With Sam Fisher joining Rainbow Six: Siege under the callsign of “Zero” in the next update, “Shadow Legacy” looks to be making some big changes. A new playable operative can usually shake up the game, and the rework of the Chalet map will allow more even more navigation options to the venerable retreat.
Source: Rainbow Six: Siege
While that in itself would usually be it for updates, Shadow Legacy is doing a lot more than that as the next operation coming to Rainbow Six: Siege is pretty substantial. So much so, it could be possible that two Operators could be in danger.
Shadow Legacy Update
As a quick rundown: Here were all the upcoming changes coming to Rainbow Six: Siege.
esportstales, If we were to look at the ban rate for platinum and above, the attacker who sits at the top with a 50% ban rate is Thatcher. Kind of a no shocker there (apologies for the pun) when we consider how his EMP Grenades are a defender’s worst nightmare. With a Meta that has a high focus on electronics, being able to shut them down with one EMP blast can be too strong.
Well, it seems that the development team agrees with this. Plans to rework Thatcher’s EMP Grenades were in the works for quite some time, but with this upcoming update, they just got a massive nerf. Instead of destroying any electronic devices, the EMP Grenades will now disable enemy gadgets. This means after a bit of time passes, gadgets will come back online, and you can still use them (if they aren’t destroyed with bullets or explosives).
Thatcher time as the most dominating attacker could now be in jeopardy, but this now means attackers will need to be more careful when they push on objectives rather than EMP grenades clearing out the dangers for them. Will this knock Thatcher down? Highly possible, but as long as you know when to use the EMP grenades, he could still be a powerhouse choice.
Secondary Breaching Tools Options (Thermite obsolete?)
It almost seems funny how according to that same ban list from earlier, Thermite sits in 10th place with a ban Rate of 2%.
The other big update is bringing a brand new option to attackers and how they can breach walls. With the brand new “Hard-Breaching Secondary Gadget,” you can now set up a breach with anyone that can destroy walls or reinforced hatches. Then can still be dealt with by defenders through any means as before, but once it is set up, it will blow a hole big enough to vault through.
A brief history in Bypassing Reinforced Walls
Now we need to keep in mind that at the time of Rainbow Six’s launch, Thermite was the only operative who could get through reinforced walls by effectively with the Exothermic Charges.
Later on, we got to see three other operatives that could also have their way with reinforced walls. These were Hibana’s X-Kairos that can launch projectiles to then blow a hole through reinforcements. Then we have Maverick with his Breaching Torch to burn small holes through anything. Finally, we got Ace’s “Aqua Breacher,” which he can throw onto a wall, and it will blow the wall three times.
It is nice that all attackers will have the means to combat reinforced walls, but here’s the problem for Thermite: While one can trigger the explosion, another can make tiny holes and the other sets it and forgets it, Thermite’s gadget doesn’t feel like it does anything unique anymore. Or rather that his gadget is now available for all attackers, albeit to a lesser scale. If that’s the case, why would you pick him? Not to mention that he does leave himself open while he deploys his gadget while others have better protection in comparison.
Of course, if this means his pick rate does plummet, perhaps he could see a possible rework or perhaps a change in how he deploys his charges. Otherwise, it could still be possible where he might be in higher demand if he may become the go-to character when it comes to taking down reinforced walls if you give him both his gadget and this brand new Secondary Breaching Tool. Keep a close eye on Thermite for the next upcoming update for Rainbow Six: Siege.
What do you think?
Could Thatcher and Thermite be in danger of becoming irrelevant? Or will they still be just as effective as they are right now? And what do you think about Sam “Zero” Fisher coming into Rainbow Six: Siege with his fancy new gadget and weapons? Be sure to leave a comment down below and follow us here at Culture of Gaming for more articles looking at Rainbow Six: Siege and all things in the gaming world.
