After going hands-on with the latest seasonal update for Rainbow Six Siege, it seemed like a fine time to chat to the development team behind all the updates and changes.
Year 11 Season 3, or “Split Fire” to its friends, adds a new operator, updates to maps, balance changes, and is probably going to make a decade old game feel new to fans again. We had the chance to pose some questions to Joshua Mills, Creative Director on Rainbow Six Siege. We wanted to know about the balance changes, the new operator Noor, whether the game could still come to more platforms, and how safe the game is going into the future. Without further ado, then, over to Joshua.
Hey Joshua, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. How are you feeling at this stage ahead of the update releasing?
Excited and confident about the work the team is putting in. Update day and the days that follow are when the truthof the game is revealed. Did our tuning and balancing changes shift player habits and lineups? Are we seeing the expected results from our new additions and changes? It’s an exciting time, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t always a bit of nerves with each launch. We pour a ton of ourselves into each update, and ultimately, we just hope players love the work we’ve put so much effort into.
How long have you worked on Siege itself for?
I’ve been on Siege for 4 and a half years at this point which is wild to think about.
How has development changed along the way, up until now? Likewise, how about your role, has that changed much over time?
Since Siege is a 10+ year game now, many things have changed along the way, including the team. We have a generational team. Folks have come, left their mark, brought their best to the game, and later moved on to new challenges. So, during my time on Siege, I’ve seen many people join the team, grow into new roles, and bring their best to the game, which has led to us evolving many of our processes, challenging different parts of the game, and conceptualizing new plans for the future together.
That is true of me as well. I joined Siege as an Associate Game Director, later became the Game Director, and now I have the honour of carrying the responsibility of Creative Director.
Is the drone racing planned to be a more permanent game mode if reception is good?
Nothing’s off the table, but for now drone racing is a limited-time event. We’re really looking forward to hearing what players think, feedback from this event will help shape what we do next.
What was the decision behind changing Kapkan’s trap damage by 2? Was any other figure considered?
The Kapkan trap damage change is part of the balancing cadence we’ve used since Y10S4.2, what we call “minor changes.” These are designed to give our most dedicated players small, meaningful adjustments to explore, without disrupting the experience for more casual or returning players. In Kapkan’s case, this small change was made to very slightly raise the gadget’s kill potential. I also think it’s important to mention that we’ve had nearly a year of experience with this new balancing cadence, and we’re taking a close look at how to refine our approach to make sure every change has the right amount of impact and aligns with community feedback.
How are you feeling about Noor right now?
Noor is set to have a big impact against Shield Operators. His Horus Lance is one of those gadgets that’s incredibly satisfying to pull off and very punishing if you’re on the receiving end. In addition, his loadout and the secondary uses of his gadget make him a versatile operator. He’s good at doing something players have been requesting for a long time: dealing with shields, while still being relevant in situations where no Shield Operators are around. We’re confident Noor will be a good addition to Siege.
Do you expect Noor to entirely change the meta, or is it more about balancing things?
The expectation is that Noor will have an impact on the meta without entirely changing it. That’s a healthy target to aim for. Noor’s very presence in a match makes Shield Operators more vulnerable, so we expect him to see a lot of play. On the flip side, there are ways to play around Noor, so we also expect more precise, dedicated plays from Shield Operators.
How important is the community to Siege, in terms of updates? It must be nearly impossible to please everyone!
The community is incredibly important to Siege and plays a big role in how we approach updates. One of the challenges is that there isn’t a single Siege community. We have players across PC and console, different skill levels, content creators, pros, and groups of friends who all experience the game differently. When we’re developing new content or making changes, we think carefully about who the change is intended to benefit and what problem it’s trying to solve. That helps us evaluate the results and better understand community feedback once it’s live. We know it’s impossible to please everyone with every update, but community feedback remains a key part of helping us make Siege better over time.
Could we ever see Siege being ported to more platforms in the future? I’m sure Switch players would love a tactical shooter to get stuck into.
We’re always evaluating new ways for players to enjoy Siege. A good recent example is the introduction of native mouse and keyboard support on consoles, which gave console players another way to experience the game. That said, we don’t have anything to share regarding additional platforms at this time. Our focus is always on making sure we can deliver a great Siege experience wherever players choose to play.
In terms of future support, while we won’t ask specifics, can fans be comfortable knowing Siege is going nowhere for now?
Absolutely. Siege isn’t going anywhere. The team remains deeply committed to the game’s future, and players can feel confident that Siege will continue to be supported for many years to come. We’ve celebrated a major milestone with our 10th anniversary, and our focus remains on evolving the game, supporting the community, and ensuring Siege continues to grow well into the future.
Thanks to Joshua for his time, Rainbow Six Siege “Split Fire” is out now.
