Rainbow Six Siege Y5S4 new Operator and map rework confirmed, full details

Everything coming to Siege in Year 5 Season 4.

Ubisoft have revealed their final Year 5 update for the hugely popular Tom Clancy shooter, Rainbow Six Siege.

Showcased during the November Six Major (which was originally meant to be hosted live in the Netherlands) Year 5 Season 4 (Y5S4) Operation: Neon Dawn is expected to launch this December with a new playable Operator, a new map rework, and other game-changing features.

A new teaser for this latest season update was made available ahead of the Y5S4 reveal and can be seen below.

New Operator: Aruni

Headlining Rainbow Six Siege Y5S4 is a new Thai Operator named Aruni. She’s a defender with medium speed and medium armour, her playstyle defined by the new Surya Gate gadget. This device can be thrown, covering windows, doors, and hatches with a Tron-like laser wall that will destroy any projectiles and drones that pass through it. The lasers will also inflict third degree burns on attacking Operators, biting into their health – defenders will be able to safely pass through, however. When triggered the Surya Gate will need to recharge, though the device can’t be shot to deactivate it completely.

A quick preview of Aruni’s loadout includes the Mk14 EBR and P10 Roni submachine gun as her primary weapon choices, paired with the PRB92 sidearm. As for equipment, you can either take Barbed Wire or Proximity Alarms, dialling Aruni’s defensive capabilities up that little bit higher. Another cool highlight with this new Operator is her bionic arm which can punch holes through breakable surfaces.

Map Rework: Skyscraper

Next up, we have the highly anticipated rework for Skyscraper. Instead of adding new maps to the current rotation, the team at Ubisoft have been going back to improve existing ones, making them more viable for competitive play while responding to community feedback. This updated version of Skyscraper offers a new angle of attack with players able to rappel up onto the roof. Entryways and balconies have been removed/repositioned to discourage camping too with the whole map receiving a visual upgrade.

Other Gameplay Features

That’s not all Siege fans can expect from the Y5S4 update. Ubisoft have also tweaked several Operators, the first of which we’ll look at is Hibana. Her X-KAIROS 40 mm calibre launcher has been adjusted, allowing players to shoot 2, 4, or 6 projectiles instead of the default 6, meaning you can manage Hibana’s resources better.

Meanwhile, Echo’s Yokai gadget will be much less ghostlier as we push into Y5S4, losing its invisibility to encourage better strategic, skill-based play. Another defender undergoing changes is Jäger whose ADS gadget will have infinite charges instead of 2, though has a 10-second cooldown between activations.

Other changes include a runout timer decrease to 1 second to prevent defenders from stalking map spawn points. Ubisoft have also looked into how gadgets interact, specifically mentioning how sticky gadgets will latch onto bulletproof defences more efficiently, Ash’s Breaching Rounds vs. Melusi’s Banshee being given as an example.

There’s no elite skin this time around though Ubisoft have announced their Sixth Guardian initiative, selling charity cosmetic packs.

Rainbow Six Siege Y5S4 Summary

  • New Operator – Aruni
  • New Gadget – Surya Gate
  • Skyscraper map rework
  • Hibana X-KAIROS update
  • Echo Yokai drone update
  • Jäger Active Defense System update
  • Reduced runout timers
  • Improved Gadget on Gadget interactions
  • Sixth Guardian charity initiative
  • Vigil, Zofia, Dokka, Nomad, Kaid, Wamai and Kali Operator price reductions

We don’t have a confirmed release date for Rainbow Six Siege Y5S4 Operation: Neon Dawn though given the launch pattern of previous seasons, it should be going in December.

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Senior Editor bursting with lukewarm takes and useless gaming trivia. May as well surgically attach my DualSense at this point.