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Rainbow Six Siege Y11S4 plans: no more Ranked map rotation, Hostage returns to Quick Match

Ubisoft's Community Checkpoint #6 confirms a fixed Ranked map pool, Half Reinforcements Testing Grounds and the return of Hostage and 3v3 Arcade in Y11S4.

By The news desk2 min read

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege key art
Image: Ubisoft Montreal / Steam

Ubisoft Montreal has shared its sixth Community Checkpoint for Rainbow Six Siege, laying out what’s coming as Year 11 heads into its final season, Y11S4. The headlines: a fixed Ranked map pool, a new Testing Grounds, and the return of a few modes.

Ranked map pool

From next season, Ranked map pools will no longer rotate each season. The devs say most players didn’t see rotations as meaningful new content, and swapping out a favourite map often caused frustration.

Instead, the team is going back to a “best of” approach. Each Ranked season will have around 15 maps, including the nine currently played in Pro competition.

Testing Grounds and Hostage

Y11S4 brings a new Testing Grounds, the limited-time event where the devs try out ideas away from live matches. This one features Half Reinforcements, which the devs say will open up new options for defensive setups and site construction. Players are encouraged to use the in-game QR code to take the survey.

After that, the next Testing Grounds will feature a reworked Hostage mode. There’s a long-term plan to bring Hostage back into competitive Siege, depending on the feedback.

In the shorter term, Hostage and Secure Area return to Quick Match in the regular rotation from Y11S4.

3v3 Arcade returns

The limited-time 3v3 Arcade mode from Operation Split Fire is coming back in Y11S4. The devs say it became one of the most successful limited-time modes Siege has had.

Balancing

  • A nerf to the TCSG is planned for Y11S4.
  • The 3.3 update brings minor tweaks to Denari, Jackal and the Commando.
  • It will be the last of its kind: from next season, the .1 and .3 patches will carry fewer but more impactful changes. Season launch and mid-season patches stay larger.
  • Mira and Zofia are being tested with prototypes, but no balance updates are planned yet.

Legend Division

The Legend Division, a permanent solo queue playlist for Champion-ranked players, launched with the mid-season update. Entry requires Champion rank, Clearance Level 200 or more, Platinum or above in the previous season, Reputation Standing level three or higher, plus R6 Shieldguard Secure Platform, Secure Boot and 2-Step Account Verification. The devs say they’ll watch community feedback closely.