Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 Season 4.2 Update Brings Major Operator Changes
Ubisoft has unveiled the Year 9 Season 4.2 Designer Notes, detailing significant Operator and weapon balancing updates. These adjustments aim to enhance strategic diversity, balance gameplay, and refine the roles of specific Operators.
Year 9 Season 4.2 promises to bring new changes to the Operator roster. Image Source: UbisoftHere's a breakdown of the major changes:
Operator Balancing
Buck: Focus on Soft Breaching
Buck's versatility as a soft breacher is key to his role, but the inclusion of Hard Breach Charges gave him too much flexibility, diminishing team reliance. To address this, Ubisoft has:
- Removed Hard Breach Charges from his loadout.
- Added Claymores, allowing Buck to secure entry points and counter flanking roamers more effectively.
These changes encourage Buck to focus on his primary role while increasing team cooperation.
Kapkan: Reduced Lethality
Kapkan's explosive traps (EDD) already provide significant lethality. To balance his utility, Ubisoft has:
- Replaced Nitro Cell with Barbed Wire, shifting his focus to area denial.
- Barbed Wire will help delay attackers and funnel them into EDD traps, enhancing Kapkan's strategic impact without increasing his kill potential.
Lesion: Controlled Map Pressure
Lesion's GU Mines provide substantial map control early in the game. To reduce their overwhelming influence, the following changes have been made:
- Maximum GU Mines reduced to 8 (from 9).
- Refill time increased to 30 seconds (from 25 seconds).
These adjustments encourage more strategic mine placement, giving attackers greater freedom to maneuver while maintaining Lesion’s role as a disruptor.
Oryx: Enhanced Mobility
Oryx's Remah Dash is his signature ability, but its long recovery times made him vulnerable. To improve his effectiveness:
- Weapon recovery times have been reduced:
- After a regular dash: 0.2 seconds (from 0.5).
- After dashing into a wall: 0.3 seconds (from 0.5).
- After dashing into an enemy: 0.1 seconds (from 0.5).
These changes, paired with the buffed SPAS-12 shotgun, make Oryx more agile and capable of capitalizing on his aggressive playstyle.
Ram: Refined Role
Ram’s BU-GI Auto Breacher excels at widespread destruction. To emphasize her role as a high-risk, high-reward soft breacher:
- ITA12S secondary shotgun has been removed from her loadout.
This ensures Ram focuses on large-scale destruction, leaving precision breaching to other operators.
Sledge: Increased Mobility
Sledge is a cornerstone of the soft-breach ecosystem but required adjustments to keep pace with meta changes. His base stats have been updated:
- Speed increased to 2 (from 1).
- Health reduced to 2 (from 3).
This change enhances his ability to rotate quickly, making him more versatile in dynamic situations.
Weapon Balancing
Slug Shotguns: Adjusted Lethality
Slug Shotguns, including the BOSG.12.2 and TCSG12, previously performed too well at long range. To balance their role between shotguns and DMRs:
- Damage drop-off starts at 15 meters (from 25 meters).
- Damage drop-off ends at 25 meters (from 35 meters).
- Maximum range damage reduced to 60% (from 70%).
- Destruction range reduced, limiting their environmental impact.
This adjustment affects several Operators, including Alibi, Azami, Goyo, Kaid, Maestro, Vigil, and Deimos (only destruction changes applicable for Deimos).
G36C: Improved Recoil
The G36C’s recoil had been increased in Y8S4.2, leading to a drop in its popularity, particularly for Ash. The new update introduces a middle-ground adjustment:
- Reduced vertical and horizontal recoil, improving usability for both Ash and Iana.
TCSG12: Increased Base Damage
The TCSG12 shotgun has performed well but required tweaks due to the overall Slug Shotgun adjustments:
- Base damage increased to 75 HP (from 63 HP).
This ensures its long-range lethality remains competitive while aligning with the revised slug shotgun mechanics.
By refining roles, adjusting lethality, and enhancing mobility, these updates promise a more balanced and engaging experience for players. Stay tuned for further developments as the update rolls out!
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Featured Image Source: Ubisoft/Valve
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