Rainbow Six Siege X Review: A New Era That Still Plays the Hits

Table of Contents

Key Highlights

Is Siege X replacing R6? No. Siege X is a major free update and rebrand of the same Rainbow Six Siege—your operators, skins, and progress carry over.
What is Siege X bringing? Free access (with mode limits), Dual Front 6v6 with respawns, audio/visual upgrades, advanced rappel, and new “destructible ingredients.”
Why is Siege 18+? Rated M (17+) by ESRB for violence, blood, strong language, and in-game purchases; PEGI 18 in Europe.
Rainbow Six Siege X Marketplace? Ubisoft’s official hub to buy/sell eligible cosmetics for R6 Credits (in-game currency).

What Siege X Actually Is (and Isn’t)

Let’s get this out of the way: Siege X is not a sequel—see Ubisoft’s official Siege X announcement. It’s Rainbow Six Siege entering year ten with a bold refresh: free access to core casual modes, a new 6v6 lane called Dual Front, and a slate of under-the-hood upgrades. Existing players keep everything; newcomers can try Siege’s tactical sauce without paying, then upgrade if they want Ranked and a deeper operator pool. It’s a smart way to lower the drawbridge without tearing down the castle.

Dual Front, Explained (the 6v6 curveball)

Dual Front is Siege at its most extroverted: two teams attack and defend simultaneously across the game’s largest map to date, with respawns that tilt the vibe from chess match to full-court press. Ubisoft rotates a curated operator roster for this mode each season to keep the learning curve and meta sane. It’s a legit palate cleanser between sweaty 5v5 Bomb nights—and a friendly on-ramp for fresh players.

High notes: bigger teamfights, constant pressure, wild gadget pairings (attackers and defenders on one squad).
Low notes: purists may miss the single-life tension; on giant maps, you can spend time roaming for the next fight.

Core Siege Still Slaps: Bomb, Operators, and the “Thinking Man’s” Gunfight

The 5v5 Bomb playlist remains Siege’s crown jewel: tight time-to-kill, leaning and pre-aim discipline, and those hush-before-the-breach moments that feel like holding your breath underwater. The ban phase and a huge operator roster still reward prep and team comp more than raw flicks. If you’re workshopping bans and comps, join my Rainbow Six Siege X Discord community for LFG, scrims, and meta chat. Newcomers get a better runway via Map Training—Landmark Drill and Target Drill—plus tutorials and a shooting range, making callouts and rotations less intimidating than they used to be.

What’s Actually New Under the Hood

Audio Overhaul: Reverb and propagation tweaks aim to improve directionality and distance cues—a big deal in a game where footstep intel wins rounds. Early community feedback is mixed, but Ubisoft has signaled ongoing tuning.
Advanced Rappel: You can sprint along walls and round corners mid-rappel, turning risky entries into kinetic flanks and letting attackers manage angle swaps without re-hooking. It meaningfully changes how you pressure windows and balconies.
Visual Modernization: Multiple legacy maps are refreshed with lighting and 4K texture upgrades, cleaning up readability and dark-corner cheese.
Destructible Ingredients: New environmental objects—gas pipes, fire extinguishers, metal detectors—add area denial, smoke, and audible tells that can flip site control and set plays. Think “mini-gadgets” built into the map.

Free Access, Progression & Ranked (What You Unlock—and When)

Free Access now grants Standard, Quick Play, and Dual Front, plus a selection of operators. Ranked and broader operator access unlock once you upgrade to a premium edition and reach Clearance Level 50 (2FA required). If you owned Siege pre-Siege X, you keep full mode access and your inventory, no new paywall added. It’s a hybrid model: generous trial, pay if you want the deep end.

Monetization, Cosmetics & the New Siege X Marketplace

Siege has long had a battle pass and premium skins—now it adds an official Marketplace where players can buy or sell eligible cosmetic items for R6 Credits. Practically, that means liquidating unused cosmetics or chasing a retired weapon skin without waiting on a store rotation. It’s Ubisoft-run (not gray-market trading), with standard listings and purchase flows.

On the broader cosmetic conversation: creative director Alex Karpazis acknowledged tensions between immersion and flashy crossovers (think The Boys, etc.) in a recent interview—Ubisoft says it’s exploring ideas like an “immersion mode,” though nothing’s final. Translation: expect the style mix to continue.

Performance & Feel

Between the cleaner visuals, audio rework, and slicker movement (vault momentum + rappel updates), Siege X feels more contemporary without losing that deliberate pacing that sets it apart from twitch shooters. It’s still high mental APM: drones, denial, vertical play, and timing beats. Think chess with C4—now with an extra lane for chaos if you want it.

Pros & Cons (Skimmable)

Pros

Free access lowers the barrier; veterans keep everything.
Dual Front adds a social, low-pressure arena to learn ops and gadgets.
Audio/visual and movement updates modernize the feel.
Official Marketplace finally legitimizes player-to-player cosmetic trades.

Cons

Audio mix is a work-in-progress for some players; expect tuning.
Dual Front’s respawns dilute single-life tension; huge maps can mean downtime.
Ranked access now sits behind both level and edition gates for new accounts.

Conclusion

Siege X is a measured reinvention: it doesn’t bulldoze the tactical foundation that made Siege special, but it does sand, polish, and extend it. Dual Front is messy fun—great for warming up or squad nights—while Bomb stays the prestige playlist where rounds turn on three steps and a soft wall. For lapsed players, this is the best time in years to come back. For newcomers, free access plus training drills mean the water’s warm—just, you know, watch for Kapkan wires. Swing by our Siege X community Discord —we share callouts, scrim sign-ups, and patch TL;DRs.

FAQ

Is Siege X replacing R6?

No. Siege X is a free overhaul and rebrand of Rainbow Six Siege. Your progression and items remain intact; owners retain full mode access.

What is Siege X bringing?

Dual Front (6v6 respawn), audio/visual upgrades, advanced rappel, new destructible objects, improved player protection, and free access with mode limits.

Why is Siege 18+?

In North America, Siege is ESRB M (17+) for violence, blood, strong language, and in-game purchases; Europe rates it PEGI 18 for realistic violence.

What is the Rainbow Six Siege X Marketplace?

Ubisoft’s official platform to buy or sell eligible cosmetics for R6 Credits, letting you move inventory or pick up older skins without relying on the rotating store.

admin-jeab