The competitive Rainbow Six Siege scene has come a good distance.
In 2017, the first-ever Six Invitational (SI) esports match was held for the Ubisoft Montreal-developed tactical first-person shooter, bringing collectively six competing groups for a $100,000 prize pool. The occasion was hosted within the Canadian developer’s hometown, and it returned there for 3 subsequent years.
Since then, SI has grown considerably to develop into one among Twitch’s most-watched esports titles, with Ubisoft increasing its worldwide footprint with occasions in such cities as São Paolo, Stockholm, Paris, and Boston whereas upping the prize pool to a whopping US$3 million (about C$4.1 million). This might be a very robust efficiency for any 10-year-old recreation, particularly in a market that’s lengthy been oversaturated with stay service video games, a lot of which find yourself being shut down. Siege even underwent a rebrand final 12 months to Siege X that included the sport going free-to-play, which little doubt introduced in new gamers.
However Siege can be notable as a result of it’s a giant Canadian success story in an business the place Canadian builders typically go unrecognized and unsupported. Whereas round 1,000 individuals around the globe now work on Siege, practically half of the workforce is predicated at Ubisoft Montreal, together with the core inventive workforce.
None of that is misplaced on Joshua Mills, the inventive director on Siege. As 1000’s flocked to Paris for the 2026 SI final weekend, Mills took a while between matches to sit down down with media and Siege creators. Notably, he’s been engaged on Siege for over 4 years, beforehand as recreation director (liable for engaged on the core gameplay expertise) earlier than turning into inventive director (overseeing the outlining of the general inventive imaginative and prescient) this month.
For Mills, Siege’s longevity speaks to the expertise and fortitude of Canada’s recreation makers.
“As a Canadian, I discover we’re very passionate individuals who love to offer it our all, and we don’t again down from a problem – we go all in on a regular basis,” he says. “Like esports, aggressive video games, and simply stay service [games] usually, it’s extremely aggressive, it’s very, very difficult, and it’s at all times ongoing, however we don’t cease – we preserve going.”
It’s a sentiment that’s echoed by Maxime Vial, Ubisoft Montreal’s Rainbow Six esports director.
“It’s actually the workforce – in relation to the dev workforce of the sport, and having seen that product develop and develop over time, how the neighborhood has grown, it’s actually magical to see that the mission that you simply put a lot love and coronary heart into will get to remain for therefore lengthy,” he says. “Siege is a recreation that began with a fairly distinctive premise. Again then, there weren’t many hero shooters, and so we’re actually excited and pleased to see that we’ve simply managed to maintain it and likewise carve ourselves such a novel house within the online game style.”
Siege‘s deal with squad-based techniques, destructible environments and distinctive Operators has helped it stand out in a crowded multiplayer house. (Picture credit score: Ubisoft)
Certainly, in a market largely dominated by high-octane, over-the-top shooters like Name of Responsibility, Battlefield and even Fortnite, Siege stands out for its deal with slower-paced, strategic matches. It may possibly make for a rollercoaster of feelings, as seen within the Grand Finals between Europe’s Crew Secret and the U.S.’ FaZe Clan. After repeated time beyond regulation intervals wherein attendees went wild each time Crew Secret managed to clinch a match, FaZe in the end gained 3-1, defending its title as Invitational Champion.
Whereas some outsiders would possibly simply see this as a bunch of boys sitting at computer systems enjoying video games, the reality is that there’s way more to it than that. Simply ask Troy Jaroslawski, a Canadian professional Siege participant with Toronto’s Shopify Rise up. The Canadian workforce made it to the SI playoffs however misplaced within the decrease bracket to the U.S.’ Spacestation Gaming.
As Jaroslawski explains, esports generally is a full-time dedication. Usually, his day begins at 10 a.m. with a exercise, adopted by a meal and reviewing some replays of scrimmages. From round 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., he’ll be working towards along with his workforce, exterior of a dinner break in between. This routine goes for six days per week.
“Folks can’t consider that – they’re shocked that I’m a professional gamer. Once they communicate to me and listen to about how I am going and stay my day-to-day life [with] my mindset, they’re very stunned — it nearly shatters stereotypes [about] avid gamers,” he says.
He’s been with SI for the reason that starting and even gained the match in each 2017 and 2020. And his connection to Siege has even come full circle, on condition that Shopify Rise up is predicated in Toronto, and he even competes beneath the identify of “Canadian” amongst U.S. teammates.
“I’m very proud to be Canadian, and I’m very pleased now that I do play for a Canadian group. I nonetheless stay in Toronto, that’s at all times been a giant factor [for me], too,” he says.
All of this has helped him proceed to understand Siege, even in any case this time.
“It’s simply the depth of the sport – what number of layers there are to it, when it comes to how the meta might be modified in so some ways,” he says, referring to the entire several types of Operators, devices, and items of destructible setting. “There’s so many ranges to it and a lot depth to it, and I believe that simply emphasizes, much more so, the technique and teamwork as properly, as a result of there’s a lot it’s important to think about. So there’s extra issues it’s important to do to be sure you’re on the identical web page.”
And though Shopify Rise up didn’t do in addition to within the 2026 SI as he’d have hoped, he says he nonetheless enjoys being on the occasion to observe his fellow gamers.
“I identical to seeing the sport performed on the highest stage. I believe the rationale that I’ve performed so long as I’ve and why I’m good on the recreation is as a result of I’m form of a scholar of the sport. I actually like watching good groups play and making an attempt to study from them, making an attempt to determine why they do what they do,” he says.
He provides that Siege represents what he loves about sports activities usually. “On the extra human aspect, after I’m a aggressive particular person, I grew up on sports activities my complete life as properly,” he says. “So I simply at all times respect the tales of rivals as properly. So after I’m out of the match, there’s participant storylines that I’ll root for.”
SI 2026 in Paris.
In the same vein, Vial says SI is an excellent alternative to carry collectively individuals who could in any other case not have met.
“I’ve a reminiscence of assembly one of many [Siege] content material creators. She was not the largest content material creator, however she’s somebody from the Philippines that had such an impression on the native scene, and we invited her to one among our SIs in Montreal,” he says.
“I keep in mind having been in contact together with her for a few months, seeing her making ready for this journey, after which her coming to SI and seeing what it’s like for the primary time at an occasion like that. It felt actually humbling for me to see that we might have an effect on the lives of a few of our neighborhood members and provides them the chance to fulfill their followers in particular person on the opposite aspect of the world in a very totally different nation.”
“That’s one thing I really feel each time I get into an enviornment — it’s simply a tremendous feeling,” provides Sebastian Ratto, Paris-based Rainbow Six senior director of aggressive merchandise. “For all of us who’re concerned day by day on the sport, that increase of power reminds us why we’re all doing this.”
And whereas this speaks to the expertise of really being at SI, many in all probability underestimate how a lot goes into making all of it occur. As Ratto explains, SI is the right instance of the worldwide endeavor between Ubisoft Montreal and its companions.
“The aim of the esports workforce is, ‘How will we showcase the sport at its greatest?’” he says. “It’s numerous work. Maxime and I are working collectively, end-to-end, with totally different experience, specializing in each the ecosystem of the sport and what we do for the area as properly. It’s how we foster this setting to then get the workforce prepared and the fan hype round these worldwide occasions.”
FaZe Clan (pictured) gained Six Invitational 2026.
In complete, it takes a few 12 months to place collectively an occasion like SI 2026 in Paris. All year long, as many as 200 individuals from throughout Ubisoft and its companions at esports leisure firm Blast can be engaged on SI, in keeping with Vial. That’s to say nothing of different Siege-related occasions, just like the R6 Majors in numerous cities or subsequent 12 months’s Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
“There are numerous massive occasions to ship all year long,” says Vial. “It’s throughout the clock.”
The dialog between developer and neighborhood
One of many highlights of SI concerned a panel that includes Mills and his fellow Ubisoft Montreal builders, former Siege inventive director Alexander Karpazis and stay content material director Christopher Budgen. Whereas on stage, the builders shared a roadmap of what’s coming to Siege in 12 months 11, together with, most notably, the addition of Metallic Gear’s Strong Snake as a playable Operator.
After all, the crossover with a legendary gaming franchise drew loud applause, but it surely was fascinating to additionally see related reactions from the gang over bulletins associated to new fan-requested gameplay tweaks, just like the return of placement matches, the brand new Social Hub and dropping the 6v6 Twin Entrance mode to focus extra on the core 5v5 expertise. And when the teleprompter skilled technical difficulties, the viewers inspired the builders with cheers and an impromptu wave throughout the sector.
12 months 11 of Siege is led by a Metallic Gear-themed crossover. (Picture credit score: Ubisoft/Konami)
All of this speaks to the distinctive relationship between developer and fanbase, the place the 2 work carefully collectively to form the way forward for Siege. And within the case of a recreation like this, which has such an enormous aggressive scene, Ubisoft Montreal must be cautious to method any modifications with each informal and hardcore gamers in thoughts.
“We’ve obtained to take heed to all of it,” says Mills about soliciting suggestions. “For instance, in Munich [at the Blast R6 Major] and even at SI, we met with the professional groups and sat down with them and went over a bunch of stuff in a workshop. ‘What are the factors of friction for you? What’s occurring? What do you are feeling such as you want? How’s the balancing?’”
He says the Munich assembly was notably notable as a result of that was proper earlier than a “massive” patch, 4.2, was about to drop, and so gamers needed to adapt. “The perfect half about that [is] they knew how properly that’s going over with the neighborhood, and what that does for the sport as properly. As a result of if persons are excited then meaning we’re going to have extra individuals coming to take a look at the professional scene and seeing like, ‘Hey, perhaps I can try this,’ and get to that time and the power is there.”
“[It’s about] discovering a center floor in all of this whereas additionally sustaining a really robust enjoyable issue that’s going to permit all gamers to nonetheless take pleasure in their expertise,” provides Vial, noting that Ubisoft additionally holds common workshops with informal gamers. “As a result of even for gamers who’re sinking 1000’s of hours into this, [it might not be] as a result of it’s their job, however as a result of they take pleasure in it. So it’s about balancing all of this.”
Mills says “unbreakable” has been the mantra behind Siege for the reason that starting. (Picture credit score: Ubisoft)
After all, you’ll be able to’t please everybody, and that’s one thing Jaroslawski says extra individuals ought to perceive.
“I believe they get much more flack than they deserve. The grass is at all times greener, there’s at all times one thing to complain about all over the place. I’ve heard related complaints concerning the recreation, that it could be dying, and stuff like that. I’ve heard it since 12 months one of many recreation,” he says. “And each time it finally ends up the identical means. They make good modifications, we find yourself getting an increasing number of help for the sport as properly […] The sport as a complete may be very a lot alive.”
For Mills, all of it comes again to an ethos that has pushed the builders at Ubisoft Montreal for the reason that very starting of Siege.
“In the event you see any of the Siege devs, they’ve blue jackets on, and so they’re these cool jackets we obtained for the tenth anniversary. On the again, it says ‘unbreakable,’” he explains. “And again in that point, each time that problem was in entrance of us, the assertion and the rebranding, internally, of who we’re was, ‘We’re unbreakable.’ We by no means cease. We preserve transferring ahead. We take our hits, we study from them, and we get higher.”
Rainbow Six Siege X is free-to-play on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X/S, PC and Amazon Luna.
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