Some interesting changes are coming to Rainbow Six Siege X. The developers are focusing on a full map rework, Operator rebalancing, improvements to ranked matchmaking, and more.
The update details for Year 10 Season 4 (Y10S4) in R6 Siege X were revealed right before the grand final at the Munich Major 2025. It’s the next step for the developers in their plan to modernize the game and make it more accessible for new players.
Thatcher is the next remastered R6 Siege Operator
Earlier during Year 10, we received one big remaster for a Rainbow 6 Siege Operator: Clash. That happened in Season 2. Now, it is the turn of Thatcher to go through this modernization.
The developers chose him as one of the original game characters and iconic picks that needs to get new aspects after 10 years since release.
The main new features for the R6 Thatcher remaster are the following.
- EGS Disruptor: This device can detect electronic gadgets through walls and other surfaces thanks to its Scanner. The second component, Launcher, shoots an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) to disable opponents’ gadgets for 15 seconds.
- The PMR9A2 DMR, a new weapon for Thatcher: It’s a high-damage gun for shorter encounters.
The developers promise that the remaster changes should only improve the supporting role of Thatcher. We can all check this in practice, starting from Operation Tenfold Pursuit in R6 Siege X.
Four primary weapons. The PMR982 for three more Operators
As part of the Thatcher remaster, R6 adds the new feature of sharing weapons between Operators.
- The PMR9A2 is available for Thatcher and three other characters: Nøkk, Hibana, and Capitao.
In the future, shared weapons will be added for other R6 Operators, too.
With his remastered form, Thatcher becomes the first-ever Operator with four primary weapons: L85A2, AR33, M590A1, and PMR9A2.
Balance update for R6 Siege X Operators in the new season
Bringing rebalances caused some emotional discussions throughout Year 10. For instance, people did not like what happened around the limb damage and the removal of scopes. Compared to Season 3 and Operation High Stakes, the following balance update should bring joy, not frustration — at least, it’s what the developers promise.
With Season 4 and Operation Tenfold Pursuit, the following key rebalances are coming to the R6 Siege X Operators.
- Mute: He has two armor and two speed stats. The Signal Disruptor gets an increased radius, but it works differently.
- Aruni: Surya Gate is disabled within the range of EMP and needs to be shot at to get back to work.
- Castle: His panels are electrifiable.
- Thermite gets an additional Exothermic Charge to have three in total and a secondary shotgun.
- Maverick: No pause is needed to cool down and reload his Breach Torch. The Operator gets frag grenades and Reaper MK2 as his secondary weapon.
- Hibana: There’s no need to reload the X-KAIROS between shots. The Type 89 AR has reduced recoil, and Claymores are available as secondary options.
- Ace receives Stun Grenades and changes to stats. Starting from the R6 Tenfold Pursuit, Ace has three points of armor and one of speed.
Also, a big focus in this update is on changing the philosophy around the DSEG System, or Disabled State for Electronic Gadgets.
- Mute's Signal Disruptor is no longer EMP. It affects both the source and the endpoint of the signal. For example, Thermite can’t send a signal to an Exothermic Charge if the Operator himself is in the range of the Signal Disruptor.
- All standard weapon sights are now considered electronic and will be disabled for the duration of an EMP effect.
Ranked matchmaking
With Operation Tenfold Pursuit, R6 Siege X receives visual rank matchmaking in the Ranked playlist.
- Players are matched against opponents with a similar visual rank and skill.
To explain this, the developers say that players with Copper 5 who only start their competitive season will not be matched with Copper 5 who have been playing a lot.
When does R6 Operation Tenfold Pursuit start?
Season 4 on the game’s Year 10 and the R6 Operation Tenfold Pursuit start on Dec. 2.
New Fortress and modernized Skyscraper with Theme Park
To follow the modern standards, the R6 map Fortress gets a massive rework in Season 4. It receives new rooms, objects, and more. Starting from Operation Tenfold Pursuit, Fortress is available in Ranked matchmaking and at pro esports tournaments.
The first look at the new Fortress was in the show match during the Munich Major 2025.
Continuing the trend of the entire Year 10, Season 4 introduces visually improved Skyscraper and Theme Park.
Battling cheaters
Anti-cheat efforts is one of the primary topics in the new season of R6 Siege X. The game director, Joshua Mills, even threw the f-word while addressing cheaters in the game.
As for practical measures, the developers promise to bring two ShieldGuard updates per week throughout the R6 Operation Tenfold Pursuit and beyond.
Training with bots to improve skills and learn the game
To make Rainbow Six Siege X more accessible, the developers are adding more options for training with bots. You can play against AI opponents to roam around the maps, practice different weapons, and learn the locations. Also, the game receives AI bots as teammates for a full replica of PvP matches.
The next big update should happen around the start of Year 11. As the developers make such announcements during international LAN tournaments, we can expect the reveal to happen at Six Invitational 2026, from Feb. 2 to Feb. 15.
