Rainbow Six Siege’s next operation Crystal Guard has been unveiled. Following that teaser about the op’s name last week and the reveal of new operator Osa (plus her nifty shield gadget), we’ve now got a ton of new information about what the next big content update will bring when the Rainbow Six Siege: Crystal Guard release date rolls around – and it includes reworks for three of the FPS game’s maps.
While there are three map reworks coming up this season rather than the usual one, the changes you’ll see will generally be less major – but still plenty noteworthy. First up, there’s Coastline. The Ibiza map, first introduced in operation Velvet Shell back in 2017, is seeing the concrete bars from its courtyard windows removed to make gunfights fairer.
These windows can now also be barricaded, which throws some new options into the mix – for example, defending operator Castle could become a stronger pick, allowing for more play in the Luggage and VIP hallway spots. Plus, the VIP balcony now has a soft wall and you can rappel straight up from there to the building’s roof.
As for base game map Bank, once again we’ll see those metal bars removed, so you can expect fairer gunfights here, too. The staircases’ bannisters have also been swapped out for destructible wooden versions with the new operation, which will have the same effect. Elsewhere, the vault hatch has been moved deeper into the vault and Bank’s elevators have been reworked meaning they’ll now offer more viability for both attack and defence.
The top windows between the parking garage area and the spot known by players as ‘banana’ – that curved, four-window balcony that overlooks the lobby – have all been blocked off save for one, so the latter should be easier to play around as a defender. Other changes for Bank include coverings for some of the bannisters around ‘square’ – the square lobby – so that defenders won’t come under fire all the way up to the janitors’ closet any more, and you’ll now find a second door between the lobby and ATM area now, which allows attackers to pierce through the lobby more safely. Navigation around the outside of Bank is now easier, too. Phew.
Last up, we’ve got base game map Clubhouse. The bar has been reworked as a bombsite so you’ll find the bombs are now in the stage and bar areas, rather than the stock room and bar. One key change is that the double-soft wall found between the construction and cash room areas has been sealed up entirely, meaning defenders should find the latter easier to hold – though the bar should still be pretty tricky.
Like Bank, Ubisoft has also given the outside a going-over, so you should find it easier to navigate around, particularly between the kennels and main gate.
Rainbow Six Siege Operation Crystal Guard hits the test servers on August 17. There’s no known live release date just yet, but updates usually drop around three weeks after this, so if this op sticks to the usual pattern, it shouldn’t be a long wait.