Yes, Rainbow Six Siege is Absolutely Still Worth Playing in 2026

Rainbow Six Siege first released in 2015 as the latest entry in Ubisoft‘s tactical shooter franchise. Over 7 years later, Siege has evolved into one of the most thrilling and competitive FPS games out there.

Even in 2022, Rainbow Six Siege remains hugely popular thanks to its high-skill gameplay, constant content updates, and thriving esports scene. It‘s absolutely still worth getting into today.

As someone who has played Siege religiously since the closed beta tests, I can confidently say it‘s the most unique and engaging multiplayer shooter I’ve experienced. Here’s a detailed look at why you should give Siege a shot in 2022.

A Brief History of Rainbow Six Siege

Let‘s quickly go over Siege‘s development background for some context. Early footage prior to release showcased a more story-driven co-op focus. However, Ubisoft pivoted to create a multiplayer-centric competitive shooter.

Rainbow Six Siege launched in December 2015 to a lukewarm reception. Reviewers praised the tactical gameplay but criticized the lack of content and technical issues.

Despite this rocky start, Ubisoft stuck with their vision. They continuously improved Siege with major seasonal updates adding new operators, maps, cosmetics, and features.

This consistent support earned back players over the years. In 2022, Rainbow Six Siege has over 85 million registered players and peaks at 170k+ concurrent players on Steam. Total revenue has surpassed $2 billion. Siege has clearly exceeded expectations.

Yes, There‘s a Steep Learning Curve…But It‘s Worth It

I won‘t sugarcoat it – Rainbow Six Siege has a pretty steep learning curve, especially for new players. There are over 60 operators to learn, each with unique gadgets and weapons. The destruction creates an infinite number of angles and flank routes. The tight spaces require precise positioning and crosshair placement.

When I first started, I would get destroyed round after round, barely able to get a single kill. It can be intimidating at first.

Here are some tips to help you on the path to becoming an expert Siege player:

• Play the situations – The PvE situations are the perfect way to ease into the game mechanics against bots. They teach the basics like hostage rescue, bomb defusal, camera usage, breaching etc.

• Find your main operators – Try out different operators during situations to find 2-3 that fit your playstyle on both sides. Mastering an operator early helps immensely.

• Learn the maps – Download the phone companion app which includes 2D maps with camera locations. Study these and run a custom game to explore the environments and destruction.

• Use sound – Sound cues are crucial in Siege, especially as a new player. Use headphones and listen for footsteps, gadget deployment, etc.

Despite the initial struggle, mastering Siege provides an incredible sense of accomplishment. The high-skill ceiling means there‘s always something new to learn even after thousands of hours. That‘s what keeps our community engaged year after year.

Siege is Constantly Improving with New Content

What truly sets Rainbow Six Siege apart in the FPS genre is the constant stream of new content added through seasonal updates. Ubisoft releases 4 major updates each year that includes:

• New operators – 2 new operators every season diversify gameplay with unique gadgets and weapons. There are over 60 operators now.

• Map reworks – Existing maps get visual overhauls and balance changes to keep them fresh. Reworked maps in Y7 include Bank, Border and Clubhouse.

• Limited-time events – Ubisoft creates fun casual modes for events like Containment (alien zombies), Doktor‘s Curse (Halloween), Rainbow is Magic (pink teddy bear chaos) etc.

• Battle passes – The new battle pass system lets players earn cosmetics by completing challenges and playing regularly.

This constant flow of new content at no additional cost is incredible. It ensures no two seasons ever feel the same and keeps gameplay exciting.

Rainbow Six Esports Continues to Grow

Beyond the base game updates, the growth of Rainbow Six as an esport has kept the game culturally relevant. Events like the Six Invitational 2022 broke viewership records with over 800k peak viewers.

Region	League	Teams
North America	NAL	10
Europe	EUL	10
Latin America	BR6	8
Asia Pacific	APAC	8

Siege esports features four major regional leagues with over 30 pro teams. The rivalries, storylines and high-level gameplay make for an engaging viewing experience.

Watching the strategies and coordination of pro teams will quickly improve your own gameplay. You get exposed to operator compositions, site setups, flank watch patterns and more.

The Core Gameplay Is Still Unparalleled

Underlying all the new operators, maps and progression systems is an incredibly nuanced tactical shooter. The fundamentals of Siege‘s gameplay remain unmatched even 7 years later.

Some key elements that set Siege apart:

• Destruction – Blowing open walls, floors and ceilings completely transforms the battlefield. environmental destruction creates new angles, lines of sight and paths every round.

• Operators – Choosing from over 60 operators with unique gadgets and weapons adds tremendous variety. There are so many effective team compositions.

• Close Quarters – Unlike most shooters, firefights happen at very close ranges. This amps up the tension and makes precision essential.

• Tactical Depth – Between drone scouting, operator abilities, destruction and tight spaces, every match plays out as a thrilling game of chess.

No other competitive shooter blends destructible environments, unique operators and close-quarters battle quite like Siege. This creates unparalleled emergent gameplay moments round after round.

Ubisoft‘s Support Has Led to a Massive Playerbase

Thanks to Ubisoft‘s long-term vision and updates, Rainbow Six Siege has amassed a huge community 7 years after launch. Some playerbase stats:

• Over 85 million registered players
• 170k+ concurrent players on Steam
• 5 million monthly active users

Having an active community is essential for any multiplayer game‘s longevity. There are always full lobbies no matter your region or skill level. Finding teammates is easy with millions of other players.

The future also looks bright. Ubisoft has stated they plan to support Siege for at least 10 years. We still likely have 3+ years of new content on the horizon!

Newcomer-Friendly Improvements Make It Accessible

Although the learning curve is steep, Ubisoft has made strides to ease new players into Siege:

• Situations – These PvE missions teach you mechanics, operators, destruction and more. I recommend completing all 20.

• Newcomer playlist – This playlist is exclusively for players under level 50 to avoid smurfs.

• Battle pass – The revamped progression system rewards playing regularly, great for motivation.

• Bundles – You can purchase bundles of multiple operators to quickly build your roster.

Between the improved tutorialization and welcoming community, new players have all the resources needed to catch up and compete.

How Siege Compares to Other Major FPS Games

To understand Siege‘s place in the FPS genre, let‘s compare it to some other heavy hitters:

Vs. CS:GO – Siege has more operator variety and dynamic environments compared to CS:GO‘s rigid roles and static maps. Matches evolve far more based on destruction.

Vs. Valorant – Both games have unique agent abilities, but Siege‘s destructibility creates more tactical opportunity and variation from Valorant‘s pre-set utility.

Vs. Call of Duty – CoD focuses on pure mechanical gunplay unlike Siege‘s ability usage and coordinated execution. Siege also has a much higher skill ceiling.

Vs. Overwatch – While both feature diverse characters, Siege boasts large-scale environmental destruction that Overwatch lacks. Siege also emphasizes gunplay over abilities.

This diversity of gameplay styles is ultimately what gives Siege such wide appeal across FPS fans. It strikes the perfect balance between tactical and aggressive gameplay.

Ubisoft Uses a Fair Monetization Model

Unlike many popular free-to-play shooters, Rainbow Six Siege uses a buy-to-play model with optional cosmetic microtransactions. This is one of the fairest monetization systems out there.

• Buy once, unlock everything – Only need to buy the base game to unlock all current and future gameplay content. No pay-to-win unlocks.

• No loot boxes – All cosmetics can be directly purchased rather than relying on RNG loot boxes.

• Free battle pass – The free battle pass track still rewards you with some cosmetics. Premium just gives access to more.

• Regional pricing – The game sees heavy discounts in certain regions making it highly accessible. Siege frequently goes on sale for as low as $8.

Considering the hundreds or even thousands of hours of entertainment Siege provides, a single $20 purchase is more than reasonable compared to free-to-play models. The fair monetization ensures everyone is on equal footing.

Rainbow Six Siege is Absolutely Worth Playing in 2022

So in summary, is Rainbow Six Siege still worth playing in 2022? Absolutely.

For a competitive shooter 7 years into its lifespan, Siege has incredibly engaging gameplay, a welcoming community, exciting esports scene, and seemingly endless content updates from Ubisoft.

Despite the difficulty curve, becoming skilled at Siege provides a sense of mastery and achievement like no other FPS. The high-stakes tactical combat keeps your heart racing round after round.

Between the destruction, operators, ranked progression, events and quick matchmaking, no session ever feels the same. Even after thousands of hours, there are always new tactics and strategies to discover.

For only $20, no other shooter offers as much replayability and entertainment value as Siege does. If you enjoy FPS games, outsmarting opponents, and playing competitively, Siege belongs in your library.

To any FPS fan who‘s on the fence, I highly recommend jumping in now in 2022. Join our welcoming community, find teammates and start mastering all the intricacies that makes Siege so special in the genre. I‘ll see you in game!