Perhaps the biggest addition to Rainbow Six Siege in its forthcoming Year 7, Season 1 update is the inclusion of Team Deathmatch. And while the devs are quick to downplay the addition as more or a less an arcade-style mode designed to let players let their tactical hair down, there's no question competitive juices will quickly flow as this new mode works its gateway magic while quickly becoming a beast all unto itself.


In addition to the new game-mode, which has been designed as a way for people to get to grips with controls and abilities in a more open run-and-gun environment, we'll also see a new Operator in Japanese security services-inspired Azami. She comes with a game-changing throwable canister which creates a bulletproof foam patch over holes in the environment.

Here's some official intel:

In Demon Veil, uncover the secrets of Azami, an enigmatic new Defender – equipped with the Kiba Barrier gadget, her throwable canisters deploy an expandable material that solidifies into a bulletproof surface, providing fast cover. Azami’s gadget allows her to quickly repair holes in walls and floors, creating for a more mobile and versatile defensive approach. Azami is a medium speed, medium health Operator, and her loadout features a 9X19SVSN or an ACS12 as a primary weapon and a D-50 as a secondary weapon.

Alongside Azami, an exclusive new map arrives mid-season for the first time in Rainbow Six Siege in three years: Emerald Plains. Set in Ireland, this modern country club challenges players to master a new environment and its multiple levels.

Attacker Repick arrives in Year 7 Season 1, allowing Attackers to change their Operator and loadout during the Preparation Phase. The change aims to bring more impact during the Preparation Phase by allowing Attackers to use the intel gathered and adjust their strategy. In addition, the match header has been updated to help make informed decisions when changing their Operator or loadout. Attacker repick is available for all game modes in the Quick Match, Unranked, Ranked, and Pro League playlists.

Demon Veil brings further important gameplay updates: a permanent Team Deathmatch game mode, created to provide the perfect environment for players to warm up and practice their aim before competitive matches, as well as offer a more casual gameplay experience within Rainbow Six Siege; Match Replay for console players, a spectator mode that has been available on PC since 2020; Operator balancing updates for Goyo and Valkyrie; and an exclusive Elite skin for Nomad.

Y7S1 will also introduce a new Incentive Program: when players report issues on R6Fix and have their status reach ‘Under Investigation’, they will receive one reward per season, determined by the highest severity issue out of all their reports. Players on both the Test Server and the Live Server can report issues and have a chance to receive each season's reward during the following season's Test Server.

We unfortunately missed out on playing the new content due to life circumstances, but our colleagues seemed to dig it. We should also have a bit more on how Team Deathmatch plays out so stay tuned for that.