Rainbow Six Siege’s Chimera update shows that Ubisoft still have plenty of ideas

The third year of post-release Rainbow Six Siege content is nearly here with the Chimera update, and it shows that Ubisoft are still happy to experiment with their shooter, making several bold additions with new operators Lion and Finka.

The two new operators belong to a bio-containment outfit that is the main focus of the Chimera update, and are both attackers. The addition of the pair shows that Ubisoft still have plenty of ideas when it comes to post-game content, and they aren’t afraid to take bold steps with the game.

Their work is impressive. Rainbow Six Siege has grown from the 20 operators that accompanied the game at launch to 36, with Lion and Finka bringing the total to 38. Each Rainbow Six Siege update brings its own unique flavour to the game, emphasising different strategies and ways to play. Chimera’s focus seems to be on global abilities, with Lion and Finka both empowering their team in different ways.

Lion brings a pet drone when he’s picked, which floats above the map, and when activated it starts a three second countdown that’s visible to every player. When the countdown hits zero, the drone activates and any defenders that move for the next couple of seconds anywhere on the map will have their full outline revealed to attackers. In a game where most walls can be shot through, this is tremendously powerful, although it can only be used three times in a round. For the attackers, this allows you to make bold moves without worrying about roamers.

Finka’s ability is less obviously powerful, but has a lot of tactical utility: when activated she gives every attacker a temporary health boost which provides some extra padding from gunshots, explosives and accidental fall damage. This can be used to help your team assault a room, or even to revive players that are down but not out, bringing them back into the fight.

Ubisoft’s commitment to the game, monetising it largely through cosmetic purchases and a yearly season pass that sells for somewhere in the region of £40. It’s a roaring success for hte world of games as a service, and shows why the game just keeps growing, with more and more players getting involved with the game with every update.

Chimera hits Siege’s live servers on March 6, with six more operators appearing throughout the year. The operators are available for free for those who have purchased Siege’s Year 3 season pass, and season pass owners get exclusive access for the first seven days.