"Operation Phantom Sight is coming our way, and it brings with it two haunting operators, Nøkk and Warden. Both of them greatly skilled specialists, they bring Rainbow Six to new heights with a steadfast and dangerous approach. Phantom Sight also brings with it a refreshing rework of Kafe Dostoyevsky.
Additionally, there are a few gameplay updates worthy of mention. The Reverse Friendly Fire feature is getting an upgrade, and the shop is being refined even more, while the Ranked playlist is also seeing quite a few changes.
Over the past few days, we have been working to address the issues presented from exploits surrounding Clash, IQ, and Deployable Shields. We are currently working on fixes. These combined issues touch on core systems of the game, and will therefore take longer than we consider acceptable to address. We are currently expecting fixes prepared by next week.
With this in mind, we are in the process of deploying a server side update that will disable the following:
CLASH
Clash removed from the Operator Selection screen
DEPLOYABLE SHIELDS
Ammunition count set to 0
CLAYMORES
Ammunition count set to 0
This has also highlighted the importance of reactivity on our part, and the need to act more quickly on issues of this magnitude. As such, our team will develop a more thorough outline for how we should respond to these situations moving forward, with the ultimate goal of improved reaction speed.
Preparation and improvisation are usually opposite concepts, but Collinn “Warden” McKinley somehow manages to encompass both. With a career of 30 years and counting, he has certainly gained the experience to handle all of it.
Hailing from the state of Kentucky, McKinley rose through the ranks of the Marines before he found his calling for close-protection detail in the Secret Service. He demonstrated his skills distinctly when he led the Secretary of State to safety, during an attack where hostiles outmaneuvered all prior planning.
The events of that day gave him the idea for his gadget’s prototype, the Glance Smart Glasses. They reflect the nature of his natural talent, to see what most cannot in order to gain the upper hand in any given situation. He would be just as talented without them, but with them, there’s nothing he can’t tackle.
His tendency to follow his gut and his unshakeable confidence have proved that he is in a league of his own. It’s no wonder that he was recommended by high-ranking government officials. Now that he is part of the team, he faces a new challenge: to determine if his skillset and iron will remain unparalleled when faced with specialists of his own caliber.
Warden is joining the Defending team in Operation Phantom Sight. For more information, follow us on Facebook[www.facebook.com] and Twitter or join the discussion on our subreddit and forums[forums.ubi.com]! Visit our Rainbow Six Twitch Channel[www.twitch.tv] on May 19th for the full reveal of Operation Phantom Sight during the Pro League Finals, live from Milan, Italy.
In this new instalment of Designer’s Notes, we will tell you about imminent balancing changes. However, most importantly, we will offer you to have a glimpse at what we have in store for the future. Some of these changes will be tested on the Y4S2 Test Server, while others are still being tested, tweaked and finalized. We encourage you to download the Test Server client and let us know your feedback!
ATTACHMENTS AND TWEAKS
The Desert Eagle can now be equipped with a muzzle break or a suppressor.
Smoke’s FMG-9 has now the option to be equipped with a Vortex scope (Mozzie’s scope).
Out of consistency, Finka’s ability will now cleanse the resulting tinnitus, While affected by an explosion.
GLAZ
In order to use the OTS-03 scope at maximum efficiency, Glaz players will now have to stand still. Moving in any direction will progressively cause the bright yellow colour to fade out. Extra information will also be displayed on the side of the scope. In the original Operator design, Glaz was supposed to be a long-range operator, but his ability turned out to be underwhelming and rarely used. Therefore, the OTS-03 scope received the ability to see through smokes, while operators were highlighted in bright yellow. These additions made Glaz frustrating to play against and became a very strong close-range operator. He excels as at pushing towards the objective while being visually hidden. It is often difficult to counter him effectively when he uses smokes at his advantage. The current Glaz playstyle does not exactly reflect our initial intentions. To restore the original idea behind the Russian Sniper, our balancing team looked into his entry-fragging ability, and thus pursued the changes listed above.
With Y4S1 release, we increased the swap time between the SURI Torch and his weapons. We are still monitoring community reaction around Maverick. Player feedback indicates that the sound may be too quiet, so we are still looking at audio tweaks; it is too early to share specifics.
SMOKE
A new propagation system for Capitão’s asphyxiating bolts has been introduced. We are now exploring how to use the same technology for other Operators and gadgets.
Smoke’s gas clouds are sometimes clipping through objects, and we are looking to improve its interaction with the environment, and reduce the frustration stemming from misleading visual information. We are also investigating how to adjust the rendering of the gas cloud itself and modifying the damage dealt.
Reworking a gadget in this way so as not to affect performance is a difficult and time-consuming task, so we do not have an ETA for when it will be complete.
DEPLOYABLE SHIELDS
The prototype presented during the Six Invitational was rather convincing during our internal tests. These shields will now align perfectly with doorframes. Black mirror slits have been replaced by regular bulletproof glass, thus giving the opportunity for attackers to spot defenders hiding behind the new shield.
There is still some polishing to do, we will tell you more about these shields when they are ready.
BALLISTIC SHIELDS
We want to reinforce team play when it comes to Shield Operators. We are exploring different options. Again, the frustration generated by certain Shield Operators is being investigated and ware exploring possible solutions that still allow Shield Operators to feel like a solid frontline choice.
Try out the latest Rainbow Six updates on the Test Server and earn and exclusive charm through the Bug Hunter program[rainbow6.com].
Follow us and share your feedback on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook[www.facebook.com], and on our forums[forums.ubi.com].
Nøkk has been a mystery for quite some time. There is very little that anyone outside Rainbow knows about her. For an accomplished undercover agent whose work remains mostly unrecorded, it is amazing that she has managed to hold onto who she is at her core.
Focused and driven, she uses her special operations training to infiltrate, gather intel and defeat her opponents. As a member of the Jægerkorpset, she strikes fear into the hearts of anyone who goes up against her.
On top of that, she harnesses a spirit of loyalty and leads by example to elevate the people she works with. Unlike the general population, her fellow Operators know who she is and welcome her into the fold. The potential scandal her family might face is of little importance to them; she’s one of the best in her field, and they wouldn’t betray her even if it came to that.
https://youtu.be/zoRWqiIjUR0 Her gadget is just the icing on the cake for an already dangerous operative. The HEL, which she worked on to improve with specialist Grace “Dokkaebi” Nam, makes Nøkk nothing short of a ghost, and leaves her opponents looking over their shoulders.
Nøkk is joining the Attacking team in Operation Phantom Sight. For more information, follow us on Facebook[www.facebook.com] and Twitter or join the discussion on our subreddit and forums[forums.ubi.com]! Visit our Rainbow Six Twitch Channel[www.twitch.tv] on May 19th for the full reveal of Operation Phantom Sight during the Pro League Finals, live from Milan, Italy.
Reverse Friendly Fire (RFF) is coming to the live servers tomorrow. When a player abuses the friendly fire mechanic to grief their teammates, this system is activated. We believe that this first version will be a positive step forward in our fight against team killing while maintaining the same intensity and high stakes gameplay that is core to the Rainbow Six Siege experience.
The Y4S1 release of RFF is not our final version of the system. Future iterations and improvements will continue based off data and player feedback.
Community feedback so far has been invaluable and allowed us to make early iterations to the system. For example, RFF can now activate based on total friendly damage. In these cases, there is no validation screen for the offending player’s teammates. We are also striving to make it clearer how operators and gadgets will react to this system. We have consolidated some guidelines below for your reference.
EFFECT OF REVERSE FRIENDLY FIRE
ON WEAPONS/THROWN OBJECTS Impacts:
Primary/secondary weapons
Direct hits from thrown unique gadgets
Exothermic-S Torch (Maverick)
SK 4-12 (Buck)
Mounted LMG (Tachanka; regardless of who’s using the turret)
M120 CREM (Ash) when the breaching round directly hits someone
KS79 Lifeline (Zofia)
Airjab Launcher (Nomad)
Pest Launcher (Mozzie)
Before RFF activation:
Can cause damage to teammates
Will count towards activating RFF
After RFF activation:
Teammates will not receive damage
Will reverse damage dealt
ON EXPLOSIVES Impacts:
Generic gadgets (frag grenade, C4, breach charge) that results in an explosion*
Gas Grenade (Smoke)
TAC MKO asphyxiating bolts (Capitão)
M120 CREM (Ash) when the breaching round explodes
Cluster Charge (Fuze)
*Explosive gadgets that do not do damage (i.e. stun grenades, Ying’s Candela) will not be affected by RFF in any way Before RFF activation:
Can cause damage to teammates
Will count towards activating RFF
After RFF activation:
Can cause damage to teammates
Does not reverse damage dealt*
*Explosives currently will continue to damage teammates even under RFF. This is not intended and will be fixed in Season 2. Exceptions*:
Claymore
Entry Denial Device (Kapkan)
X-Kairos pellets (Hibana)
Exothermic Charge (Thermite)
*These explosives do not trigger RFF. While under RFF, these also do not reverse damage dealt and can continue to damage teammates. This can change in the future with feedback and further game design considerations.
ON DRONES/OPERATOR CAMERAS Impacts:
Evil Eye (Maestro)
Shock Drone (Twitch and Mozzie)
Before RFF activation:
Can cause damage to teammates
Will count towards activating RFF
After RFF activation:
Teammates will not receive damage
Will reverse damage dealt (onto the drone/camera)
MORE TO COME
Further changes for Reverse Friendly Fire will come during Year 4 Season 2. We will introduce situations where the system will activate for the whole squad. How gadgets will react and behave under Reverse Friendly Fire will also be fine-tuned based on data and feedback. We look forward to sharing future developments with you.
We welcome any additional feedback on the Rainbow Six subreddit!
With this free update to Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, starting on May 2, you will have access to two brand-new missions that will plunge you headfirst into a scenario that will challenge your perception of the truth.
You will be called by Bowman to extract a Skell Tech Engineer that has been arrested by Unidad. The asset has knowledge of sensitive US industrial secrets that must be protected.
There you will meet Major Cole D. Walker, a fellow Ghost Team Leader with his own agenda.
During Operation Oracle, you will uncover information that will redefine loyalty. Make sure you explore thoroughly, Ghosts.
What you will discover here might very well set the scene for the future.
HOW TO PLAY
If you have completed the first mission of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, Operation Oracle will be automatically equipped.
You will find the start of the operation in the province of Montuyoc, which is marked by a symbol on your TacMap.
REWARDS
Completing Operation Oracle will unlock two unique rewards to use in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands.
Executioner CQC Finisher
Equip Walker’s bracelet to unlock a brutal new CQC finisher.
Walker Tattoo
Get Walker’s Ghost tattoo for your arm.
UBISOFT CLUB
Walker Icon Skin
You will be able to get this reward via the Ubisoft Club at a later date. We will share more information on how to unlock the Walker Icon Skin soon.
FREE WEEKEND
Invite your friends to play Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands free from May 2–5[www.ghostrecon.com].
BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS
PvE/General Fixes
Guerrilla Mode
We’ve been following the feedback from our community regarding Guerrilla mode at the launch of Special Operation 4. We believe several issues were contributing to the difficulty, including errors with matchmaking and launching sessions without full squads.
Our team has taken care to address those issues, which we hope will help create a more balanced experience in Guerrilla mode.
• Improved Guerrilla mode’s matchmaking process, which launched sessions after a friend joined a player in Matchmaking search before four players were present. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where the game would start without forming a full squad in public matchmaking. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where the player would not be moved to the lobby after accepting an invitation. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where the player would not win the Cosmetic Rewards if they left before the Victory Score screen. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where AI teammate’s customization would reset after entering a new session. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where you could unequip the mission. • Fixed an audio issue in Guerrilla mode when the Game Lost Score screen is shown. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where vehicles with dead NPCs in them would not despawn at the end of a wave. • Fixed an issue where the last NPC enemy of Guerrilla mode would despawn immediately after killing him. • Improved replication issues present in Guerrilla mode during co-op sessions. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where a Game Over can be triggered without the timer being displayed. • Fixed an issue where some skills bonuses could be canceled by changing the difficulty during a Guerrilla mode session. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where the shopkeeper’s subtitles and voice over would be cut off due to the ending screen. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where enemy alert levels would downgrade to Undetected / Suspicious under certain circumstances. • Fixed an issue where all weapons and attachments bought in Guerrilla mode appeared as "New" in the main game afterward. • Fixed an issue preventing to unlock Survivor pants and Survivor shirt cosmetic items in Ghost Mode after winning Guerrilla mode.
All Platforms
• Fixed an issue with the M110 Bullet Drop being too strong. • Removed the requirement to complete Silent Spade and Snafu missions to unlock the Mission Master trophy. • Fixed a localization issue where there was no spacing between Continue Campaign text for Asian localizations. • [SILENT SPADE] Fixed an issue with Kozak where he would slide away when a user shoots him while he is giving his briefing. • Fixed an issue with the Buchon Marcus Jensen causing him to have the wrong animation in certain cases. • Fixed an issue where completing all Main Game missions showed only 98% completion.
PC
• Improved performance when using Nvidia Ansel with Nvidia driver 418.91. • Fixed an issue in Ghost mode where weapons switch back to default between play sessions. • Fixed an issue in Guerrilla mode where subtitles would only show for the host of a party in a co-op session.
Store + Items
• Fixed a visual issue with the ACU shirt clipping with female character costume parts. • Fixed an issue where players would not receive their bonus XP from XP boosters. • The Night Vision effect from Fast Panoramic NVGs, Fast Special NVGs, and High Cut Spec. NVGs no longer use the old Night Vision (Green) filter, instead of using the newer (yellow) filter. • The AOR1 camo now uses more authentic colors/patterns. • Fixed an issue where the Hiking backpack would clip with the Molle vest and Crossdraw vests. • Fixed several issues present with the Gorka outfit. • Fixed a customization issue with the Crossdraw vest clipping with female characters. • Fixed a clipping issue with the Gunfighter Jacket and ACU shirt clipping with pants. • Fixed an issue with the Mic Drop emote where the syringe was stuck in the character’s wrist. • Fixed an issue with the Heavy Riot Control vest not showing the patches on its shoulder pads. • Fixed an issue on some vests where the ammunition was following the player’s movements rather than the vest itself. • Fixed an issue forbidding the player from buying Crates & Boosters in DLCs.
PvP
All Platforms
• Limited the number of simultaneous mines deployable by the Sapper’s drone to 3. • Reduced the health of Sapper’s drones to bring it more in line with the drones used by Medic and Guerrilla classes. • Fixed an issue in Ghost War allowing an exploit (known as Crouch-run) by using emotes and Pistol-specific abilities. • Fixed several collision issues on several PvP maps.
PC
• Improved the ping function in Ghost War where spamming the Ping input caused high ping conditions.
To learn more about Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, please keep an eye on the Ghost Recon website[www.ghostrecon.com] and visit our official forums[forums.ubi.com]. We also invite you to join the discussion on Twitter by tagging @GhostRecon or by using #GhostRecon.
To keep track of your stats and find other Ghosts to join your taskforce, log in to the Ghost Recon Network[ghost-recon.ubisoft.com] and download the Ghost Recon HQ App.
As a part of our ongoing efforts to identify and tackle game issues as fast and efficiently as possible, we introduced R6Fix[r6fix.ubi.com] last year. Since then, we have received over 7,000 bug reports.
Today, we are excited to introduce our brand new Bug Hunter Program, an initiative that has been designed to reward all those dedicated players that help us to improve the game’s health with every new update.
HOW IT WORKS
It’s simple, all you have to do is report any issue you might encounter on the Test Server through R6Fix[r6fix.ubi.com]. You can find a detailed guide on how to report issues here[r6fix.ubi.com] as well as an FAQ[r6fix.ubi.com]. Once we receive your report, our QA team will test it and try to reproduce it, if they succeed, your contribution will be marked as Acknowledged.
All issues need to be in English, clearly stated and with visual evidence, either a screenshot or a video that clearly shows the problem. Only the first person to report the acknowledged bug will receive credit towards the rewards.
Please note that all duplicated issues after this first report will be automatically discarded and will not count in order to get the rewards.
Once you reach the threshold of 3 issues or more marked as acknowledged, you will receive a very special reward. Rewards will be distributed every other Friday.
REWARDS
Veteran players will remember one of our more ancient and harmless bugs, the raptor legs[i.redd.it]. We are bringing it back, but only in the shape of a Frost charm to be granted to all those players that reach the threshold of 3 acknowledged bugs. We are planning to add more thresholds in the near future and we will keep you updated on how to get new rewards.
The Bug Hunter Program will be activated on the test server on April 25th 2019 and will remain active until further notice. All reports received before that date will not count towards the rewards.
We look forward to your feedback on this feature on the forums[forums.ubi.com], and the official subreddit!
We have compiled the many variables involved in weapon FOV and input sensitivity on PC in order to ensure everyone understands how to get their perfect sensitivity.
Weapon Field of View (FOV) is modified differently depending on which weapon and optic you have equipped. When aiming down sights, each optic type changes your FOV based on a specific modifier.
Halfway through each Season, the “Designer’s Notes” shares information about the work of our balancing team. We are using data gathered since Wind Bastion balancing changes and the introduction of new Australian operators.
We use player feedback to help show us where to begin looking, and data to drive balancing changes. Combining both of these aspects helps us to decide if adjustments are needed. Sharing this data should give everyone as much context as possible to explain our changes and explain the reasoning behind them.
ATTACKERS
DEFENDERS
UPCOMING CHANGES
Lion
Replaced the scan outline by a red ping debuff
Reduced the ability warning from 3 to 1.5 seconds
Reduced the scanning from 4 to 2 seconds
Reduced the ability cool-down from 27 to 15 seconds
Increased the number of charges from 2 to 3
The Lion rework is ready. This change is aimed at reducing the oppressive feeling of his ability while maintaining his intel-gathering role. Following the changes introduced, we expect players to put more thought before using this ability and require more skill to be advantageous for the attacking team.
By switching from a scan outline to a ping debuff (like Alibi’s), the effectiveness of the enemy detection will be diminished. Now, moving defenders can be detected up to three times, with 1 second between pings. Lion’s scan will be more viable and will allow defenders to counter-play successful Lion detections.
The total duration of Lion’s ability is shorter for both the warning and the scanning phases. The scan will last a total of 3.5 seconds (from 7 seconds).
To balance things, we have increased the number of uses to 3 and also reduced the ability cool-down.
Nomad
Added an idle sound cue to activated Airjabs.
Stun grenades replace her Claymore.
In response to feedback about Airjabs being too difficult to counter, we added an idle sound following the gadget deployment. Our goal is to reward cautious players to spot nearby Airjabs and to adapt appropriately.
Thanks to her Airjabs, Nomad already had three gadgets designed to counter flanking by the defending team. That is why we decided to give her stun grenades instead.
Ying
In order to make Ying’s Candelas more intuitive and simple, we have inverted the cooking mechanic.
Just like frag grenades, the longer you cook them, the earlier they will explode. This change should also drive Ying players to put more effort into planning their attacks and to reduce Candela’s spamming.
Kaid
We have reduced the TCSG12 total ammunition to 51 (from 61).
The AUG-A3 damage is increased to 33 (from 27).
By reducing the amount of slugs, we want players to choose between destroying soft walls to prepare their defence and using the weapon to repel attackers.
Increasing the damage of the AUG-A3 should make it a more viable choice for Kaid mains.
Maestro
To reduce the effectiveness of his Evil eyes, its bulletproof windows will now be half-way opened when affected EMPs or Shock Drones.
By allowing Thatcher or Twitch to have an effect on Evil Eyes, we want teams to rely a little less on soft destruction operators. Maestro mains will also have to be slightly more cautious when placing their gadgets.
Blitz
To reduce the frustration generated by this operator, the ballistic shield flash cool-down has been increased (from 2 to 7 seconds.)
We are looking into reducing the amount of frustration generated by Blitz, without hampering his ability to rush the objective. Increasing the cool-down of his shield flash should give more leeway to defenders to adapt and counter the operator.
Echo
IQ can now detect Echo when he is using his PDA.
For consistency, IQ will now detect Echo when he is using his PDA.
Current Status
Doc and Rook Following the MP5 damage decrease (patch Y3S4.2), we have seen a slight reduction in Doc and Rook pick rates as well as in their win ratios. They both remain two very solid anchors who are now closer the overall pool of defenders in terms of statistics.
Ash The removal of Ash’s ACOG removal with Burnt Horizon was an attempt to reduce her pick rate. We removed a popular attachment that was unnecessary to her role as an opener. Following an impressive drop of 20% in her pick rate, she remains a very popular attacker and her win ratio has even improved.
