Ubisoft is still hard at work updating Rainbow Six Siege, and this latest update for the game brings some big changes to a number of its operators as well as new weapon attachments.
Leading the charge are changes to attack operator Twitch.
"Twitch is a good example of an Operator that is popular, has satisfactory pick and win ratios, yet her unique gadget, the Shock Drone, is quite underwhelming," writes Ubisoft on the Rainbow Six Siege website. "Because of this, we have decided to change the utility of the Shock Drone quite drastically, in order to reinforce the uniqueness of her gameplay and the threat her Shock Drone (err ... Drones)."
Twitch will now come equipped with two shock drones instead of one, one for use during the prep phase of each match and the other for use during the match itself. If her first shock drone survives the prep phase, that means she can have two at once during the match. Her drones are also far more deadly. They'll move 30 percent faster (the same speed as normal drones), create less sound and are less noticeable now, thanks to Ubisoft removing their blinking red lights. They'll also be able to shoot further (up from 5 m to 7 m, exactly).
Those are some big changes, and big changes are also coming to one of the game's most powerful characters: Blackbeard. The attack operator was added to the game in Rainbow Six Siege's first free update, and since then, he has been a challenge to fight against thanks to the bullet shield on his gun. Ubisoft says his unique ability is too passive, so Blackbeard's shield will now have 150 hp, as opposed to the 800 hp shield he currently uses. However, he will come equipped with a back-up shield (also with 150 hp) that can be equipped, should the first shield be destroyed.
Doc is getting some major improvements as well. His heal dart ability can now be used to heal teammates rather than just revive them, and he can also self-heal in the same way he can self-get up after being downed. Doc can now "overheal" teammates by shooting high health allies with the dart, which provides a temporary boost to hp up to 120.
Changes to three of the game's operators isn't all that is coming in the update. A number of new gadgets and weapon attachments are also coming. Attackers Thatcher, Glaz, Twitch and Thermite are all losing a gadget and gaining the new claymore gadget, while defenders Castle, Smoke, Rook and Caveira are losing a gadget and having it replaced with the impact grenade, a short fuse grenade that can be used to blow holes in the environment.
Players have more options when it comes to weapon attachments thanks to the addition of the muzzle brake and heavy barrel. The muzzle brake diminishes first shot recoil, while the heavy barrel deals increased damage at range at the cost of more recoil.
You can read more about all the changes, including weapon balance tweaks and improvements to hit registration, here. The update goes live on Sept. 14.