The new mid-season update looks to contribute a lot of quality-of-life improvements and balance operator selection rates. Although the update is not yet live, players can go and test all the new changes in the PC test servers. While some may not bring it to life in the game, some really good changes are coming to the game.
In no particular order, here are the top 5 changes coming to the Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 Season 4 midseason patch.
Echo's Hover drones have increased responsiveness
Echo has been a controversial operator since the day he joined Team Rainbow. It comes with two floating drones that attach to the ceiling and can, essentially, scream at enemies to knock them out. At first they were masked on the ceiling, but that was removed, making them much easier to find and destroy. This caused his selection rate to drop, but now he gets better control over his drones which will make him much faster to use them without turning him into a high level bully that mows down the enemy. We hope the new update will make the Echo more versatile than just being just another set of cameras.
- Reduced cooldown of Yokai Drone Jump to 2s (was 3s)
- Reduced animation time when Yokai fails to stick to the ceiling to 0,5s (from 2)
- Reduced Socin Burst cooldown to 16s (was 20s)
Reduced the radius of the explosive gadget Ash and Zofia
Players who have been following Rainbow Six Siege for some time now know the two attacking queens, Ash and Zofia. Both are relatively quick characters with a ton of versatility. They both carry some sort of explosives launcher which is primarily used to take Defender gadgets out of the equation. The developers have seen how much of an impact Queens have made and are working to bring them more in line with others. Zofia and Ash are great at destroying gadgets from vertical angles where their gadget's explosive range would almost cover floor to ceiling and everything around it, but no more. Hopefully this will allow other operators to gain popularity and level the playing field.
Ash
- Reduced the damage range of Breaching Round explosives to 2m (was 3,5m)
Zofia
- Reduced the explosive damage range of the impact grenade to 2m (was 3m)
Faster secondary Hard Breacher gadgets
Not too long ago, the developers added some Hard Breaching side gadgets to help take the brunt of a match relying solely on Hard Breaching Operators. The problem with the hard breach secondary gadget right now is that it takes a while to set up, but the worst part is the duration of the detonation. The process of their explosion is long and loud, making the device an easy target for Kaid, Bandit, and Impact Tricks to destroy them. Also, if a defender is in the right position at the time they can easily rush the attacker while waiting for the device to make a hole in the wall for an easier kill, in some cases even destroying the breach. They were also pretty useless on soft walls as they are so noticeable and easy to pull. With the new updates, the Hard Breach gadget will become a much more powerful tool for attackers, allowing them to be more versatile. Now players have a better chance of using them on Soft Walls, but of course they will now be less likely to be destroyed on Reinforced Walls.
- Deployment time reduced to 2s (from 3s)
- Activation time reduced to 5s (instead of 6s)
Buck's ammo and versatility increased
Buck is an incredibly versatile operator who opens up new ways of attacking. Sledge and Buck were the main attackers in breaking down soft walls, opening doors and windows, but most importantly, attacking from the lower and upper floors. The devs are working to make them feel more distinct from each other, with Sledge being a more reliable ground breaker and making bigger holes Buck now brings in more ammo so his under-mounted shotgun is more up-to-date. height of Sledge's destruction capabilities. Additionally, Buck will now bring a Hard Breach Secondary Charge instead of a Claymore, making him all the more offensive and versatile with a better ability to attack reinforced hatches and open lines of sight for his teammates during let him attack from below. Plus, the Hard Drill Gadgets update could see Buck become his strongest form yet.
- Increased total shotgun ammo to 30 + 1 (in chamber) (from 26)
- Added Hard Breach Charge (Claymore removed)
Improved console recoil on specific weapons
Consoles might not be the most competitive scene out there, but for a lot of people, but this is where they are at for gaming. Consoles have faced a wave of cheating, but the new changes may help, very slightly, to reduce the "need" that some gamers are feeling. Controlling recoil on a controller is much more difficult than with a mouse, and Ubisoft is looking to make Rainbow Six Siege feel good for everyone. Gus will see a tighter bundle with less side-to-side recoil spikes, which is even more difficult to control than the vertical. Buck got upgraded along with the upgraded Hard Piercers and now even his weapon, C8-SFW, will be easier to control, possibly making him the best winner in the update. The M1014 shotgun that FBI operators use with Ace and the TCSG12 DMR Shotgun Goyo sports get better recoil for their shotguns, making them much more usable in close quarters battle, especially with their higher rate of fire. slow. Additionally, the still offensive Nomad and Trickster-Intell-Rallyer Iana will have better control with their ARX200 assault rifles.
- C8-SFW, Assault Rifle (Buck.) Shots will get closer with a tighter recoil pattern.
- ARX200, assault rifle (Nomad, Iana.) Less lateral recoil and made to be more centralized.
- M1014 Shotgun (Castle, Pulse, Thermite, Ace.) Shots will get closer with a tighter recoil pattern.
- TCSG12 Shotgun (Goyo.) Easier to "chain shots" with probably less recoil.
