Rainbow Six Siege Y8S4 release date and everything we know

With the release of Operation Deep Freeze nearing, you might not yet have had a chance to catch up with all the updates coming to Rainbow Six Siege. Here, we've got all the highlights of the major changes coming in Y8S4 of Rainbow Six Siege, so stick with us for all the details.

In this guide, we'll be breaking down the Y8S4 release date, as well as details on the new operator and map, and details on some of the balancing changes coming to the game. Plus, we'll be giving our verdict on whether the new operator can make an impact in the game's current meta.

For more details on live-service FPS games, why not check out all there is to know about Modern Warfare 3 Season 1, where we've got information on the game's battle pass and expected changes? Alternatively, we've got the latest news on the development of Destiny 2 The Final Shape.

Credit: Ubisoft

Rainbow Six Siege Y8S4 release date

With Year 8 Season 3 coming to a close, Y8S4 was scheduled to be released on November 28, 2023, at 2 PM GMT. However, Ubisoft has since delayed the launch of Y8S4, as the update isn't ready to be made live yet and requires further testing.

Now, we've received confirmation from Ubisoft that Rainbow Six Siege Y8S4 has a new release date of December 6, one week after the original release date was planned. This had been the expected release date amongst the player base, and it now won't be long before we can try out the new operator and more.

Rainbow Six Siege Y8S4 operator

In Operation Deep Freeze, a new operator will be added to Siege's lineup. Year 8 Season 4 will see the arrival of Tubarão, a two-armour, two-speed defender hailing from Portugal.

Initially, Tubarão looks like he will be shaking up the meta quite substantially; his Zoto Canister has the ability to deny breaches through walls, as well as freeze opponents. With the current meta meaning that reinforced walls are the easiest they've ever been to open, Tubarão will make breaching a lot more challenging than before.

Credit: Ubisoft

However, with such powerful defenders such as Valkyrie, Azami, Fenrir, and Solis all evading nerfs despite their high presence and power, it remains to be seen whether Tubarão will make a substantial impact in Pro League

Even though Tubarão's gadget appears to be very powerful, he also has a solid arsenal of weapons behind him. It's nice to see Maverick's AR-15.50 get some much-needed love for the first time since his release in 2018, whilst Tubarão also sports the MPX as an option; used by Valkyrie and Warden, the MPX is widely popular due to its low recoil and moderate fire rate. To top it all off, Tubarão can also pick a nitro cell as his secondary gadget, meaning he stands a good chance of slipping into the meta.

If you want a better look at Tubarão's kit, check out some pre-alpha footage of his Zoto canister in action down below.

Rainbow Six: Siege Y8S4 map

Also in Year 8 Season 4, the new Rainbow Six: Siege map, Lair, will be released. Set in the base of Deimos, the antagonist of the current Rainbow Six Siege storyline, the map is maybe a little reminiscent of Siege's previous new map, Nighthaven Labs. However, there appears to be a lot more verticality in Lair than Nighthaven Labs, with the building seemingly having many skylights and hatches on the roof.

Lair will be going straight into the ranked pool on launch, meaning players should make themselves familiar with the new map before queuing into ranked. We've got the release trailer for Lair down below if you want to check out the map for yourself.

Rainbow Six: Siege Y8S4 patch notes

One of the major new features coming in Y8S4 is the update to the reputation system. Currently, the reputation system is still in beta, however, Y8S4 will see the merging of the commendation and reputation systems. Ubisoft has said that there will be a "Grace Period" for players before the new system implements any penalties on players, with players continuing to receive only warnings in the meantime.

Another major change coming in Operation Deep Freeze is the changes made to frag grenades. Previously, players were able to cook grenades in their hands, allowing them to time their throws over short distances. Over the past few years, competitive play has revolved around playing frag grenades below a bombsite and throwing them up to kill opponents or destroy utility.

Now, frag grenades cannot be cooked, and will detonate at a set time when it leaves the player's hand, similar to a flash grenade. This change has major implications for how the game will be played, particularly at higher levels of play, but many pros have expressed their support and welcomed the changes to frag grenades.

If you want to read all the upcoming changes in Operation Deep Freeze yourself, you can catch them over on Ubisoft's website.

That's all there is to know about the release date and upcoming changes in Y8S4 of Rainbow Six Siege. For more like this, why not check out everything we know about XDefiant, Ubisoft's latest foray into FPS multiplayer games? We've also got all the information on The Finals, as well as all the details on Modern Warfare 3's Christmas event.