Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege was the first multiplayer-focused game in the series, and some consider it one of the best modern multiplayer shooters. While the January release of Rainbow Six Extraction means it’s no longer the newest game in the franchise, it’s still going strong seven years after release.
However, publisher Ubisoft isn’t ready to sit on its laurels as far as Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is concerned and is hoping to draw in some new players. To do this, Ubisoft announced that Rainbow Six Siegeis free-to-play this week.
Players can download and play Rainbow Six Siege for free starting today, March 17th, through March 24th. This includes all maps and operators added through DLC and Season Pass content. Players who want to keep playing after the free period ends can also purchase the game for 70% off, or about $9.99. This is also a great time to pick the game up, with Rainbow Six Siege’s new season starting in a few weeks. Unfortunately, this deal is only available for PC, PlayStation, and Stadia users, though Rainbow Six Siege is free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
One might think it’s a little strange for Ubisoft to push Siege so soon after Extraction, which launched on January 20th. The newer game is a spinoff that sees players lead the Rainbow Six operatives on co-op missions to save the world from parasitic aliens called the Archæans. The game spins off from the popular “Outbreak” event from Rainbow Six Siege and brings elements of survival horror to the tactical multiplayer FPS. Extraction also introduced procedurally generated levels and the titular Extractions where players must rescue their fallen teammates from the alien hive.
Unfortunately for Ubisoft, Rainbow Six Extraction has yet to see the massive success of its predecessor. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Rainbow Six Extraction is doomed to fail, as Rainbow Six Siege also saw a mixed reception at release. Both games have similar scores on Metacritic, with the PC version of Siege coming away with 79% to Extraction’s 71%. Rainbow Six Siege also benefits from six years of post-launch content, contributing substantially to the older game’s popularity.
Rainbow Six Siege content includes a range of new operators, maps, and weapons that weren’t part of the original release. Other season pass content included changes, updates, and rebalances for existing maps and gameplay mechanics. The new content is also one of the main reasons that many hold Rainbow Six Siege in such high regard, with major publications revising their reviews to reflect the updated content. Players can try all of it out for free through March 24th.
Rainbow Six Siege is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Ubisoft