Rainbow Six Siege Update Brings Changes to Operators and Gadgets, Fans Seem Excited
Ubisoft has released a new update for Rainbow Six Siege which is mainly focused on changes to the operator Skopós and several gameplay adjustments. According to information on the official Ubisoft site, the update aims to improve movement, balance, and the overall flow of matches, especially for players who prefer aggressive, roaming playstyles.
The biggest change is the redesign of Skopós. She is now a fast but fragile operator, rated as 3-speed and 1-health. This means now she can move quickly and react faster, but she can also be taken down more easily if players are careless. To support this faster style of play, the time needed for her shell transfer and activation has been reduced to 1.3 seconds.
Y11S1 DESIGNER'S NOTES ➕ Test Server Live Now!
🔫 F2 receiving all grips
🛡️ Ballistic Shields losing barricade dash ability
💥 Skopós melee destruction upgrade & 3 speed
✅ And much more!Read them here 👇https://t.co/IOPZR34mI1 pic.twitter.com/KAUHMCm1bx
— Rainbow Six Siege (@Rainbow6Game) February 17, 2026
The cooldown for swapping shells has also been cut from 3 seconds to 0.5 seconds, making it easier to switch during fights. She also now has Aruni’s passive melee ability, which lets her punch holes in soft walls and create new paths for movement around the map.
The update also brings smaller changes to other operators and equipment. Twitch’s F2 rifle can now use vertical, angled, and horizontal grips, giving players better control over the weapon. Flores has received a new weapon option, the T-95 LSW light machine gun, which gives him more firepower in some situations. Observation Blockers now deploy in 1 second instead of 2.5 seconds, so players can place them faster during the preparation phase. Amaru now has five Garra Hook charges, giving her more chances to enter or move around buildings. Ela, Ying, and Alibi have also received longer gadget durations, so their abilities stay active for more time during engagements.
There is also a change affecting shield operators such as Montagne and Blitz. They can no longer dash through barricades that are still at full health. Players will now need to break or open these barricades first, which slows down quick shield pushes and gives defenders more time to react.
Public reaction on X (Twitter) to the announcement was full of excitement and opinions.
One user said they liked most of the changes and felt excited about the new year of Siege, but they were confused about giving Amaru an extra grapple hook, since many players do not even use two in a round.
Another user shared their own ideas to balance operators like Mira, Ash, and Ace, which shows that some players are thinking seriously about how the game can be improved.
At the same time, some reactions were very simple and enthusiastic, like the user who said they could not wait to try the update later, showing pure excitement.
Ubisoft has also explained its plan for future updates. The developers aim to release four updates each season, with two major updates and two smaller ones, roughly every three weeks. The team says it wants to focus less on heavy nerfs based only on data and more on changes that make each role feel fun and clear to play. For this season, the main focus is on improving the entry and roam style so that aggressive players can be effective while defensive roles remain important.
