Rainbow Six Siege Y9S1: Release Date Window, New Operator and Everything We Know

It's been a long road for Rainbow Six Siege, but with each new season fans are just as eager to jump in as they were from the start. While Y8S4 brought Operation Deep Freeze on December 6, fans are already looking ahead to what Y9S1 could hold. Be it a new operator, map and more, Rainbow Six Siege could be kicking off the new year off in style. Below, we'll go over everything we know about the upcoming season, including its release date and content. 

27 February 2024 - We've checked for the latest news, leaks and information. Y9S1 has been officially revealed - Operation Deadly Omen.

Y9S1 Latest News & Leaks

Just below we'll keep you updated on any official news and leaks related to the upcoming Y9S1 season.

Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 Season 1 Release Date Speculation

With Rainbow Six Siege Y8S4 Operation Deep Freeze having launched on December 6, following a delay from November 28, players are now looking ahead to the release of Y9S1. Deep Freeze is the final seasonal update for Year 8, so we know Year 9 is just around the corner — the question is when? 

Y8S4 Operation Deep Freeze is expected to end on March 11, 2024, though this date is subject to change as we head closer to the window. Y9S1 is expected to begin immediately after, either on March 11, 2024 or the following day, on March 12. 

Ubisoft has revealed that the next season will be called Operation Deadly Omen. Given that it's a new year, we can likely expect Ubisoft to kick off with something exciting that likely shapes the seasons to come throughout Year 9. We'll be sure to update this article as more information is made available.

Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 Season 1 Content

New Operator - Deimos

With the reveal of Rainbow Six Seige Y9S1 - Operation Deadly Omen, for the first time players will be able to get their hands on a new villain Operator — Deimos. 

Deimos is an Attacker and uses his DeathMARK flying drone gadget to reveal enemy locations, as well as his own, until either one is eliminated. While tracking, players will only have his custom .44 Vendetta to rely on. 

Our new villain's real name is Gerald Morris, born in Birmingham, Alabama which tracks with the previous information suggested by leakers, who were heavily speculating that the new Operator would be an American. According to his biography, Morris spent significant periods with the Special Forces and the ATF. 

Y8S4 brought players Tubarão, a Portuguese operator who has some uniquely cold abilities at his disposal, such as the Zoto Canister. This throwable device slows enemies and freezes devices to keep his team a few steps ahead.

Y9S1 Attachment and ADS Upgrades

A number of adjustments have been made to grips, under barrels, and sights:

ADS
The time to transition from hip fire to aiming down sights has been increased across all weapons when idling or walking and has also been increased proportionately when going from sprint to aiming down sights.

Grips

• Horizontal Grip is a new grip that increases Operator movement speed.
• Vertical Grip has been updated to reduce recoil control to +20% (down from 25).
• Angled Grip has been changed to have a bonus to +20% reload speed Increase.

Under Barrels
Under Barrel laser has been changed to have a bonus of +10% Aim Down Sight Speed.

Sights
The following updates have been made to sights:

• 1.5x to Magnified scope: No bonus. 2.5x magnification.
• 2.0x to Telescopic scope: No bonus. 3.5x magnification.
• 3.0x to Telescopic scope: No bonus. 3.5x magnification.

Player Protection

Ranked Restricions

These will now be split into two groups: Returning and New Players. Returning and new players will have restrictions on access to Ranked until requirements are met. Players who have been inactive in the game for a season will need to win 5 matches in Quick Match or Standard, and players who have not played Ranked before the release of Deadly Omens will require a Clearance Level of 50, and have at least 10 Attack and 10 Defense Operators. This does not affect players who already have Ranked unlocked.

Data Bans on Machine Learning

A new model has been implemented to detect more cheating behaviour.

The Locker

The Locker is a new management system menu that keeps cosmetic items organized and allows for more convenient browsing.

Training

Versus AI

5 maps have been added to the VS AI Playlist: Chalet, Oregon, Consulate, Bank, and Kafe Dostoyevsky.

Melusi and Alibi are now available as AI Operators. Players going against AI as Attackers can now play as Lion, Jackal, Iana, Buck, Finka, and Ash

Map Training Playlist

Added Skyscraper, Coastline, Border and Nighthaven into the Map Training playlist.

Balancing

Azami

The Kiba Barrier has health and is vulnerable to bullets. The caliber of the weapon will affect the damage dealt to the barriers.

LMG Weapon Class Update

The LMG weapon class will be receiving an overall reduction to their recoil. With the combination of their magazine size and this adjustment they will also have a 10% movement penalty.

Player Comfort

Rappel Improvements

Change to rappel have been made to improve the time it takes to enter and exit this ability. New animations have also been added.

Trajectory Previsualization

Trajectory Previsualization gives players the option to see a visual representation of where their throwable device will end up. This new feature is available for all game modes, and can be toggled on or off in the settings.

Rainbow Six Siege Upcoming Content

Rainbow Six Siege Marketplace

Ubisoft has also been working on the Rainbow Six Siege Marketplace, where players will be able to exchange items for R6 Credits or past weapon skins. So far, players have only had the chance to sign up to the Marketplace Beta. Ubisoft previously mentioned that the Marketplace would launch in Y9 — whether that means the full feature in Y9S1, or just the Beta, remains to be seen.