Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Daybreak Patch Note

The highly anticipated patch notes for Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Daybreak, marking the dawn of the Siege X era, have finally arrived. This major update, releasing today, June 11, 2025, promises a comprehensive overhaul for Ubisoft’s tactical first-person shooter.

Players can expect a wealth of improvements and exciting new additions, ranging from brand-new game modes to significant reworks for fan-favorite Operators. This detailed breakdown covers everything players need to know about the sweeping changes coming to Rainbow Six Siege.

Competitive Esports Evolution in Siege X

Operation Daybreak introduces features specifically designed to reshape the competitive landscape of Rainbow Six Siege.

Strategic Shifts with New Operators and Map Elements

The introduction of a dedicated Esports Tab within the game, coupled with upcoming Operator changes, will profoundly influence the competitive future of Ubisoft’s tactical shooter. At the launch of Operation Daybreak, the rework of Operator Clash is poised to make shield characters more prevalent. Her updated skillset offers fresh tactical possibilities, potentially increasing her pick rate in competitive matches.

Furthermore, the integration of destructible environmental elements on modernized maps will inject greater variety into competitive play. These new interactive objects provide innovative ways for teams to gain a strategic advantage over their opponents. For instance, shooting fire extinguishers can now create an impromptu smoke screen, offering a unique method for obscuring enemy vision using only in-game environmental objects. These subtle yet impactful changes are set to redefine competitive strategies and meta compositions throughout the season.

Detailed Patch Notes for Operation Daybreak (Siege X)

Operation Daybreak brings an extensive list of changes, touching upon Operator reworks, new game modes, map enhancements, and core gameplay mechanics.

Clash Rework: Enhanced Mobility and Control

Operator Clash has received a significant rework, focusing on enhancing her mobility and utility. Her CCE Shield can now anchor to the ground, freeing Clash to roam independently. This allows her to remotely taser enemies, slowing them down while she engages them from a distance. While carrying her CCE Shield, Clash gains the same free-look ability as other Operators.

Her shield also boasts a new dynamic mechanism, expanding and collapsing based on the tactical situation she finds herself in. This rework aims to make Clash a more versatile and engaging Operator, impacting both offensive and defensive strategies.

Free Access: Welcoming New Players

Starting with the launch of Year 10 Season 2, Siege X will be accessible for free to new players across all platforms. This comprehensive free access includes the base game and a variety of core game modes: Quick Match, Unranked, Deathmatch, Events, Tutorials, Training, Custom Game, and the exciting new permanent mode, Dual Front. However, free access players will have certain limitations.

They will not be able to participate in competitive game modes like Ranked and Siege Cup unless they upgrade to a paid version of the game. Additionally, free access comes with a selection of Operators unlocked by default, with others becoming available upon completion of specific tutorials and challenges designed to onboard newcomers effectively. This initiative aims to broaden the player base and provide a robust introductory experience.

Dual Front: A New Permanent 6v6 Game Mode

Dual Front is a brand-new, permanent 6v6 game mode introduced in Operation Daybreak. In this innovative mode, players simultaneously field both Attack and Defense Operators. The objective is to secure the enemies’ sectors while diligently defending their own. Throughout the match, dynamic “Assignments” will occur, granting a tactical advantage to the team that successfully completes them. This mode promises a unique blend of offensive and defensive gameplay, demanding adaptable strategies from players.

Exclusive Map: District

The setting for the new Dual Front game mode is the entirely new District map. This large map is located within a vibrant urban cityscape. It features distinctly mirrored areas: one side is derelict, characterized by abandoned buildings and graffiti, while the other is modern, clean, and corporate.

A unique characteristic of District is its playable exteriors, transforming it into a free-flowing and unpredictable battleground. At the map’s center lies the Neutral Sector, a crucial crossroads where Operators can rotate at any time and fiercely contest Assignments as they become active.

Modernized Maps: Visual and Destructible Enhancements

Five fan-favorite maps have received significant updates for Siege X: Bank, Clubhouse, Border, Chalet, and Kafe. These maps have been revitalized with modernized materials, an updated lighting system, and the integration of new destructible elements. These enhancements breathe new life into established battlegrounds, offering both visual refreshes and new strategic opportunities.

New Destructible Environmental Elements

Operation Daybreak introduces several new destructible ingredients within the map environments, providing fresh ways to control engagements and map flow:

Fire extinguishers can now be shot to concuss enemies and release a plume of smoke, effectively obscuring enemy vision.
Metal detectors emit a loud noise when triggered. They can be temporarily deactivated or entirely destroyed, adding another layer of tactical interaction.
Gas pipes can be shot, creating hazardous flame damage that restricts Operator movement. After a short duration, a shot gas pipe becomes destabilized and explodes, damaging any Operator caught within its radius. These new elements create dynamic and unpredictable scenarios during gameplay.

Advanced Rappel: Enhanced Vertical Movement

This season brings increased freedom to vertical movement with Advanced Rappel. Players can now sprint along walls and seamlessly hop around corners, allowing for faster and more efficient navigation of vertical spaces. This improvement adds fluidity to movement around the environment, making building traversal more dynamic.

New Pick & Ban System: Dynamic Strategy

The new Pick & Ban System transitions from a static structure to a flexible, adaptive one. Previously, bans were decided before the match. Now, both teams simultaneously ban one enemy Operator per round, stacking up to six Operator bans per match. When team roles (Attackers/Defenders) swap, the banned Operators reset.

This ensures that Operator bans do not carry over, allowing teams to focus on disrupting their opponents’ current strategy without worrying about long-term personal impact. If a match extends to overtime, previous bans will carry over for that specific round.

New Communication Wheel: Non-Verbal Efficiency

The Communication Wheel introduces new non-verbal communication options, enabling more effective teamwork. Preset pings allow players to quickly relay specific information to their allies without using voice chat, streamlining in-game communication.

Weapon Inspect: Aesthetic Appreciation

Players can now take a moment during matches or tactical pauses to inspect their weapons. This feature allows them to appreciate the fine details of their weapon skins, attachments, and charms, offering a new way to showcase personalized style.

Veteran Rewards: Recognizing Loyalty

To reward long-standing player involvement, Operation Daybreak introduces cumulative Veteran Rewards at the start of the new season. Players will receive rewards based on the year they first launched the game, spanning from Year 1 to Year 10. Additionally, players will receive a unique badge representing the year they started playing (from Y1 to Y9). This system acknowledges and celebrates the dedication of Rainbow Six Siege’s veteran community.

Unranked Return: Competitive Practice

The Standard playlist has been removed, and Unranked has been reinstated for all players with a Clearance Level of 20 or higher. Unranked is an exact replication of the Ranked game mode in terms of rounds, timers, Pick & Ban rules, and general settings.

Map filters will be maintained in Unranked, allowing players to experience more map variety and practice on specific map pools with competitive settings. This provides a valuable training ground for aspiring ranked players without the pressure of rank progression.

Audio Overhaul: Enhanced Positional Sound

Audio has always been a critical component of Rainbow Six Siege’s tactical gameplay. With Operation Daybreak, the audio system has been comprehensively overhauled. Modifications to reverb and propagation effects enable players to pinpoint the location and distance of sounds with greater accuracy, significantly improving auditory information.

Additionally, new Operator banter has been added, bringing more life to the characters and immersing players deeper into the Siege universe.

New Esports Tab: In-Game Competitive Hub

For the first time ever, esports has a dedicated home inside Siege with the introduction of the new Esports Tab. This section highlights live matches and outlines the competitive schedule, allowing players to stay updated on the esports scene without leaving the main menu. This initial release is just the first iteration, and the Esports Tab will continue to evolve throughout the year, promising a more integrated esports experience.

Player Onboarding and Progression System Updates

Operation Daybreak introduces significant improvements to player onboarding and revamps the Clearance Level system.

Improved AI Systems for New Players

This season brings substantial improvements to the AI system. The previous “Versus AI” playlist has been removed and replaced with two new playlists tailored for different player bases:

Enlisted: This new AI playlist is specifically designed for new players. It allows them to experience Siege X and learn the basic flow of the game by competing against a team of enemy AI, either solo or in a Squad. Once a player reaches Clearance Level 18, they will no longer have access to this playlist, encouraging progression to more advanced modes.
Field Training: Similar to Enlisted, Field Training allows players to engage enemy AI teams solo or in a Squad. However, this playlist offers extensive customizable options, including AI difficulty, pre-setups, and map selection. Players can also utilize the full roster of AI-supported Operators. Field Training is available to all players at Clearance Level 18 or higher, serving as a versatile practice ground for experienced players.

Clearance Level Revamp: Streamlined Progression

The Clearance Level system has been completely revamped in Operation Daybreak. The new system provides more progression rewards and aims to guide newcomers through the game at a better pace. This helps them train their skills in optimal settings. The new unlock progression is as follows:

CL2: Enlisted, Attack & Defense Tutorials unlocked.
CL3: Shooting Range, Quick Match unlocked.
CL5: Dual Front, Landmark Drill unlocked.
CL7: Deathmatch unlocked.
CL10: Target Drill unlocked.
CL18: Field Training unlocked.
CL20: Unranked, Operator Specialties unlocked.
CL50: Ranked, Siege Cup unlocked.

In addition to unlocking playlists on their journey to Clearance Level 50, players will unlock various Operators and challenges. This systematic approach helps them build a diverse roster and develop the necessary skills to earn prestigious badges along the way. Due to this new system, current and returning players will have their Clearance Levels adjusted. Any Operators already owned will have their value converted into Renown for the player.

Core Gameplay Enhancements and Quality of Life

Operation Daybreak also includes several fundamental improvements to gameplay mechanics and user experience.

First-Person Shadows: Enhanced Tactical Awareness

A small but impactful change, first-person shadows add a new layer to tactical awareness. Players will now cast visible shadows, making it easier to reveal their location when entering a room or moving through hallways. This necessitates greater vigilance and more careful positioning, adding depth to tactical decisions.

New Outline System: Clarity and Fairness

The new Outline System visually highlights enemies within a player’s line of sight, making them clear and identifiable. This prevents enemies from effectively hiding in shadows. This significant change aims to make gameplay more fun and fair by shifting emphasis from visual concealment to the amount of noise a player makes. Ubisoft will continue to monitor feedback and adjust this system as needed.

Momentum Movement Improvements: Fluidity and Control

Movement mechanics have been refined for greater fluidity. Player momentum is now maintained when stepping off short ledges. Long drops will now automatically force players out of aiming down their weapon sights, preventing accidental shots. Additionally, vault inputs are now buffered, allowing players to hold down the vault button and run into vaultable objects to vault seamlessly without waiting for a prompt to appear.

Tinnitus FX Customization: Accessibility Feature

The new Tinnitus SFX option allows players to customize the audio effect played when they are stunned in-game, whether from a Stun Grenade or another source. This is a crucial accessibility feature, enabling players sensitive to the ear-ringing sound of tinnitus to change it to a wave effect or mute the sound entirely.

New UI: Fresh Visuals and Navigation

The user interface (UI) has received a complete rework and refresh. The new UI blends classic Siege colors with easier-to-navigate menus. New art, textures, animations, and layouts return to a classic, tactical “special ops” tone, with a style that emphasizes tactical elements and destruction gameplay.

Battle Pass Navigation Improvement: Streamlined Rewards Map

Navigating the Battle Pass Rewards Map is now significantly more interactive and responsive. The mini-map has been removed, and different levels of zoom have been added. Players will now enter the rewards map with a zoomed-out overview, which helps them better identify and evaluate desired rewards through the use of added filters.

From there, they can zoom in to inspect rewards in greater detail, making the Battle Pass experience more user-friendly.

Anti-Cheat, Balancing, and Economy Updates

Operation Daybreak also features critical updates to anti-cheat measures, Operator balancing, and the game’s economy.

Anti-Cheat Features & Updates: R6 ShieldGuard

Season 2 introduces a major game-changer in the fight against cheat-makers: live, seamless R6 ShieldGuard updates that require no maintenance. This means Ubisoft can push new game executables to players with minimal disruption at any time during the season. Each update strengthens security and effectively breaks active cheats, forcing cheat makers to constantly adapt.

This makes creating cheats harder and more expensive, ultimately reducing their overall availability. Security experts have also worked to patch vulnerabilities and enhance key components for greater game security. New gameplay violations now detect tampering and can result in live bans for cheaters.

Operator Balancing: Strategic Adjustments

Several Operators have received balancing changes:

Sledge: Shield Operators will now need to maintain their distance from Sledge. One swing of his hammer is now sufficient to knock a shield out of the way and send the shield operator to the ground, increasing his counter-shield utility.
Jackal: Multiple changes have been implemented for Jackal to encourage more strategic use of his gadget and reduce frustration for Defenders. Hunter mark scans have been increased to 5 (from 3), but the pings have been reduced to only one per scan, regardless of how long ago the footprint was left. Once a set of footprints has been scanned, they are immediately removed, making it harder for Jackal to scan the same Operator’s footprints repeatedly. However, older footprints now last longer, with an increase to 90 seconds from 120.
Blackbeard: The glass on Blackbeard’s H.U.L.L. Adaptive Shield has been tinted. This makes it easier for opposing players to discern whether the shield is deployed or retracted. Additionally, the sound effects of the glass panel moving up and down have been enhanced, allowing players to determine Blackbeard’s shield state without visual confirmation if they are in close proximity.

Electricity Effect: Neutral Element

As of Season 2, electricity is now a neutral element. Similar to fire, it no longer differentiates between friendly and enemy teams. Any device that comes into contact with electricity will be destroyed. This means players must be more mindful of where and when they place their devices. Furthermore, electricity no longer injures Operators directly but instead applies a temporary slow debuff. This change introduces new tactical considerations for device placement and interaction.

Matchmaking Improvements: Skill Decay for Returning Players

A new addition to the matchmaking system introduces skill value decay for players who return after long periods of inactivity. The skill value of these players will decrease proportionally to the time they have not played, ensuring fairer matches for active players. Due to this change, the number of wins required to unlock Ranked again after returning to the game has been lowered (now 1 win is required instead of 5).

Long-Term Progression: New Badges and Career Stats

Operation Daybreak introduces new avenues for long-term progression:

Badges: Players can now earn new badges to showcase their progression in Dual Front and Siege Cup. For Siege Cup, players can earn “SIEGE CUP WINNER” for winning the cup and “SIEGE CUP GRINDER” for winning Siege Cup matches. For Dual Front, the “DUAL FRONT WINNER” badge is awarded for winning Dual Front matches. New badge challenges unlock at specific Clearance Levels: “UNRANKED WINNER” at CL20, “ALPHA COLLECTOR” at CL30, and “RANKED WINNER” at CL50.
Career Stats Tracker: A comprehensive stats tracker has been added to players’ careers. This allows them to view detailed statistics such as win rate, kills, assists, KOST, and performance with their most-played Operators. Stats can be filtered by individual playlists and by season, enabling players to track their development over time.

Seasonal Camo Skins: Daybreak Theme

To celebrate the new era, Daybreak seasonal camo headgear and uniform skins have been released. These seasonal camos are available for purchase throughout the season and, once unlocked, remain in the player’s inventory indefinitely, applicable to all available Operators.

Operator Price Decrease: Accessibility for Sens and Fenrir

To coincide with Operation Daybreak, two Operators are seeing a price reduction. Operator Sens will now cost 10,000 Renown or 240 R6 Credits. Fenrir will see a reduction in cost to 15,000 Renown or 360 R6 Credits, making them more accessible to players.

Additional Updates: Fine-Tuning and System Changes

Operation Daybreak also includes various smaller but impactful updates to game playlists, economy, and general quality of life.

New Discovery Playlist (Limited Time)

From June 10th to 17th, players can experience the New Discovery Playlist. This limited-time mode allows players to explore the visual enhancements and new destructible ingredients on the five modernized maps: Bank, Clubhouse, Border, Chalet, and Kafe.

Quick Match Updates: Optimized for Newcomers

Quick Match has received adjustments to better suit its role as an introductory playlist. The number of pre-setups has been reduced to allow for more strategic optimization by players while maintaining quick, competitive matchups. The Action Phase duration has been increased to 180 seconds (from 165), and the Preparation Phase duration has been extended to 45 seconds (from 35).

Deathmatch Playlist: Permanent Access

Both Team Deathmatch and Free For All modes will now be permanently maintained within a new dedicated Deathmatch playlist. This ensures consistent access to these popular, fast-paced game types.

Permanent Arcade Removal and Curated Modes

The general Arcade playlist has been permanently removed to make way for improved and more curated Arcade modes. When a new Arcade mode is released in the future, it will only be temporarily available, ensuring fresh and rotating experiences.

Economy Adjustments: Balanced Resource Distribution

Resource distribution across playlists has been modified to ensure more equal earnings. Adjustments have been made to the game’s economy so players can achieve a good amount of daily progress earlier in their play sessions.

Renown: With the introduction of Daily Renown challenges and Renown rewards for Clearance Level-ups, the end-of-match Renown reward has been slightly reduced.
Battle Points: Challenge rewards have increased to 1000 Battle Points (from 850). End-of-match Battle Points are now time-based, with a slightly lower payout.
XP: The new XP requirement per Clearance Level may result in some players having a higher level after conversion to the new system, but a player’s Clearance Level will never decrease. The amount of XP required to level up stops increasing at Clearance Level 100. Progression to Clearance Level 50 should take approximately the same time as before the revamp.
Alpha Pack Progression: Small adjustments to Alpha Pack progression in each playlist help guarantee a more balanced progression per match-hour played, mainly favoring game modes with longer matches like Ranked.

Connect Invitation: Visual Cue

Pending connection invites will now display a yellow dot in-game, providing a clear visual cue for players.

Destruction Physics: Cleaner Bullet Holes

Bullet holes are now cleaner, improving visual fidelity and optimizing memory for processing.

Loadout Order Change

The order in which weapons and devices appear in the loadout of most Operators has been changed. This is purely a reordering of slots, with no change to the available items for each Operator.

Tutorials: Streamlined Onboarding

Only completing the Basics tutorial is now mandatory for new players. Previously, players had to complete all three tutorials (with exceptions for specific test groups).

Difficulty Tuning: Enlisted AI Adjustments

Enemy AI in the Enlisted playlist has been specifically adjusted to be more forgiving for newcomers to Rainbow Six Siege, providing a smoother learning curve.

New AI Behaviors: Enhanced Realism

AI Operators will now react to the new destructible environmental elements on maps, though they won’t actively use them. AI Attackers will also use drones to scout different rooms for information. Additionally, AI will now use suppressive fire against shield Operators, adding more realism to their combat tactics.

Clash Added to AI Roster

Clash has been added to the roster of playable Operators available for AI opponents, expanding the training opportunities for players.