Rainbow Six Siege at 11: Solid Snake, a Shield-Breaking Defender and Life After Siege X
Ubisoft's tactical shooter went free to play, briefly changed its name, added Metal Gear's most famous soldier and a new Egyptian defender. Here is how Siege's eleventh year has gone and what is coming next.
When Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege launched on December 1, 2015, it looked like a miss. It debuted at number six in the UK charts with about 76,000 retail copies across three platforms, and critics called the launch underwhelming. Then something unusual happened: players kept coming. By August 2017 it had 20 million players, by February 2019 45 million, and by December 2020 more than 70 million.
Eleven years on, Ubisoft Montreal's shooter is still evolving. In June 2025 it relaunched as Siege X with free access. In 2026 it dropped the X again, added Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, introduced a new shield-countering defender called Noor and promised a return to brand-new operators every season from Year 12.
Siege X: the free-to-play turn
On June 10, 2025, Ubisoft launched Siege X, the biggest update in the game's history, as a free upgrade for existing owners. The headline change was free access: anyone could play Quick Match, Unranked and a new mode called Dual Front with a selection of operators, without paying. Ranked play, the Siege Cup and the full operator roster still require a purchase.
Siege X also brought an audio overhaul, new rappel movement, modernised maps and more destructible elements. Dual Front, a permanent 6v6 mode on current-generation consoles and PC, was its biggest gameplay experiment.
Not everything lasted. Dual Front ended with Year 11 Season 1 and was removed, and the game's name returned to plain Rainbow Six Siege in March 2026.
Year 11 Season 1: Snake in the walls
Ubisoft revealed its Year 11 plans at the Six Invitational in February 2026. Season 1, Operation Silent Hunt, launched on March 3, 2026 with a crossover few saw coming: Solid Snake, the hero of Konami's Metal Gear Solid, joined as a permanent operator. He carries a new intel-gathering gadget and the suppressed TACIT .45 pistol, and his longtime voice actor David Hayter recorded new lines. A limited-time "Redacted" event added a 4v4 infiltration mode and Metal Gear-themed cosmetics.
A week before Silent Hunt, on February 23, Ubisoft also launched Rainbow Six Mobile on iOS and Android.
Season 3: Noor and Legend Division
Operation Split Fire, Year 11's third season, launched on September 1, 2026. Its new defender, Noor, is Egyptian and carries the Horus Lance Launcher, a gadget designed to counter shield-carrying attackers, a long-standing frustration for defenders. She can carry a Commando 9 or Alda 5.56 as her primary weapon.
Split Fire also added a faster 3v3 Arcade mode, reworked the Villa map by moving one objective site to the basement, and introduced the Legend Division, a ranked playlist for players who have already reached Champion. Entry requires Ubisoft's ShieldGuard anti-cheat verification and two-factor authentication. Seasonal events included Wasteland Circuit, which turned drones into racing cars, and the return of the Halloween event Doktor's Curse.
What comes next
According to Ubisoft's roadmap, Year 11's fourth season is set to bring a Social Hub with cross-platform squad tools. Further out, Ubisoft announced at the 2026 Six Invitational that from Year 12 it will return to one brand-new operator every season, four a year, after a stretch focused on remastering older characters. Remasters end after Year 11.
Why it matters
Siege is proof that a slow start does not have to be the end. It has outlived most of its 2015 competitors by reinventing itself every few years, and its 2026 changes show a game still willing to experiment, from a crossover with one of gaming's most famous stealth heroes to a ranked tier gated behind anti-cheat checks. With free access, there has never been a cheaper time to try it.
For the wider shooter landscape in 2026, see our Overwatch vs Marvel Rivals long read and our Apex Legends Season 31 story.