Following the release of Operation Skull Rain last month, which introduced a new map and two new operators, Rainbow Six Siege is getting a substantial mid-season update this week. While the addition of two new gadgets and attachments are welcome, it's the tweaks to three existing operators that constitute the biggest shake-up to the game.
Twitch, Blackbeard and Doc have all been heavily modified, with two operator special abilities getting substantial buffs. It's not as simple as numbers, though: attacker Twitch will now be able to wield her shock drone during the prep phase of a round, and Doc can now use his stim pistol to overheal both himself and teammates. This works to a maximum of 120 HP, and decreases by one point every two seconds until it returns to 100.
On the other hand, Blackbeard has been tweaked downwards: noting that players were simply equipping his shield and leaving it up for the duration of a match, Ubisoft has added a second shield and dramatically lowered the HP on both from 800HP to 150HP, making for a less tanky character.
As far as the two new gadgets go, the Claymore mine is interesting: it will replace items for Thatcher, Twitch, Glaz and Thermite, and can be used to cover your back "while progressing forward, flanking, or when in a vulnerable positon like sniping or droning." Meanwhile, the impact grenade does what it says on the tin: it explodes on impact, and will be carried by Caveira, Castle, Smoke and Rook.
There's a long list of smaller changes, including Valkyrie now wielding three black eye cameras instead of four, and punishments for deliberate team killing will come swifter than before. For the full substantial documentation, head over here. It'll start rolling out on September 13.
