Rainbow Six Siege Operation Steel Wave Details, Gameplay Revealed

Ubisoft has just revealed full details of Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Steel Wave and included a gameplay trailer. New operators, maps changes, new gadgets, and character balances are detailed.

As previously reported, the new operators in Operation Steel Wave are Ace and Melusi. Ace can use the S.E.L.M.A Aqua Breacher, a throwable cylinder that utilizes hydraulic pressure and can destroy even reinforced surfaces. S.E.L.M.A can explode up to three times depending on the type of surface it’s deployed on, be it floors, ceilings, hatches, or walls.

Melusi specializes in the Banshee Sonic Defense. This gadget can be deployed on surfaces and alerts her and her teammates when any enemies are nearby the device. It unleashes a scream whenever someone is close enough and also slows them down. Additionally, the Banshee Sonic Defense is bulletproof, so in order to get rid of it, opponents will have to melee it up close or blow it up.

Existing Rainbow Six Siege operator Amaru has also received some changes. Tweaks have been added to her hook animations so that the timing is smoother. Her hook can still break through glass windows but now can also break through unreinforced hatches. A big plus, though, is that Amaru doesn’t have to manually break a hatch before she breaches it anymore because now her hatch-breaking action will include the breach itself.

As for maps, the House is receiving some changes. Some existing areas are bigger, and there are two new rooms on each floor that were added to the south side. The Garage was changed to having only one of its doors destructible, and the Workshop has entirely changed into a Girls’ Room complete with a walk-in closet.

Finally, another secondary gadget is being introduced: the Proximity Alarm, which triggers an alarm when enemies are within direct range. It’s nothing too fancy, but the device is small enough to where enemies may not immediately notice it until it’s too late.

The House map rework, Amaru changes, and Proximity Alarm are free for all players when Operation Steel Wave launches in Rainbow Six Siege. Ace and Melusi are exclusive to Year 5 pass holders for the first week and after that can be bought with renown or R6 Credits.