Rainbow Six Siege Operation Void Edge: Everything We Know

Rainbow Six Siege opens Year 5 with its first update of 2020, titled Operation Void Edge.

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Ubisoft hurls Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege into 2020 with its Year 5 lineup, promising a new wave of tri-monthly updates expanding upon the hit shooter. The debut season of the year promises two fresh faces to expand the Rainbow Six roster, accompanied by the usual entourage of maps and other gameplay improvements. We’ve wrapped up everything about Operation Void Edge we know so far.

Rainbow Six Siege Void Edge release date

Rainbow Six Siege Operation Void Edge acts as Ubisoft’s introductory update for Year 5, marking the latest milestone in the shooter’s post-launch roadmap. Ubisoft has some sizeable changes in the pipeline for Year 5, reducing resources attributed to Operators, and spotlighting “additional content,” including events, reworks, and core features.

Rainbow Six Siege Year 5: Everything We Know

Following its Six Invitational reveal, Operation Void Edge saw February 17 availability via the Test Server (TS) on PC. While Ubisoft rarely commits to a firm public release date until hours before deployment, Operation Void Edge is expected to launch on March 10 or March 11, 2020. Given long-established schedules, with the customary three weeks of Test Server (TS) trails, it provides an estimate of public availability on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Rainbow Six Siege Void Edge Operators: Oryx and Iana

As with past Rainbow Six Siege seasons, Operation Void Edge adds two new playable Operators, further expanding the lineup of counterterrorism specialists. New abilities promote further gameplay diversity, changing up mechanics on both attack and defense. Void Edge will introduce Oryx and Iana, two massively contrasting personas, which each carve unique roles within the gameplay meta.

For those with the Year 5 Pass or Uplay+ membership, both Operators will be available at no additional cost with the launch of the latest season. Iana and Oryx will later open to the public using Renown or R6 Credits, seven days after release.

The Year 5 Pass unlocks the game’s next six Operators, alongside exclusive in-game gear, progression boosters, and much more. With Rainbow Six Siege’s Operation Void Edge update just weeks away, it provides all you need for 2020.

Iana: Mastering the art of deception

Headlining Year 5’s offensive lineup, Iana embraces the art of deception, bringing forward her interstellar expertise via a cutting-edge digital double. Her holographic Gemini Replicator provides an alternative to drones, summoning a virtual duplication of her looks, sounds, and movement. While a new intelligence tool on the surface, it also doubles as a cunning decoy to manipulate defenders in Year 5.

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The Gemini is already shaping up promising but bears expected limitations to keep Iana in her place. Although fully mobile, like any Operator, she’s unable to shoot or interact with the environment and bound to timed usage. The hologram also proves fragile, eliminated with a single shot, and disrupted by Mute jammers, electrified surfaces, and other gadgets.

Iana wraps her loadout with a double helping of assault rifles, claiming the G36C and ARX200, previously utilized by Ash and Nomad. While her choice of primaries help her hold ground, the MK1 9mm provides secondary support, formerly used by Canadian Operators.

Oryx: Brute force goes a long way

Oryx enters Year 5 with a bang, bolstering available roaming opportunities through a handful of abilities. You’ll best know him as the Kool-Aid Man, primarily characterized by his burly physique, enabling him to charge through soft walls through the “Remah Dash.” That short boost can also knock Operators off their toes, proving especially effective against shields.

Solidifying his roaming role comes a secondary ability, allowing Oryx to scale hatches with ease. Climbing openings in seconds with a button press, he can ascend to the next floor or peek for a view of overhead action. That brings added verticality over existing roamers and introduces the potential for new flanking strategies.

His vast arsenal of weaponry complements those tricks, with the MP5 and SPAS-12 as main weapons, and the USP40 and Bailiff 410 as reserves. The harmony of SMG, shotgun, and pistol provides flexibility for different encounters, while also handy for hatch opening.

Rainbow Six Siege Void Edge Oregon Map Rework

Void Edge packs the latest of map reworks, adapting an existing Rainbow Six Siege locale with a new design aesthetic. Oregon is the next multiplayer map receiving a sizeable overhaul, including a refined map flow and visual palette.

The Oregon map rework aims to eliminate frustrations surrounding the original floorplan, including significant changes to the basement, improving accessibility from new angles. A new hallway also helps alleviate traffic through Meeting Room, while both towers see substantial facelifts, and ditching the former Tower bomb site. Along with a fresh new look, it’s a familiar yet fresh return to a core location.

Like previous updates, access to the new Oregon will be free to all players regardless of owning premium memberships.

Rainbow Six Siege Void Edge Operator balancing and changes

While the spotlight of Operation Void Edge falls on the new content, it also pairs with sizeable balancing tweaks across existing roles. Among the most impacted are Lesion and Twitch, as Ubisoft aims to rework primary gadgets and improve their placement in the meta. Minor adjustments also strike a dozen Operators, tweaking components of kit with various refinements.

Following the Year 5 Season 1 release, Lesion faces a massive nerf, impairing the flexibility of his Gu Mines, currently ideal for slowing, damaging, and tracking attackers. That includes changes to icon sightlines and reducing the initial hit once triggered. Twitch’s Shock Drone also adopts a charging system similar to Yokai Drones, nerfing early-round capabilities, in favor of utility throughout the round.

The full list of Void Edge Operator balancing changes is outlined below, as provided by Ubisoft.

LESION

TWITCH

WARDEN

IQ

CASTLE

FROST

GOYO

DMRS

VECTOR .45

LOADOUT CHANGES

Addictive, challenging shooter action

Ubisoft’s hit shooter is hotter than ever, touting tense tactical gameplay, and regular free updates. Entering 2020 with millions of players, Rainbow Six isn’t slowing down.

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central’s Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft’s gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter@mattjbrown.