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A beginners' guide to Rainbow Six Siege

Home to a dedicated community of millions, Ubisoft's acclaimed tactical shooter is one of the most finely honed online multiplayer environments on PS4 and PS5 consoles. If you’ve never played, your time is now – let us show you how. 

First things first…

What is Rainbow Six Siege?

At its heart, Rainbow Six Siege is a high-precision, tactical shooter that prioritises careful planning teamwork and finely tuned tactical play. 

Since its release in 2015, the game has radically expanded, adding extra maps, new operators, weapons, and themed seasonal events.

The game has even undergone major technical overhauls, allowing for more diverse character designs. 

Won't I be out of my depth?

Let’s be real, Siege has a high skill ceiling – top level play is tough – but for newcomers it’s no more demanding than any other game, so don’t sweat it.

If you’ve played an FPS in the past decade, you’ll already have the basics down. Beyond that, you’ll learn by doing. Experiment with Operators, weapon loadouts, gadgets, and game modes to get a feel for your own style of play.

Cut your teeth in the Newcomer playlist, go-up against others at your level, and see just how fast you outgrow it. 

Covering the basics

Modes

The game is split into two central pillars: PvE and PvP. Whichever you choose to start with, there are a few basics you’ll need to wrap your head around.

PvE is split across two distinct modes: ‘Situations’, where you hone your skills in live-fire exercises, and ‘Terrorist Hunt’ where you team up with friends to neutralise AI-controlled targets and defuse high-threat situations.

PvP is built on tactical 5-v-5 team play and is spread across a range of scenarios wherein Red and Blue Team go up against one another to defuse bombs, rescue hostages, or secure key locations. 

Attack and defence

All playable Operators are divided into one of two categories: Attackers and Defenders - each has a role to play and you’ll need to understand both.

Attackers, as the name suggests, are the siege force, charged with breaching, clearing, and securing the objective. Their gadgets are tuned to this effect, including a ready supply of ballistics, reconnaissance equipment, and crowd control weaponry. 

Defenders must withhold the objective, reinforcing the building’s entrances and fortifying key locations throughout the map. Again, their gadgets include armour and medic abilities to keep allies standing, and intel gathering & denial devices to block enemy reconnaissance.

Which Operator should I start with?

That depends on how you play. Do you prefer an armoured juggernaut or a spry tactician? Do you like to attack or defend? Start with these questions and work from there.

All Operators have a balance between armour and agility – the more you have of one, the less you’ll have of the other. And every gadget is unique to the Operator: remote drones for scouting, resuscitation aids to revive your comrades, or a hulking sledgehammer to stove in doors…

Experiment with gadgets, customize weapons, and find out what suits you; the roster is only getting bigger, so whatever your style there is an Operator to suit you.

Mastering your environment

Rainbow Six Siege boasts a huge range of maps and no two are quite alike, varying in scale, design, location, and time of day. From picturesque suburban homes to besieged consulates, every location offers a different challenge.

Making an entrance

Besides their intricate design, tactics are mixed up further by the game’s destructible environments. Entire walls and floors can be torn out by ballistics, smashed through with sledgehammers or pitted with peepholes by gunfire. There are very few places you’ll be truly safe and little chance you’ll ever experience the same map the same way twice. 

Digging in

Defenders are equipped with blast-proof shutters that can be deployed at will to reinforce doors, walls, windows, and hatches. If you’re on the attacking team, don’t be surprised if you find your favourite breach point blocked by a bulletproof bulwark.

From above or below

Almost every location has multiple points of access and egress, allowing attackers to sneak in via basements and hatches, or repel down from rooftops before kicking in windows or skylights. Surprise is a key weapon, so keep an eye on floors and ceilings.

Securing your objectives

In PvP play your team must complete one of three objectives to take the match, each with specific parameters.

Hostage Rescue

The attacking team is charged with entering the area and securing a single hostage who must be escorted out of range. The defenders must prevent the rescue without killing the hostage – if the hostage dies, the side responsible loses.

Bomb Defusal

A member of the attacking team is assigned a bomb defusal kit which they must plant on one of two objectives hidden within the map. Once planted, they must defend it until the defusal is complete. The defending team must stop them by fortifying the objective, neutralising the opposition or neutralising the defusal kit carrier.

Secure Area

The attacking team must locate and occupy a specific room within the map and hold it for a fixed amount of time. The defending team must obstruct them, either by fortifying the area or neutralising their opponents before the time is up.

Earning Renown and expanding your roster

Rainbow Six Siege is designed to expand as you play, rewarding success with new opportunities, equipment, and Operators.

Renown

You’ll earn Renown for just about everything you do in Rainbow Six Siege, from completing your basic training to taking down the best players in intense ranked matches. Renown works as a universal currency allowing you to expand and customise your roster, buying new weapons and attachments, cosmetic skins, or unlocking additional Operators.

R6 Credits

If you’re looking to get ahead, you can also purchase a premium currency from the in-game store, known as R6 Credits. Not only do these allow you to purchase a select range of premium weapon skins, they also let you buy Renown Boosters that fast track your progress or unlock new Operators.

Battle Passes

New content can be earned every season with Battle Passes. You'll automatically earn rewards from the free track of the Battle Pass each season - or you can unlock additional premium track, including that season's operator by upgrading to the premium track.

You can purchase the premium track with R6 Credits by clicking the Battle Pass tile on the Home Screen.

Tips for your first few hours

1. Keep an open mind

Every location has dozens of viable approaches, each favouring certain playstyles, so don’t lock yourself into repetitive patterns. Between the huge variety of Operators and the layered, destructible environments, one of your best weapons is creativity.

2. Communicate with your team

Siege places a strong emphasis on team play. Attempting to play the lone wolf will make life harder than it needs to be. Collaborate with teammates to surround the opposition and pull off clean, decisive operations.

3. Adapt your loadout

All your weapons and gadgets can be tweaked to suit your playstyle. Experiment with your gear and optimize your loadout as you go.

4. Stay flexible and responsive

Even a well-prepared strategy can go awry. Think on your feet and be prepared to respond quickly rather than doubling down. Some of your best plays will be the ones that came to you in a mad flash.

BUY DIGITAL

Available on PlayStation Store

Editions:

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Siege - Elite Edition
PS4PS5
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
  • Unranked mode
  • Quick Match mode
  • Dual Front mode (PS5 only)
  • Ranked playlist & Siege Cup access
  • A starting selection of Operators
  • 16 additional Operators from Year 1-2
Ultimate Edition
PS4PS5
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X
  • - Standard Mode
  • - Quick Play Mode
  • - Dual Front Mode (PS5 only)
  • Ranked games & Siege Cup mode
  • A selection of Operators
  • 52 Operators from Years 1-9
  • Disruptor Pack

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Platform:
PS5
Release:
10/6/2025
Publisher:
Ubisoft
Genres:
Shooter, Action
Voice:
English, French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Spanish (Mexico)
Screen Languages:
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Dutch, English, French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Spanish (Mexico), Thai, Turkish
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