In the latest edition of Designer's Notes, the Rainbow Six Siege team explains the balancing changes that will come with the Y8S1.2 Balancing Test Server. The changes are explained using statistics and data to provide a better understanding of the decisions made.
Balancing Matrix and Top Operator Bans
To measure the popularity of operators, the "Presence" has been introduced. This measures the pick rate of an operator when not banned. This allows developers to better understand which operators are most frequently used on which map and on which side. This data then flows into decisions regarding top operator bans.
Operator Balance
Capitao gets an increase in the duration of his Smoke Darts from 9 to 11 seconds. This is intended to make the use of Smoke Grenades and Smoke Darts more even and open up more tactical possibilities. Kapkan has the 1.5x scope removed from the 9X19VSN to reduce his direct attack capabilities. Oryx received a significant boost with the introduction of the 1.5x scope and is therefore being adjusted back to a normal level. Wamai gets the 1.5x scope added to better balance his weapon selection. Tachanka's Shumikha Launcher gets more ammunition, but a reduced magazine size to prevent an excess of area denial.
Extended Barrel
The rework of the Extended Barrel was hoped to bring about a change in the meta. With the increase in damage from 15% to 12%, one could gain an advantage. However, it has been shown that the popularity of the attachment remains consistently high, especially among less experienced players. Therefore, the advantage of the Extended Barrel is reduced to make the choice of attachments more tactical.
You can read the exact statistics and data on the balancing changes and top operator bans on the official Rainbow Six Siege website. Try out the changes now on the test server and report any errors and bugs in the new and improved R6Fix.
