Fans are itching as Rainbow Six Siege (R6 Siege) approaches the release of its long-awaited Year 9 Season 1 content drop.
The uber-popular Ubisoft multiplayer shooter has been a mega-hit for the studio, continuing to foster a passionate community nearly a decade after its initial release.
Part of this ongoing success has been Ubisoft Montreal's commitment to adding to the game. Extensive yearly roadmaps bring various gameplay changes, operators to play as, and a plethora of cosmetic items to outfit the characters in-game.
What Time Will Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 Be Released?
Announced as a part of the live 2024 Six Invitational event, R6 Year 9 (subtitled Operation Deadly Omen) is set to kick off very soon.
Year 9 Season 1 of Rainbow Six Siege will launch officially on Tuesday, March 12.
No precise schedule has been made public referencing when the new season will kick off, but updates for the title have followed a fairly strict schedule as of late.
Typically new updates for the title are preceded by several hours of downtime, preparing the servers for the season ahead.
This server turn-off usually happens around 6 a.m. PT/ 9 a.m. ET, lasting for somewhere between one and four hours.
That means gamers looking to enjoy Year 9 Season 1 as soon as possible will likely be able to do so sometime between 7 a.m. PT/ 10 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. PT and 1 p.m. ET.
While these sorts of spurts of downtime usually go off without a hitch, there is always the chance servers are down for longer as the Rainbow Six team deals with any problems they may encounter.
Epic Games' Fortnite was offline for the better part of a day with the recent launch of its Chapter 5 Season 2 launch, so fans should keep a close eye on Ubisofts official channels for updates should anything go awry.
Everything Included in Year 9 Season 1 of Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 Season 1 will come packed full of new content to the game, bringing with it some major changes to Ubisoft's tactical shooter.
Kicking off the new content year in the popular multiplayer title will be a brand-new operator for players to take control of.
This new playable character is known as Deimos. He is an attack-focused character who comes equipped with an AK-47, a tactical shotgun, and several gadgets to use on the battlefield.
What makes Deimos stand out though is his Deathmark Tracker ability. This special new mechanic allows the character to launch a "miniature flying probe" that "seeks out a chosen target and reveals their location" (via Ubisoft):
"The miniature flying probe seeks out a chosen target and reveals their location to Deimos while also revealing his location. with his custom .44 Vendetta being the only weapon available while tracking, Deimos makes it personal."
Also coming in R6 Year 9 Season 1 are some changes to the Siege gameplay loop that are sure to shake up the nearly decade-old game.
One of the big new tweaks is the revamped use of shields in-game. Characters like Montage and Blitz who use Ballistic Shields as their primary weapon will no longer be able to hip fire while having a shield equipped.
While losing this offensive option for shield users, those characters will now be able to sprint with their shield up, allowing them to crash through full-health barricades.
Other changes on the way include a revamped aim-down-sights system, new weapon attachments, and revamped requirements to participate in Ranked matches.
The Future of Rainbow Six Siege
Season 1 of R6 Siege Year 9 is just the beginning of the game's 2024 plans.
Ubisoft already outlined three more seasons set to follow Season 1, with each of them expected to last somewhere around three months.
These other content drops will bring forth a new reputation system for players, the long-awaited Siege Marketplace which will allow gamers to trade items within the game, as well as other balance changes and new gameplay improvements.
Of course, there will also be at least one other new operator coming (set to launch with Season 3), but the details of the new character remain unknown.
As for what comes after Year 9 of Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft previously mentioned a 10-year plan for the title (via IGN):
"Today we have 36 operators. Year 3 will bring eight new operators. [The goal of 100] is not only a symbol, but it's a testament of the longevity that we want to put in the game. Again, we are claiming extremely loud here, there is no sequel planned, and we are here for the next 10 years, so expect more 'Rainbow Six' in your life for quite some time."
While plans may have changed since that 10-year plan comment, these next few content drops could be setting up a grand finale for the beloved multiplayer title.
Rainbow Six Siege is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
