege’s Playerbase Has More Than Tripled Since LaunchJun 5, 2017 - GitHypOver the past year, Ubisoft has seen drastic drop-offs in the playerbases for almost all of their popular new releases. As we first reported last June, the most shocking of these declines was their best-selling game ever, The Division, losing 93% of its players in just the first 3 months. And since then, we’ve seen Watch Dogs 2, For Honor, and Ghost Recon: Wildlands all follow the same trend.
However, the same cannot be said about Ubisoft’s competitive shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege, which has seen its playerbase triple (even quintuple at one point) in size since its launch back in December 2015.
Unlike Ubisoft’s more recent top 2016 and 2017 titles, Siege didn’t have the strongest debut when it peaked at 12k players over its first weekend. This lead to Ubisoft being quick to announce a 40% spike in players right after releasing the “Skull Rain” DLC last August… a number which quickly fell back down as the game struggled in its early days to build a fanbase.
[caption id="attachment_268641" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Rainbow Six: Siege's Average Player Count per Hour via GitHyp[/caption]
But Ubisoft’s continued support of Siege with new content, balance updates, price reductions, and free weekend promotions have all contributed to the game’s growth. The developer’s big Year 2 “Operation: Velvet Shell” update combined with a free-to-play weekend back in February brought in a new record high of 65k concurrent players – a number large enough to also help Siege break into Steam’s top 5 most played games for the first time.
Since that record-setting weekend, Siege’s numbers have slightly declined, but Rainbow Six’s future still looks bright for both Ubisoft and fans. Recent player counts are on average higher than they ever were before the Velvet Shell update. And Siege is constantly in Steam’s top 10 most played games with peaks around 40k concurrent players and averages around 30k players per hour each weekend.
With an upcoming Steam Summer Sale, where the game is surely to be discounted even further, and plenty of new content on the way (as Ubisoft has shared with the Year Two Roadmap) Rainbow Six: Siege’s playerbase is expected to show even more growth in the near future.Ubisoft Reports a 40% Spike in Rainbow Six: Siege Players After New Content ReleasesAug 17, 2016 - GitHypBack in June, we reported that The Division had lost a shocking 93% of its playerbase since launching on Steam. We even compared The Division's plummeting player counts to Ubisoft's other Tom Clancy-inspired online shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege, and mentioned that Ubisoft’s underdog was actually outperforming their “fastest selling game ever” and was even showing signs of growth.
While our story made headlines on the eve of E3, Ubisoft stayed silent and spent gaming’s biggest week of the year focusing on hyping up their other upcoming titles. But now, two months later, Ubisoft is boasting about Rainbow Six's numbers and how more people are currently playing than at launch.
[caption id="attachment_193038" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Ubisoft's Rainbow Six: Siege Player Count Data[/caption]
Ubisoft recently shared the above graph of Siege’s player activity since launch with IGN and we can confirm that based on GitHyp's own hourly player data that the Operation: Skull Rain DLC and free-to-play weekend did in fact combine to double the game’s original daily peaks of PC players on Steam recorded back in January.
Unfortunately, while it's good to see Ubisoft taking a step in the right direction and reporting player counts, their quick report didn't give actual player count numbers and only focused on the launch hype... and now two weeks later, the player counts on Steam have already dropped back down significantly. It's been so much of a decrease that the 40% increase they originally reported to IGN is now almost back down to 0% with an average player count that has returned to close to what it was in January of around 13k players per hour.
[caption id="attachment_193039" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
GitHyp's Rainbow Six: Siege Player Count per Hour Data[/caption]
Still, the new content and changes being made to the game by the devs certainly proves that there’s a strong interest among both new and old players that’s keeping Rainbow Six: Siege in Steam’s daily top 20 games with no signs of it falling off drastically any time soon.
Meanwhile, The Division is on the verge of falling out of Steam's top 100 games with only about 1/6 of the average players per hour that Siege has now.
Rainbow Six: Siege's Peak Concurrent Players on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
The Operation Chimera content update that was responsible for the explosive growth brings two new operator characters, a co-op zombie mode called Outbreak, and has also unlocked features such as weapon attachments and all 20 of the original operators for those who purchased prior versions of the game.
2018 was already a great year for R6S with the player base increasing by 10k players in both January and February. And with interest among gamers now stronger than ever for the competitive shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege is likely to continue its growth this year and remain in Steam’s top 5 most played games right behind PUBG, Dota 2, and CS:GO.Gaming's Biggest Bombs and Best Comebacks on Steam in 2017Jan 10, 2018 - GitHyp2017 was an odd year for gaming. After most of the overhyped games that didn’t deliver in 2016, gamers weren’t as quick to jump on the hype train of new titles in 2017. As a result, only one game in 2017 broke into Steam’s top 10 most played, compared to five in 2016.
That one game? If you couldn’t guess, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which had a record-breaking year and toppled Valve's own top games, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2, to become Steam's new #1 game.
The next closest new game was Divinity: Original Sin II, which despite very positive reviews and winning multiple Game of the Year awards, only debuted at #12 with 93k players. So, what exactly happened in 2017?
Conan Exiles was the hottest new game at the start of the year. The game's open world combined with nude character models caused it to explode in popularity on Twitch, which in turn helped the player base skyrocket to a peak of 53k players back in February 2017. But Conan quickly lost momentum and saw 93% of his player base exit the game just a couple months later due to bugs, limited content, and other early access issues.
With Ubisoft’s poor track record and some of the previous year’s biggest bombs, many still had hope that their new melee brawler, For Honor, was unique enough to break the cycle. And it seemed possible after a successful beta. Sadly, For Honor went on to become 2017’s biggest flop with an even quicker player base drop-off than The Division -- falling from a peak of 71k players all the way down to an average of 1.9k players to end the year.
GitHyp predicted LawBreakers would flop based on early beta player counts and we compared it to 2016’s Battleborn. But LawBreakers ended up much worse than Battleborn’s disappointing peak of 12k players at launch. The new shooter from CliffyB peaked at 7.5k players and since has lost 99% of its player base, now struggling to break 50 concurrent players each day and often dropping down into the single digits. Publisher Nexon recently wrote the entire game off, blaming PUBG for their shooter not clicking with audiences, while most games have placed the blame on the marketing and developers at Boss Key.
Speaking of Battleborn, it too was in the news in 2017 despite its failed launched in 2016. The dying class-based shooter switched to the free-to-play model in 2017 to try and salvage the title. And sure enough, the f2p switch helped spike the player base back up to over one thousand players… but, that number quickly dropped back down to under one hundred. And just like LawBreakers, it too has since lost 99% of its player base.
Although, switching to the free-to-play model wasn’t enough to save most struggling games, there were also many success stories in 2017. The MOBA-inspired, Battlerite, started with a peak of 13k players towards the end of 2016. One year later it was struggling to break 1k players. After switching to f2p, the peak spiked at 45k players, and the arena brawler is still managing to maintain an average of over 10k concurrent players.
Ubisoft might have been responsible for 2017's biggest bomb, but they were also responsible for 2017's biggest comeback. Their competitive squad shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege, had a rough start when it was overshadowed by Ubisoft's other upcoming title, The Division, back in 2015. But after numerous tweaks, balances, and updates to the gameplay and pricing format, Siege has seen its player base continue to rise each month. In November 2015, Siege launched with a average of 7.6k players per hour. In December 2017, that number grew to an average of 69k players per hour. Siege even broke 100k players at its peak last month and is now almost always in Steam's top 5 most played games.
Payday 2 was the year's other biggest success story. The four-player co-op shooter originally launched on Steam all the way back in 2013, but the game exploded in popularity over the summer hitting a new all-time peak of 245k concurrent players after the developers gave away five million free copies. That number has since dropped, but Payday 2 has remained in Steam’s top 20 games each day pulling in an impressive average of 36k players per hour.
Other popular f2p games also set new all-time peaks in 2017. Warframe’s 'Plains of Eildon' expansion helped double its player base with 122k players. While Path of Exile saw its player base peak just short of 100k players for the first time ever after launching its most popular content update in over five years.
Even some of the previous year’s biggest bombs showed signs of life in 2017. No Man’s Sky released multiple big content updates throughout the year with its latest bringing in the most players since launch and breaking back into Steam’s top 20 most played games. Ubisoft’s The Division also came back from the dead, hitting its highest peak since December 2016 with 33k concurrent players over a free-to-play weekend in December 2017.
So, what's going to happen in 2018? With PUBG continuing to dominate at the start of the year, 2018 could already be in the same situation as 2017. Dragon Ball FighterZ will likely be the biggest fighting game launch ever on Steam, but most fighting games see their player bases decline shortly after launch, so its hype might not last outside of the FGC. And it’s not helping that some of the year’s other most anticipated games have been delayed on Steam way after their console launches (or not even confirmed to be coming to PC yet), such as in the case with Monster Hunter: World and Red Dead Redemption 2. Looks like it’s all up to you to make 2018 a great year for new PC games on Steam, Untitled Goose Game!Rainbow Six: Siege Breaks 100k Concurrent Players on Steam for the First TimeDec 9, 2017 - GitHypAfter only managing to bring in a peak of 12k concurrent players during its first weekend, Rainbow Six: Siege's launch on Steam back in December 2015 was underwhelming to say the least.
With the player counts dropping after its first week, things didn’t look good for the squad-based shooter. And to make matters worse, Ubisoft’s own upcoming launch of The Division shifted most of the publisher's marketing focus to promoting the more highly anticipated of the two Tom Clancy shooters.
But while The Division's player base started with over 100k players and overshadowed Rainbow Six, it quickly lost 93% of them 3 months after launch. Now, two years later, Siege has become Ubisoft's flagship shooter and is on the heels of surpassing The Division's all-time peak after hitting 100,048 concurrent players this weekend on Steam.
[caption id="attachment_309285" align="aligncenter" width="786"] Rainbow Six: Siege's Peak Player Counts on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
Siege's success is due to a combination of factors, many of which Ubisoft hasn't been able to successfully pull off in any of their other recent multiplayer games. Free-to-play weekends have enticed new players, while constant waves of new updates and characters such as this weekend's 'Operation White Noise' have been enough to keep players around.
Although Rainbow Six: Siege started as a full priced $60 game, Ubisoft made the clever decision to adopt a free-to-play model with a hybrid season pass system to reduce the game's barrier to entry. Siege still costs $14.99 for the base game (which doesn't include all of the Operator characters), but Ubisoft's handling of the tiered systems has been embraced by the community with Very Positive recent and overall reviews on Steam.
The increase in Siege's player base has even been enough to help it surpass Team Fortress 2 and become the #4 most played game on Steam. But Rainbow Siege: Siege still has a long way to go before it topples Steam's current top squad shooter, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which pulls in peaks of 400-500k concurrent players at #3 on Steam.Rainbow Six: Siege’s Playerbase Has More Than Tripled Since LaunchJun 5, 2017 - GitHypOver the past year, Ubisoft has seen drastic drop-offs in the playerbases for almost all of their popular new releases. As we first reported last June, the most shocking of these declines was their best-selling game ever, The Division, losing 93% of its players in just the first 3 months. And since then, we’ve seen Watch Dogs 2, For Honor, and Ghost Recon: Wildlands all follow the same trend.
However, the same cannot be said about Ubisoft’s competitive shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege, which has seen its playerbase triple (even quintuple at one point) in size since its launch back in December 2015.
Unlike Ubisoft’s more recent top 2016 and 2017 titles, Siege didn’t have the strongest debut when it peaked at 12k players over its first weekend. This lead to Ubisoft being quick to announce a 40% spike in players right after releasing the “Skull Rain” DLC last August… a number which quickly fell back down as the game struggled in its early days to build a fanbase.
[caption id="attachment_268641" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Rainbow Six: Siege's Average Player Count per Hour via GitHyp[/caption]
But Ubisoft’s continued support of Siege with new content, balance updates, price reductions, and free weekend promotions have all contributed to the game’s growth. The developer’s big Year 2 “Operation: Velvet Shell” update combined with a free-to-play weekend back in February brought in a new record high of 65k concurrent players – a number large enough to also help Siege break into Steam’s top 5 most played games for the first time.
Since that record-setting weekend, Siege’s numbers have slightly declined, but Rainbow Six’s future still looks bright for both Ubisoft and fans. Recent player counts are on average higher than they ever were before the Velvet Shell update. And Siege is constantly in Steam’s top 10 most played games with peaks around 40k concurrent players and averages around 30k players per hour each weekend.
With an upcoming Steam Summer Sale, where the game is surely to be discounted even further, and plenty of new content on the way (as Ubisoft has shared with the Year Two Roadmap) Rainbow Six: Siege’s playerbase is expected to show even more growth in the near future.Ubisoft Reports a 40% Spike in Rainbow Six: Siege Players After New Content ReleasesAug 17, 2016 - GitHypBack in June, we reported that The Division had lost a shocking 93% of its playerbase since launching on Steam. We even compared The Division's plummeting player counts to Ubisoft's other Tom Clancy-inspired online shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege, and mentioned that Ubisoft’s underdog was actually outperforming their “fastest selling game ever” and was even showing signs of growth.
While our story made headlines on the eve of E3, Ubisoft stayed silent and spent gaming’s biggest week of the year focusing on hyping up their other upcoming titles. But now, two months later, Ubisoft is boasting about Rainbow Six's numbers and how more people are currently playing than at launch.
[caption id="attachment_193038" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Ubisoft's Rainbow Six: Siege Player Count Data[/caption]
Ubisoft recently shared the above graph of Siege’s player activity since launch with IGN and we can confirm that based on GitHyp's own hourly player data that the Operation: Skull Rain DLC and free-to-play weekend did in fact combine to double the game’s original daily peaks of PC players on Steam recorded back in January.
Unfortunately, while it's good to see Ubisoft taking a step in the right direction and reporting player counts, their quick report didn't give actual player count numbers and only focused on the launch hype... and now two weeks later, the player counts on Steam have already dropped back down significantly. It's been so much of a decrease that the 40% increase they originally reported to IGN is now almost back down to 0% with an average player count that has returned to close to what it was in January of around 13k players per hour.
[caption id="attachment_193039" align="aligncenter" width="800"] GitHyp's Rainbow Six: Siege Player Count per Hour Data[/caption]
Still, the new content and changes being made to the game by the devs certainly proves that there’s a strong interest among both new and old players that’s keeping Rainbow Six: Siege in Steam’s daily top 20 games with no signs of it falling off drastically any time soon.
Meanwhile, The Division is on the verge of falling out of Steam's top 100 games with only about 1/6 of the average players per hour that Siege has now.
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