At the Rainbow Six Siege Raleigh Major, Ubisoft officially unveiled its newest update, Operation: Ember Rise. Like previous title updates, Ember Rise brings two brand new Operators to the popular first-person shooter, as well as the reworked Kanal map. All of the new content is a whole lot of fun, but I’m not convinced these Operators will be strong in competitive play.
Defense Operator: Goyo
Hailing from Mexico, Goyo is the new defense Operator introduced in Ember Rise. Armed with a TCSG12 shotgun or Vector .45 ACP submachine gun, Goyo is a solid Operator for players just beginning their Rainbow Six Siege journey. Also equipped is the P229 handgun, impact grenade or nitro cell (depending on what you choose), and the Volcan Shield.
The Volcan Shield functions just like a normal deployable shield – which you can now attach onto door frames – but with a slight twist: there is an incendiary bomb attached to the backside. As one would probably expect, when you shoot the bomb, it explodes destroying the shield entirely leaving the floor engulfed with flames for a short period of time.
The Volcan Shield is not only a weapon you can take advantage of. The opposing team of Operators can also destroy the Volcan Shield, potentially having your defense plans legitimately blow up right in your face. There are certain attack Operators, like Ash, that can use their special ability to destroy the shield, even from the shield’s front side. Additionally, anyone with an impact grenade can easily take out one of these with ease.
There is an inherent disadvantage to playing as Goyo. Since his ability can be used against your own team, it seems like it would be risky to choose him in a competitive setting. You can setup up to three of these shields per game, which you can either spread across your defense point or try to create a chain reaction that could potentially demolish the opposing team. But that all feels like luck rather than strategy. Not to say there isn’t a way to effectively utilize Goyo, but he seems like a character meant for beginners.
Attack Operator: Amaru
Amaru is the attack Operator introduced in Ember Rise, equipped with one of the more unique abilities in Rainbow Six Siege. Armed with a G8A1 light machine gun or Supernova shotgun for her primary weapon, an ITA12S shotgun or SMG-11 machine pistol for her secondary, and a claymore or stun grenade for her gadget, she is another fairly easy character to get acquainted with.
What makes her wholly unique is her Garra Hook ability. Essentially, she has a grappling gun that allows you to climb up buildings or go through boarded windows in a way that seems like it would break the game. Fortunately for Rainbow Six Siege, she doesn’t completely mess with the flow of a match, but she certainly mixes things up as she is able to crash into any given area of a map rather quickly.
However, Amaru has her own set of flaws that hinder her from really being an effective attack Operator. We did play on the reworked Kanal map, which caters to some of her strengths, but she may be ineffective in maps with fewer windows to enter from. She can use the Garra Hook on ledges to move up and directly across an area, which has its uses. However, she cannot use the hook going in a downward direction limiting her on how she can use her ability. Additionally, while zipping, her weapon is unequipped, making her a sitting duck if she crashes through a board next to an opposing Operator. She is also incredibly loud since she has to crash through boards and shoot ceiling hatches with her Supernova shotgun to make use of the Garra Hook.
[pullquote]"What makes her wholly unique is her Garra Hook ability. Essentially, she has a grappling gun that allows you to climb up buildings or go through boarded windows in a way that seems like it would break the game."[/pullquote]
Like Goyo, I don’t think Amaru will be used in a competitive scenario. There are just too many risks when using her. It seems her playstyle is a bit too “guns blazing,” which is incredibly fun to use. However, actually utilizing her in a competitive setting may be tough to do.
My complaints about Ember Rise’s new Operators lack of competitive utility doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy them. I do think they are solid starting Operators for people new to Rainbow Six Siege, especially Goyo since his ability is more in line with what you would expect from the game. It was stupid amounts of fun zipping through a level with Amaru’s Garra Hook, too. It felt completely different than any of the abilities Rainbow Six Siege has to offer. The two Operators may lack the “competitive spirit” of its predecessors, but they are really fun to use.
Kanal Map Rework
As mentioned above, my time with the new Operators was on the reworked Kanal map. On the surface, it looks pretty similar but with a new coat of paint. But once you actually start playing, you will definitely notice that all the little intricate changes made actually make Kanal a solid map, and one that will be interesting when it hits the Ranked playlist.
[pullquote]"But once you actually start playing, you will definitely notice that all the little intricate changes made actually make Kanal a solid map, and one that will be interesting when it hits the Ranked playlist."[/pullquote]
Like the other reworks that have been released, a lot of quality-of-life changes, like color coating different hallways, have been made to make each section more distinct for callouts. It also feels there is a lot less clutter on the map, with more open areas, which is a welcome change. There are also fewer windows to enter from, making the map feel tighter than it did before.
Overall, the rework doesn’t completely change the map. Instead, it changes everything that was wrong with it, making it much more fun while still keeping the main elements of Kanal intact. All of these changes may look pretty inconsequential upon first playing it, but they make the map feel more open and filled with more options on both the attack and defense side.
Operation: Ember Rise may not cater to the competitive audience in terms of its Operators. While they may not be suited for Ranked, they are a blast to play. Amaru, in particular, can really change the flow of the game if she is used by a skilled player. But I don’t really see the two new Operators getting too much Ranked play. The Kanal rework, on the other hand, changes the map enough to have it be added to the Ranked playlist. While it’s hard to say whether it will be a solid map for competitive use, it is a welcome improvement players will enjoy.