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.
Patch Y4S1.2 will be deployed to PC on April 4th. Our focus for 1.2 is to target any lingering bugs or issues.
BUG FIXES
GAMEPLAY
Fixed – Players receive a Synchronizing Data error when completing a Situation.
Fixed – In–game menus flicker after alt–tabbing or using alt+enter to switch from Windowed Mode to Full Screen mode.
Fixed – RX Vega users are experiencing artifacting on operators since Y3S4.2.4 maintenance.
Fixed – Some players experiencing FPS drops after the Y4S1 update.
Fixed – Launcher projectile trajectory is off when viewing launchers from a 3rd person POV.
Fixed – Drone jumping SFX can be heard from an idling drone.
Fixed – After entering a game with a join in progress, the spectated player is replicated with no weapon in hand.
Fixed – Operator shuffles around in a loop while being spectated in support mode.
Fixed – [PC] When raw input is off, alt–tabbing/refocusing on the game window results in a trigger pull.
Fixed – Missing Open button prompt when on Party panel with Controller.
OPERATORS
MOZZIE
Fixed – Pest captured drones lose signal in certain spots on various maps. (This continues to be a work in progress, as all locations must be fixed individually.)
Fixed – Recently deployed pest devices are not having their area of effect radius displayed on the end–of–round replay.
Fixed – Two pests can hack the same drone. One pest, one drone.
Fixed – Pests shot on the sides of the photocopy machine in 2F Briefing Room of Fortress stick in the air.
GRIDLOCK
Fixed – Planting the Defuser next to a partially deployed Trax Stinger prevents detection by Defenders.
Fixed – Trax Stingers can sometimes deploy inside an object or pass through objects.
Fixed – Trax Stingers that were recently deployed are missing their outline on end–of–round replay.
Fixed – Trax Stingers do not deploy after the object in which the first stinger was deployed is partially destroyed.
ZOFIA
Fixed – If killed under the effect of Zofia’s Concussion Grenade, the effect will persist until the game is restarted.
LEVEL DESIGN
BORDER
Fixed – Players have a long line of sight in 2F Armory of Border.
Fixed – Gridlock’s Trax Stingers stick to the wall on a does not deploy properly in 1F Detention of Border.
CHALET
Fixed – Invisible collision at the EXT Backyard rocks in Chalet.
Fixed – LD issue with stone wall in Front Yard Patio of Chalet.
OUTBACK
Fixed – Players can hide inside the furniture of 1F Nature Room in Outback.
Fixed – Hole in the room allows players to fall into 2F Mezzanine of Outback.
Fixed – Players that vault over the fence near EXT Storage Yard in Outback can get stuck in a barrel.
Fixed – Players can vault on top of the vending machines in 1F Convenience Store of Outback.
Fixed – Players can vault onto shelves in the 1F Garage in Outback.
Fixed – Players can reach the top of the Tent in Gear Store in Outback.
Fixed – Players can vault onto the fridge in the 1F Convenience Store of Outback.
Fixed – C4 explosion damage goes through floor/ceiling and does damage, but does not destroy it.
Fixed – LOD issue with drapes on the west side of 2F Dorms of Outback.
Fixed – The Outback splash art when loading the map is low–res.
Fixed – Sledge’s Breaching hammer doesn’t destroy blue plastic tarps in 2F Garage Lounge of Outback.
USER EXPERIENCE
Fixed – Damascus Steel skin is missing from Maverick and Clash’s weapons.
Fixed – The "Year of the Pig" weapon skin is not applied on several weapons.
Fixed – Southern Regiment skin does not display properly on the Super Shorty.
Fixed – The Signature Six ’19 weapon skin for Thatcher’s AR33 is corrupted.
Fixed – Blitz’s Elite shield skin is not replaced when another uniform is equipped.
Fixed – Glaz’s Elite Lethal Citizen scope does not show the star decal.
Fixed – Blitz Elite Panzerstärke shield skin does not show elite pose.
Fixed – Mute’s Elite has missing SFX for his Jammers.
Fixed – Glaz’s operator screen does not show the name of the equipped elite uniform or headgear.
Fixed – Interrupting the opening pop–up of a pack for universal or seasonal skins shows operators icons.
Fixed – Missing button on the right handle of Jager’s gadget.
Fixed – Hibana missing eyelashes while equipped with Virtual Abyss Headgear.
Fixed – Players can’t see equipped charms on the Commando 9 in first person POV.
Fixed – Square shaped Charms clips in 416–C Carbine and R4–C.
From April 1st to 8th, you’ll be given the most important of missions: rescue the VIP teddy bear, our Very Important Plushie, held inside the toy-sized Plane!
For this critical task, choose among 4 hand-picked Operators who will “blend” into this sparkly environment wearing their plushie outfits to get the job done: Blackbeard and Montagne as attackers, Smoke and (of course) Tachanka as defenders.
That’s not all! You can also pick from nine proud toy soldiers to complete your dream squad: Ash, Thermite, Thatcher, Sledge, Castle, Kapkan, Bandit, Frost, and (of course) Recruit!
Remember that only through the power of your imagination can you save the teddy bear. (Batteries not included.)
A FABULOUS COLLECTION
We are also introducing 17 exclusive items (with guaranteed no duplicate drops) that are all about toys, unicorns and… tactical cuteness! Including full BDUs and headgears for: Smoke, Lord Tachanka, Montagne and Blackbeard.
Log in during the event to get your free Rainbow is Magic Collection Pack and earn more as you play by completing Ubisoft Club Challenges. You will also be able to purchase packs for 300 R6 Credits. Don’t miss your chance to strike poses for some magical, world-class memes. https://youtu.be/BKypAGOatlE Go forth and cause mayhem dressed as a rainbow unicorn.
For more information, check out our website[rainbow6.com] or follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates on the event.
NVIDIA has released the GeForce Hotfix Driver Version 425.11 which addresses the inventory menus crash bug.
Thank you for sending in your reports as we worked with our partners at NVIDIA to find a fix.
Please click on the URL below to download the appropriate driver: Windows 10 64-bit Standard Driver – Click Here[international.download.nvidia.com] Windows 10 64-bit DCH Driver – Click Here[international.download.nvidia.com]
We appreciate your patience during this extended issue.
The goal of this system is to contain the impact of players abusing the friendly fire mechanic, while maintaining a degree of flexibility for accidents. We will collect data and feedback from both ranked and casual playlists on the Test Server, and iterate before releasing it live.
IMPACT ON OFFENDING PLAYERS
With Reverse Friendly Fire, when a player shoots an ally or the hostage, a warning message will appear on the offending player’s screen. The same will occur if a player uses their unique operator gadget to hurt a teammate (i.e. Maestro’s Evil Eye or Twitch’s drone).
After a player’s first validated team kill, all further damage inflicted upon teammates or the hostage is reflected back to the player. When a player uses a unique operator gadget to deal this damage, reflected damage will impact the gadget itself.
A message will pop up for the offending player to notify them when Reverse Friendly Fire has been activated. All players in the match will be notified of this change to the offending player’s status through the kill feed.
TEAM-VALIDATED TEAM KILL
During the kill cam, a team kill victim is able to validate whether they were intentionally team killed. If the player confirms that the kill was intentional, Reverse Friendly Fire will stay active for the offender. If the player believes it was unintentional, Reverse Friendly Fire will be deactivated.
Should the victim not make a decision, Reverse Friendly Fire is activated by default.
PENALTIES
After an intentional team kill is validated, Reverse Friendly Fire will stay active for the match instead of kicking that player. We will continue to track team kills, and we may issue appropriate sanctions after multiple offenses.
We will continue to address toxicity as we proceed into Year 4 and beyond. We look forward to hearing your feedback and findings on the Reverse Friendly Fire system through the forums[forums.ubi.com] and on the official subreddit!
Our 1.1 patches are primarily geared towards fixing any last minute issues that were reported on the Test Server, with larger updates coming as X.2 and X.4 patches.
GAMEPLAY
Fixed – When Operators are prone on their back, the weapon switch animation is faster than intended.
Fixed – All operators have animation issue transition who make them slide when they sprint just after prone position.
LEVEL DESIGN
OREGON
Fixed – Operators break collision when vaulting into the broken shelf in Laundry room.
OUTBACK
Fixed – Problematic run out/spawn kills via the catwalk in the Motel Parking Lot.
Fixed – Players can rappel through a blocked window on Outback.
OPERATORS
MOZZIE
Fixed – With the right timing a player can enter and see through a drone that Mozzie just captured.
Fixed – The drone outline for a hijacked drone is not visible behind a Black Mirror or from a Maestro camera view.
Fixed – Hacked drones will sometimes lose signal on various maps. These need to be fixed on an individual basis, and we have not fixed every location as of this update.
GRIDLOCK
Fixed – Barricades can not be deployed near deployed trax stingers.
USER EXPERIENCE
Fixed – Game will show a black screen for a few second after moving windows up or alt-tabbing.
Fixed – Onkochishin elite skin has a gap between the holster and the secondary weapon.
Fixed – The letter "V" is censored in the in-game text chat.
We’ve made a number of changes and updates over the course of the Burnt Horizon Season Test Server. Below you will find a list of changes and updates.
To help optimize player experience for future updates, we are also in the process of restructuring how our game data is stored – this will help consolidate and reduce the overall game size. This means that the Burnt Horizon Patch will be larger than normal. Patch sizes for each platform will be provided prior to maintenance.
GAMEPLAY
LEAN SPAM CAMERA PLACEMENT
Previous camera placement at a full lean allowed players to fire without being completely exposed. As part of our fix to counteract lean spamming, we are shifting the camera to the center of the head instead of the far side of the head, even when at a “full lean”.
OPERATOR MOVEMENT AND RUNNING ANIMATIONS.
With Y4S1, we have cleaned up the animations in the back end, and streamlined them. This will allow us more freedom to implement new features and unique aspects of the game in the future, as the overall animation development pipeline has been streamlined. We have also updated the new running animations based on the player feedback we received so that the head lean is less aggressive to make the sprint animation look more natural.
Minimum Clearance Level for Ranked Playlist increased from 20 to 30.
Reduction in HP after being revived from a DBNO state: PvP = 20 (down from 50), THunt = 15.
Holosight color is now determined by the base skin of the weapon it is equipped on.
BALANCING
CAPITAO
Back to Wind Bastion version.
We’re reverting Capitao back to his Wind Bastion version while we take a look at and evaluate the data and feedback we’ve gathered.
DOKKAEBI
Auto – hangup timer of Dokkaebi calls reduced to 12 seconds (down from 18).
We’re cutting down the amount of time it takes to auto–hangup a call based on feedback, so mom will go to voicemail faster now.
BUG FIXES
Fixed – When prone, moving/turning the camera even slightly will cause the Operator to make noise.
This problem is tied to the shield operator rotation fix for Y4S1, so we’re reverting back to the old rotation system for the time being.
What that means for the Shield Rotation Desync fix: While we have reverted the new rotation system for now to address the rotational noise issues, we’re going to work on improvements to the rotation system and the shield desync fix so neither is an issue. Unfortunately, this means that the shield rotation desync issue will be present again for the time being. We are still targeting some time during Y4S1 for the shield rotation fix to be implemented, and will update players when we have more info.
Fixed – Incorrect kill feed Death Icon.
Fixed – Attacker’s still receive electric damage even after leaving electrified reinforced walls.
Fixed – Defenders are not being affected by Mute’s Jammer when prone (players not registered as being within the AOE buff, blue indicator missing, cleanse not in effect).
Fixed – Attackers can control a drone if they deploy a drone while being injured at the same time.
Fixed – Transition animation from prone to sprint is almost instantaneous (the worm).
Fixed – Moving while prone and leaning produces no sound.
Fixed – Deploy and pick up animations are broken for the shield operators in 1st and 3rd person when using the breach charge.
Fixed – Shield clipping when a shielded operator reload while aiming down at the ground.
OPERATORS
GRIDLOCK
Fixed – Defenders pushed back by Nomad’s Airjab into Gridlock’s Trax Stingers destroy them without taking any damage.
Fixed – Gridlock’s Trax Stingers sometimes don’t deploy.
Fixed – Gridlock’s M249 SAW contains an extra bullet.
Fixed – Gridlock’s F90 reload animation restarts if the reload animation is interrupted
.MOZZIE
Fixed – Pest is unusable if deployed on Mute’s Jammer.
Fixed – Pest can hack drones through single bullet holes on single layered destroyable surfaces.
ALIBI
Fixed – Alibi’s hologram still appears even when an Attacking Operator is moving through/on top of the gadget while in prone.
BUCK/BLACKBEARD
Fixed – Fire rate of Buck and Blackbeard’s DMR in PVE are too low.
CAVEIRA
Fixed – Fire rate on Caveira’s Luison is lower than intended.
KAID
Fixed – Barbed wire is being electrified when vertically outside of the active radius of Kaid’s Rtila.
YING
Fixed – Ying’s Burnt Horizon headgear model collapses her character model.
IQ
Fixed – When sprinting, IQ keeps her gadget up to her face.
Fixed – Popping animation when IQ is prone and leaning with her gadget.
Fixed – Leaning with IQ’s gadget while rappelling is not replicated from a third person POV on her model.
LEVEL DESIGN
Fixed – Various level of detail fixes across maps.
OUTBACK
Fixed – Sound does not propagate through a section of the floor in 2F office in Outback.
Fixed – Players can vault onto the fridge in 1F Convenience Store in Outback.
Fixed – Pixel line of sight in Compressor of Outback.
Fixed – Players can get stuck inside a barrel after vaulting the fence in EXT Storage Yard of Outback.
Fixed – Players can get onto the ceiling tarp in Gear Store in Outback.
Fixed – Players can plant the defuser on the ceiling tarp in Gear Store in Outback.
Fixed – Players can vault onto the shelf in 1F Garage in Outback.
Fixed – Players cannot place barbed wire on 2F Back Stairs of Outback.
Fixed – Defenders are being detected on the Stairs in 2F Outback.
Fixed – Defuser can’t be planted on the North side of 1F Bushranger room in Outback.
Fixed – Vaulting inconsistency in Convenience Store in Outback.
Fixed – Spawn locations are misplaced on the Outback map overview.
YACHT
Fixed – Placeholder model can be found in the 4F Cockpit on Yacht.
USER EXPERIENCE
Fixed – The black holographic sight takes more space in the screen than the brown one.
Fixed – Visual issues with some models’ eyes + eyelashes.
Fixed – After cooking a frag grenade until it explodes, the grenade model remains + nearby grenade indicator remains for other players.
Fixed – Overexposure of items when viewing in the shop/preview when switching between items.
Fixed – In PvE/custom, hostage can be picked up before the progress bar is full.
Fixed – Operators missing VO lines in the Article 5 PvE mission.
Fixed – Character animations freeze in the main menu.
Fixed – Pistol appears in the hands of an Operator when throwing their Drone.
Fixed – Holographic sight is sometimes reflective and unusable.
Fixed – Laser attachment is slightly misaligned with the mod rail for the SASR’s Super Shorty.
Fixed – FPS Drops.
COSMETICS
Fixed – All skins/uniforms should now be available and correctly skinned/equippable.
Fixed – The "Ocean’s Teeth" Weapon Skin for IQ’s 552 Commando is unavailable.
Fixed – Crocodylus weapon skin missing texture.
Fixed – Some legacy weapon skins missing for the Primary and Secondary shotgun for SASR ops.
Fixed – Volcano and some weapon skins apply to the .44 Mag Semi–auto’s scope.
Fixed – Elite Ash Chibi isn’t displaying when equipped on Shields.
Fixed – Minor errors in the loadout description of Hibana’s Elite skin.
Tomorrow our last update of Year 2 will be released: Special Operation 4.
This update will be available on PC, PlayStation®4, and Xbox One. The size of the patch will be 19.7 GB on PC. Please note that you will need to restart and update your platform to be able to play online.
Free PvE Mode: Guerrilla
Test your endurance with our brand-new PvE mode: Guerrilla. In Guerrilla Mode you and up to 3 friends will face waves of Cartel and Unidad members. With each round, the forces rallying against you will grow deadlier as you gather resources to defend key locations.
Before each wave starts, you will enter a preparation phase in which you can strategically chose your weapons and attachments. These can be upgraded by collecting gear by defeating enemies and exchanging the gear with the shopkeeper.
Completing waves will grant you XP, Tier points, and Prestige Credits as well as an exclusive gear set the first time you beat all 25 waves.
For more information about Guerrilla Mode, head to our Developer Q&A here[www.ghostrecon.com].
Community-Requested Features
Time of Day Setting – Solo Campaign
You will now be able to choose your time of day via a new setting available in solo campaign and solo Ghost Mode.
Once you choose your selected time of day from the menu, you will re-deploy to the nearest spawn point.
Custom Match Browser in Ghost War
You will now be able to create and filter matches using the following criteria:
• Game Mode • Map • Game Format • Round Time Limit • Supply Crates Restock • Adrenaline Rush • Starting Hour • Weather • Friendly Fire • Realistic Magazine Reload • Ignore Full Matches
Bleeding Notification in Ghost War
Ghost War will now contain an audio notification when your Ghost has started bleeding. Players that turn off notifications or play without their HUD will be able to hear when the status triggers.
Compass
The compass from Ghost War will now be a HUD option for all PvE modes.
Year 2 Pass
Year 2 Pass holders will get a free pack with Special Operation 4.
Year 2 Pass holders will get early, direct access to the new Ghost War class for one week starting on February 27. Non-Year 2 Pass holders will have access to the new class on March 6th.
Ghost War
New Class
Special Operation 4 will contain one new class.
Sapper
The Sapper is a new Support class option. His primary weapons are the TAR-21 and 9×19 VSN. Sappers can deploy a specialized drone that shoots "concussion" mines. These mines drain stamina from players and suppresses them, slowing down their rush.
New Maps
There will be two new maps added to Ghost War.
Gas Station
A Santa Blanca gas station currently under construction at the bottom of the forest valley in South Libertad.
The map has light forest vegetation cover, with a spacious building complex near the center. Long lines of sight are available for marksmen to scope enemies from afar, whilst buildings provide cover for assault and support classes.
Airbase
A Unidad helibase located in Eastern Koani.
The elevation of this map offers some exciting opportunities for gameplay. This map provides something for every class: long sightlines for Marksmen, flanking opportunities for stealth classes, and a variety of interior obstacles that force thrilling CQC gunplay for the Assault and Support classes.
PvP Event
Two new events will be added to the rotation: Arms Race and Danger Zone.
The duration of the events will be reduced from 60 hours to 36 hours.
Heatmap
We are introducing a new Heatmap View to your TacMap. Using this view you will be able to see the most visited locations in the Wildlands, and perhaps discover some you’ve never visited before.
Challenges
We are moving from Challenge Seasons to a selection of Daily Challenges (thee solo, one Task Force, and one Community Challenge) with increased Prestige Credit rewards.
• 400 Prestige Credits for completing three Solo Challenges • 200 Prestige Credits for completing the Task Force Challenge • 25 Prestige Credits for completing the Community Challenge
Completing a certain number a Daily Challenges per week will grant you additional rewards, such as Prestige Crates and a Battle Crate.
• Three Prestige Crates for completing five Solo Challenges • Five Prestige Crates for completing 10 Solo Challenges • One Battle Crate for completing 15 Solo Challenges
Ubisoft Club Rewards
Year 2 Anniversary Pack
Celebrate the second anniversary of Ghost Recon Wildlands with us! If you have played Wildlands between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019, you are eligible to unlock the Year 2 Anniversary Items in the Ubisoft Club.
• FAL [Assault Rifle] • Year 2 [Parachute Wing] • Year 2 [Gear Patch]
Voice Line Pack
Unlock 48 new voice lines for 40 Ubisoft Club Units.
Shifumi (Rock-Paper-Scissors) Emotes
Get all three emotes to play Shifumi (Rock-Papers-Scissors) for free.
XP Boosters
Extra boosters will be added to the Club.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Audio Recordings
Discover an exclusive new audio story set between the events of Tom Clancy’s The Division and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. Hidden in the world, there are six audio recordings.
At the location of the final recording, you will find a reward to unlock.
Store Updates
Frontline Pack
A new pack with the following items has been added to the store:
• Mk 16 [Assault Rifle] • M110 [Sniper Rifle] • Riot Control [Vest] • Heavy Riot Control [Vest] • Armored Pants • Tigerstripe [Weapon Camo]
Battle Crates
All voice lines have been removed from Battle Crates and moved to Prestige Crates. We are also moving a selection of emotes to the Prestige Crates.
There will be 30 new items added to the Battle Crates in Special Operation 4:
All social items (victory poses, emotes, and voices lines) are now considered rare.
Tactical Hand Signs Pack
Get 11 new emotes based on real military signs.
Weapons
The following weapons will be available for individual purchase:
• Mk 18 • M110 • Mk 16 • ACS-12 • Honey Badger
Bug Fixes and Improvements
PvE/General Fixes
All Platforms
• Fixed an issue where the M60E4 weapon was not held by the handle during emotes. • Fixed an issue while using the ACS-12 where the hand was overstretched while in crouch or prone position, and during idle animation. • Fixed an issue where Nomad disappears from the vicinity in cutscenes if the player has a female character. • Fixed an issue where the mission discovery blade appeared after deploying on any Rally Point, once the mission had been discovered. • Fixed an issue that caused Nomad to disappear from the vicinity in cutscenes if the player has a female character. • Made various improvements and fixed several glitches with the Optical Camo. • Fixed an issue that caused some suppressors to retain the Optical Camo cloaking effect under certain situations. • Fixed an issue where changing certain weapons or costumes in the load out would affect Optical Camo. • Fixed an issue that caused Scott Mitchell’s belt to clip through his body. • Fixed a missing line of space between the handgun text and the level text.
Photo Mode
• Fixed an issue where the player’s NPC teammates glitch through the ground when opening photo mode and some icons were glitched. • Fixed an issue that caused a delay and HUD issues with the camera option icon when opening Photo Mode.
PC
• Fixed an issue where the aim assist option doesn’t save after applying the change and confirming the save change prompt. • Fixed an issue where Missions and Tacmap HUD was displayed in Cinematics when using mouse in Kingslayer Files menu page. • Fixed an issue where the wrong selection is made in Store after purchasing credits pack.
Store + Items
• Fixed an issue where the M1911 Golden and Luger didn’t have a store watermark and redirect. • Fixed an issue where a gap was present in the Dokkaebi icon when crouching. • Fixed an issue where patches that were unlockable through Deluxe edition redirected the player toward Featured Content. • Fixed an issue where the Infantry Pack items do not redirect the player towards Year 2 Pass offers. • Fixed an issue where there was a missing description for the 416 weapon pack preview. • Fixed an issue where credits asset overlapped the Featured Content tab when returning from the Prestige Store using the mouse. • Fixed an issue where the beard was clipping through Airframe Chops on the item Crate Card. • Fixed an issue where the R93 LRS2 sniper rifle dropped in Ghost War crates even though it’s an item only available in PvE. • Fixed an issue where the weapons from the Ghost War classes redirect the user to the featured content tab. • Fixed an issue where the Cross Draw Vest was clipping with tops for the female character. • Fixed an issue where the Windblocker Jacket clipped through several Vests. • Fixed an issue that caused holstered weapons to clip through the character model if holstered on the left side of a female icon with no backpack. • Fixed an issue that caused weapons to clip through backpack while running if holstered on the Maestro Icon. • Fixed several clipping issues with the Scott Mitchell Icon. • Fixed an issue that caused the CBRN Half Mask to clip through caps and skin. • Fixed a clipping issue with items and the CBRN Half Mask on several heads. • Fixed clipping texture issues of several weapons in victory pose Kneeling. • Fixed an issue that caused the PenCott GZ camo on the Trapper Mask to not turn the front area into a matching color. • Updated the animation on several emotes. • Updated several Victory Poses. • Updated the Coyote Brown and Sand Storm camos so they are identical on all compatible pants. • Updated the text for the Gendarmerie Parachute to fit better with the canopy. • Fixed an issue that caused The Vanguard and Sharpshooter weapons to clip while doing the Come and Get Me! emote. • Fixed an issue that caused the character model to have no facial expression in-game while doing emotes if they’re wielding the crossbow. • Fixed an issue that caused inconsistency in the sound quality and origin point of voice lines while in co-op. • Improved an issue where the character grabbed the magazine instead of the grip on bullpup weapons for certain emotes.
PvP
All Platforms
• Fixed an issue where the user could holster their weapon by throwing grenades, activating abilities, or deploying drones while performing emotes that holster your weapon. • Fixed several issues that allowed players to enter closed buildings. • Fixed an issue where players could pass through a rock collision and gain an advantage on Zinc Mine map. • Fixed an issue where players could get out of bounds on maps through some corners. • Fixed an issue where players could climb inside the lithium reservoir through a specific spot. • Fixed an issue where the SR-635 weapon magazine still counted 30 bullets instead of 20 as stated in the patch notes for Special Operation 3. • Fixed an issue where the silencer for the Assassin’s primary weapon Vector Spectra was not shown and could not be removed. • Fixed an issue where the user was unable to scroll from the first tab of the Ghost War menu to the last one by scrolling up on the list. • Fixed an issue where the icon for the Edit button was misplaced on the customization screen. • Fixed an issue where the wrong message was displayed when the user tried to unlock an Armory Pack without enough Prestige Credits. • Fixed an issue where Toxic’s Toxic gas would not affect players when deployed on certain props. • Fixed an issue where Echelon’s Sonar Vision was not deactivated when the character was swimming. • Fixed an issue where the Doc/Surgeon had aim assist present while walking with stim pistol near an enemy. • Fixed an issue where some languages had information going out of text-designated areas in Event descriptions. • Fixed an issue where the Event Voting Page transitioned from Voting Closed phase to Event Ended phase for some users until session restart. • Fixed an issue where the vote card was not highlighted when the user voted for an event unless they switch between tabs. • Fixed an issue where Time doesn’t show days in the landing page. • Fixed LOD issues that were present when approaching the concrete pillar props near the recon tower area on Outskirts. • Fixed an issue where Lock Spectate Camera could be deactivated by spamming the options button. • Fixed an issue where the observer player would see the same objective for all the players in the session. • Fixed an issue where the observer sees proximity mines and C4 deployments as Recon Towers on Tacmap. • Fixed an issue where the observer player will notice the wrong notification activating the Recon Tower.
Your support during Year 2 of Ghost Recon Wildlands has been truly incredible and we’re so excited for you to get your hands on the next Special Operation. Our last update for Year 2 of Wildlands, Special Operation 4, will be dropping on Wednesday, February 27.
Special Operation 4 will feature brand-new content for PvE and PvP players, community-requested features, and more.
PvE Mode and Reward: Special Operation 4 contains a brand new PvE mode that will test your endurance. Upon completing the mode for the first time, you will receive an outfit set.
PvP Class and Maps: Another soldier is ready to join the fight. Ghost War will get one additional class, as well as two new maps.
Year 2 Pass: Year 2 Pass holders will get a free pack containing customization items and a weapon, as well as early, direct access to the new Ghost War class starting on February 27 for one week.
Time of Day for Solo Campaign Mode: Players will now be able to change their Time of Day via a new setting option in solo campaign mode and solo Ghost Mode.
Battle Crate Update: We will be moving all Voice Lines and a selection of Emotes from Battle Crates to Prestige Crates.
Prestige Crate Update: Drop rates modified to be more generous for higher rarity items.
Custom Match Browser: You will be able to create and browse custom matches based on your selected criteria.
Challenges: We are moving from Challenge Seasons to a selection of Daily Challenges (three Solo, one Task Force, and one Community Challenge) with increased Prestige Credit rewards.
Completing a certain number a Daily Challenges per week will grant you additional rewards, such as Prestige Crates and a Battle Crate.
Rainbow Six goes to the land Down Under for Operation Burnt Horizon. Protection specialists with the SASR Mobility Platoon, Gridlock and Mozzie are assigned protection detail for a high-value convoy across sunburnt country. An unscheduled pit stop at a lonely petrol station turns into a standoff when their convoy is unexpectedly pinned down. Discover the new Outback service station map, where the red desert brings plenty of heat. Find more details in the full Patch Notes below, as well as many gameplay fixes implemented this Season.
2 NEW OPERATORS
GRIDLOCK
The Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) Mobility Platoon recognized Gridlock’s leadership qualities and mechanical prowess right away. With an airplane mechanic father and raised on a cattle farm where something always needed fixing, Gridlock found her calling in repairing engines. She’s a get things done person, who doesn’t shy away from hard work. Her skills don’t end there. She has expertise in a range of weapons and close protection duties, and has the ability to adapt to unexpected situations. Thanks to her engineering expertise, she received the National Emergency Medal for saving firefighters during the Esperance bushfires. When the stakes are high, she’s calm and collected. Her dry wit and patience makes her about the only one able to handle her Aussie cohort, Mozzie.
UNIQUE ABILITY GADGET: TRAX STINGERS
Working in the SASR’s Mobility Troop Gridlock devised the Trax Stingers. A variation of road spikes, they aren’t just about stopping vehicles. Trax’s design is a portable version that when activated, deploys a hexagonal cluster of spikes. These Trax Stingers cover uneven ground better than a straight mat. Once deployed they can replicate and spread out over a large area. This feature, unique for an Attacker, enables them to use the Trax as an obstacle to reshape the map and control an area. Effects on the enemy include slowing them down and causing damage when stepped on. Trax Stingers will be destroyed when shot or dealt impact or thermal damage.
MOZZIE
Mozzie is a daredevil and fearless member of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) Mobility Platoon. He excels in protection detail and reconnaissance operations, specializing in off-road driving and quick thinking. From an early age, he’s been racing bikes and building robots. Mozzie catches many people off-guard with his charm. He is clever and unconventional, and this can attract both the praise and wrath of his superiors. He and Gridlock have been friends and partners for many years. This partnership was put to the test when they were deployed together during the Esperance bushfires. Mozzie received the National Emergency Medal alongside Gridlock for saving firefighters during this operation.
UNIQUE ABILITY GADGET: PEST LAUNCHER
Mozzie’s Launcher is like no other. Pests are tiny 4-legged bots that can be used to target a single drone, or deployed into an area to prevent access by a drone. When launched, the Pest latches onto the nearest enemy drone and obscures its camera. It then initiates an override sequence to hack the drone and give control to Mozzie. Counter-intelligence is enabled with no risk of a counter hack. Single-use only, Pests self-destruct by dissolving into thin air once their target is in Mozzie’s control. Attackers are notified when their drones are nearing a deployed Pest. Once aware of the Pest, Attackers need to think carefully: should they risk giving their drone to Defenders, or retreat and lose potential intel?
NEW MAP: OUTBACK
Welcome to the Outback! This map kicks dust in your eyes in its homage to all the lonely service stations and motels along the forgotten highways that cross Australia’s desert. Fan favourites Oregon and Clubhouse were the inspiration when designing the 21st map of the game.
The map is divided into three distinct sections – the Garage, the Motel, and the Restaurant – with much effort put into ensuring each section is recognisable, even from a distance.
The focus returns to a style of gameplay that players have enjoyed in the past. There’s only one door between each of the sections but roamers can create new paths by destroying walls, and there’s always the option of changing floors as a flanking strategy. It’s a medium-sized map, so players won’t need to go far to find alternative routes. Packed with twists, turns, and Australiana, Outback is filled with unexpected corners and souvenirs from the Great Southern Land.
Explore this map in Australia’s Red Heart on our test server and submit your feedback on R6 Fix.
The Rainbow Six Siege team is releasing a new Newcomer playlist and offering updates to the Casual playlist.
First off, we are releasing a new multiplayer playlist for players under level 50, called the Newcomer playlist, to help them learn the basics of Rainbow Six Siege. They will play the Bomb mode of classic maps most representative of the game’s core gameplay, namely Chalet, Bank, and Consulate. Attackers will vote for a team spawn point while on the Defenders’ side, the bomb sites will be automatically pre-selected by the game.
The Casual playlist will now improve the flow between the Newcomer and Ranked playlists. There are three key updates. First, the Defenders will know which bomb sites are selected before choosing their Operator. Second, the Attackers will now choose their individual spawn points. Third, the Action phase now lasts 3:30, allowing for an intermediary step between Newcomer and Ranked.
Finally, in order to stabilise the Ranked gameplay experience, the required minimum level has been raised to 30. This is meant to encourage beginners to take their time and learn the game before engaging in Ranked play.
HIBANA ELITE SET
We are sharing the teachings of the Japanese martial art Kyudo with this elite set. Operator Hibana knows better than most that learning a martial art takes a lifetime to master. Embodying precision and beauty, Elite Hibana proudly wears the Onkochishin uniform, along with the following: Victory animation, operator card, gadget skin for X-Kairos, and weapon skin for the Type-89, SUPERNOVA, P229 and BEARING-9. She’ll also have the Elite Hibana Chibi charm.
This set will be available with Operation Burnt Horizon.
BURNT HORIZON WEAPON SKINS
Operation Burnt Horizon features a series of iconic themes of the land Down Under. From traditional aesthetics to sand, sea and surf, these skins evoke the fun and wild atmosphere of Australia.
This seasons weapon skins include the scaly freshwater Crocodylus, dangerous Ocean’s Teeth and finally hit the surf with Board Cove.
Seasonal weapon skins are released upon season launch and can purchased during that season. Once unlocked, the seasonal weapon skins can be applied to all available weapons and will remain in the player’s inventory.
YEAR 4 SEASON PASS
We are thrilled to launch another year of Rainbow Six Siege content with our Year 4 Pass. Your continuous support is essential as it drives us forward, and ensures our longevity.
As a thank you gift to Year 3 Pass owners who renew their Pass for Year 4, we offer 600 additional R6 Credits. Follow the link below for a detailed list of everything included in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege Year 4 Season Pass.
Find the Contents of the Year 4 Season Pass here[rainbow6.ubisoft.com].
OPERATOR BALANCING
ASH Removed ACOG from R4-C
LESION Reducing Gu Mine damage per tick from 8 to 4
MAVERICK Increase swap time between SURI Torch and weapons
DOKKAEBI After 18 seconds, phone calls from Dokkaebi will hang up on their own Being in range of Mute jammers will prevent Dokkaebi from calling you Walking into range of Mute jammers will hang up phone calls during the call
CAPITAO Increasing area of effect size Reducing damage per tick from 19 to 12
CLASH Removing Muzzle Brake on Machine Pistol
GENERAL TWEAKS & IMPROVEMENTS
GAME BALANCING
BREACHING CHARGES Deployment animation is much faster Damage on Attacker’s side is reduced from 150 to 50 Damage area of effect on Defender side is increased Lethal damage area of effect on Defender side is reduced We wanted to make the breach charge safer and more comfortable for the attackers to use.
CROUCH AND LEAN SPAM We have identified a way to have a substantial impact on the viability of spamming crouch and lean commands. Currently, player animations allow players to snap from left to right lean, as well as crouching, without going through the full animation for that action. We will deploy a fix that prevents this from being exploitable in Y4S1.
We will continue to monitor the situation following the deployment of this fix, and take necessary steps should it not have the desired outcome.
PLAYER COMFORT
ADVANCED DEPLOYMENT We will be testing a switch to Advanced Gadget Deployment for all players. We feel very strongly that Advanced Gadget Deployment is the proper way to play Rainbow Six Siege, as it allows for more control over your Operator, as well as increased fluidity.
As always, we will be monitoring feedback on the Test Server, so please let us know what you think about this feature!
GAME HEALTH
SHIELD OPERATOR ROTATION When Shield Operators turn in place, there is a slight delay before the shield and upper body snap to align with the legs. This can cause a mismatch between first and third person perspectives. We are deploying a change that will make this left and right motion more fluid, and ensure that first and third person perspectives are aligned.
MMR ROLLBACK With the launch of Y4S1, we will be activating the Match Making and Rating (MMR) Roll Back feature. When a cheater is banned, this feature will roll back MMR gains and losses for all players from matches that the banned cheater participated in for that Season. The system will not grant you MMR beyond your max MMR for the current Season.
PLAYLIST CHANGES
NEWCOMER PLAYLIST MAP POOL -Bank -Consulate -Chalet
RANKED PLAYLIST MAP POOL -Bank -Clubhouse -Oregon -Kafe -Consulate -Chalet -Border -Coastline -Skyscraper -Villa -Hereford -Theme Park -Fortress -Outback
Fixed – Bulletproof cameras can no longer be deployed underneath a Welcome Mat to make it impervious to bullets. Fixed – Bulletproof camera is not destroyed if it is placed underneath electrified barbed wire. Fixed – Drone destruction sound effects can be heard clearly through floors. Fixed – Ambient sound is louder than intended. Fixed – The swapping animation from a gun to a primary gadget can be skipped. Fixed – ACOG on the M249 does not accurately show where bullets will land. Fixed – Spamming the crouch button will lead to cases where the 1st person view is granted before the model is visible from another point of view. Fixed – Frag grenades do not always destroy a barricade near it. Fixed – Nitro cell damage was not reliable when placed on certain objects across all maps.
OPERATORS
SHIELD OPERATORS
Fixed – Guard break animation is not present in kill cam replays if the shield Operator is in motion. Fixed – Shield Operators crouching and leaning clip through their shield and can be damaged through it. Fixed – Legs of all shielded operators are clipping through the ballistic shield while in prone. Fixed – Sometimes Guard Break is cancelled when a player shoots the shield and melee’s at the same time. Fixed – The guard break animation displays incorrect behaviour when the shield Operator leans to the side. Fixed – The kill cam does not show the meleed stance for shield Operators.
CAVEIRA Fixed – Silent Step’s lowered stance is not replicated in first person. Fixed – Attackers are immune to Luison’s damage for a few seconds if Caveira cancels the interrogation and shoots that attacker.
NOMAD Fixed – Audio cue for Airjab detonation does not always play properly. Fixed – No sound when Nomad’s Airjab becomes active.
FUZE Fixed – When deploying in player’s blind spot, Cluster Charges will have a delayed explosion effect.
ECHO Fixed – Yokai’s attack lowers FPS when the Operator is near the effect. Fixed – When using advanced deployment, camera position returns to default for Yokai drones after following specific steps.
HIBANA Fixed – The X-KAIROS pellets positioning is unreliable.
CAPITAO Fixed – Capitao’s asphyxiating bolts can go through Mira’s Black Mirror and kill Operators on the other side.
LEVEL DESIGN BORDER
Fixed – Explosion sounds are muffled in 2F Security Room when listening from 2F Armory Lockers.
HEREFORD Fixed – Spamming crouch allow a player to vault through the floor.
CONSULATE Fixed – Drones can clip through a wall to provide an advantage to Attackers. FORTRESS Fixed – Players can use a ledge outside to get inside the courtyard.
THEME PARK Fixed – The Defuser will remain stuck if dropped in the bush on the corner of the EXT Cafe Terrace with 2F Cafe. GAME MODES
CASTER CAMERA Fixed – Appearance for various objects while using the caster camera.
USER EXPERIENCE Fixed – 2-0x0000C004 Session_Not_Found Error when accepting squad invite. Fixed – Player receives friendly fire message when using Evil Eye to shoot another Evil Eye. Fixed – Elite Mute – SMG-11 is missing Mute Elite’s Royal Fusiliers Fixed – Missing promote/demote animation in the result screen at the end of Ranked matches. Fixed – MMR points appear as if added from zero at the end of a Ranked match.
