Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X

The classic tactical FPS game with demanding learning curve and tight margins seeks new life with F2P model.

Even 10 years in, Rainbow Six Siege X remains a lot of fun to play, and mastering every Operator will be enough to keep me coming back for more long after I’ve finished this review. With its outstanding Bomb mode as its centerpiece, this is a great option for anyone who likes their shooters with a healthy dose of strategy, with just as much focus on planning and outwitting the competition as there is in beating them to the shot. There are elements like the limits to destructability that show the age of Siege’s underlying technology, and I have concerns about how unlockables ratchet up the pressure to spend on this slightly unconventional free-to-play model. But it’s tough to beat the thrill of a tense match versus another squad of Operators. The X update is a solid step forward for Siege, a great jumping-in point for anyone returning, and just the right spot for those looking to breach these walls for the first time.

Rainbow Six Siege X represents an important milestone in the game's history, cementing the franchise's longevity with a combination of technical modernization, the inclusion of new content, and a more open access model to the public. The graphical improvements, the audio refinement, and the arrival of the new Dual Front mode show that Ubisoft is committed to keeping the game relevant in a competitive market, even after 10 years of activity.

Rainbow Six Siege X is a great update to an already classic multiplayer title. There has never been a better (or more newcomer-friendly) time to return to its unique offering.

Quality of life and balancing changes set the stage for the next ten years of Rainbow Six Siege X, forging strong foundations that bring the FPS game roaring into 2025, but retreading old ground with map and operator remasters feels like it’s running out of mileage. Fortunately, the 6v6 Dual Front mode breaks the mold with something new, and a reworked sound system will have you relearning the game as if it were Year One all over again.

Rainbow Six: Siege is still an excellent and entertaining tactical shooter, one that many continue to copy and be inspired by. This isn't changing and frankly if you have the time, skill, and patience to learn this game, you will be massively engaged. However, as far as an upgrade goes, Siege X doesn't really add a whole lot.

So, will I be returning to Rainbow Six Siege X regularly? I’m not so sure. The wall to climb is steep, and it still doesn’t cater to the tactical, single-player-minded fan I’ve always been. Yet, I can’t deny that it’s a successful refresh. For current veterans or returning players who already know what they’re signing up for, this is the best version of Siege there has ever been. It’s a modern, polished, and brutally challenging tactical shooter. Just know that the fresh paint does little to soften the blows.

Siege X is a much-needed update to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, but more could have been put into it. Dual Front is a gameplay overhaul that will keep veterans busy for a long time. The visual upgrades are solid, but aren't mind blowing as this is still an eSports title that requires high refresh rates and low latency. The audio overhaul will help players better identify locations and the experience truly begs to use headphones. This is still Rainbow Six Siege, though, so it's either going to click for players or it won't. There's a steep difficulty curve and it requires time investment. Yes, protecting a room in the final minute while using your tools to take down four people as the only survival is rewarding, but wasting 5-10 minutes trying to plan then getting shot through the floor with one bullet while no one on your team is willing to revive you is frustrating. The update is welcome, but it doesn't revolutionize the game.