The Professional Esports Scene Ruined Rainbow Six Siege

There are numerous FPS competitive games with a huge professional esports scene, like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. These games thrive in the esports community and are much better because of their focus on being competitive. However, not all games are equal, as some titles deteriorate thanks to Esports. That’s right, I’m talking about Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege dropped in 2015, and it was doing just alright numbers-wise. Ubisoft’s constant and praise-worthy support of the game and the consistent updates it received morphed it into a popular Esports shooter, making it one of Ubisoft’s most popular games. The 1000+ hours I sunk in Siege probably has something to do with the game’s popularity.

Unfortunately, the developer’s greater focus on the minor professional percentage of the player base is why I can’t even recognize the game I fell in love with. With constant changes focused on appeasing the professional scene, I believe professional Rainbow Six Siege players indirectly ruined the game.

Look How They Massacred Our Maps

One of the major changes Ubisoft made in Rainbow Six Siege was to change how the map’s interiors are. Every new map feels like a series of mazes and corridors that look unrealistic. Lair and Nighthaven Labs are perhaps the biggest offenders of this, as even veteran players claim to get confused sometimes when playing on those maps. That would explain the high ban rate for those maps too.

While sharp turns and having to learn the map add to the suspense and skill aspect, it makes the game repetitive and stale. I know most Siege players will call it a “skill issue,” but I believe maps shouldn’t be super intricate, even in competitive games. Look at Valorant or Counter-Strike maps. Those maps are simple and iconic, and they get the job done.

While we established that new maps are odd, old maps aren’t safe. The old house was a perfect little map that was fun to play with friends thanks to its simple nature, but then it got updated to be more competitive. There’s no way to play the old maps we all know and love without facing the terrible changes. Some maps, like Barlett University, were even removed from the game altogether.

What map had the worst rework?
byu/Mysterious_Ad7559 inRainbow6

Another change, although minor, was the time of day. Every map used to have multiple times of day that would change randomly. Now, every game exclusively takes place in the evening or morning to promote visibility. This isn’t a big issue compared to the ones mentioned earlier, but it’s unfortunate to have some of the game’s soul taken away.

Where’s The Rainbow Six Siege Charm?

Rainbow Six Siege was known for its dark rooms and menacing environments, which heavily relied on its realism factor. Having hot pink uniforms and Kiryu from Yakuza running around isn’t very realistic, is it?

You used to have dead bodies just laying there after someone died, or blood spilling all over the walls, giving a sense of dread, or simply the screen turning monochrome as players lost HP. I understand these things aren’t good for competitive settings, but they also gave the game its charm.

The state of Rainbow Six Siege is horrible.
byu/Successful_Step_4476 inRainbow6

Another thing I wish wasn’t removed is the option to play other game modes in ranked. Previously, players could play one of three game modes in ranked; bomb, hostage, or my personal favorite, secure area. However, since the “pros” said the bomb mode was the most competitive, Ubisoft removed the other two entirely from the ranked playlist.

Not-So-Fun Balancing

The final change made thanks to the professional Esports scene is how operators are balanced. Changes like Jager’s ACOG and the ability to run out are some of the many changes made strictly to appeal to professional players.

Operator bans do not belong in rainbow six siege and here’s why
byu/hobosockmonkey inRainbow6

Ubisoft constantly adds new operators to the game, and that’s good. However, the operator-banning system makes new and fun operators borderline moot. What’s the use of buying Fenrir if the enemy team always bans him? Previously, players were forced to adapt to every possible operator and change their playstyle accordingly.

Rainbow Six Siege is still going strong with a decent fanbase, and that’s amazing. However, most players will agree that it’s been on a downward spiral for over a year now. It’s sad that most newcomers will likely never know how amazing the game used to be in its prime.