Rainbow Six Siege Crystal Guard Release Time Countdown

Rainbow Six Siege keeps growing, and we know more about its sixth year of content than we have about any year prior.

That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of surprises in store, though. Ubisoft has held back plenty of information to ensure they keep our interest piqued throughout 2021.

Having successfully launched Crimson Heist and new operator Flores earlier this year and followed it up with Operation North Star in June, here's all we know about the third Operation of Year 6 - an Operation "Crystal Guard" and new Operator "Osa".

Read More: Rainbow Six Siege Year 6 Preview: New Operators, Map Reworks and More Revealed

Latest News

7 September 2021 -

[1PM] - Ubisoft has announced the release times for Crystal Guard as well as the download sizes for the new patch. It was also mentioned that Ubisoft is consolidating data files meaning this patch is larger than usual, though this won't impact overall install sizes. All details are just below:

Release Times Confirmed:

• Steam/UPlay/Stadia - 2pm BST
• Xbox - 3pm BST
• PlayStation [PS4/PS5] - 4pm BST

Final Install Sizes:

• PC Ubisoft Connect: 50.4 GB
  • With HD Texture Pack & all languages: 85.5 GB
• PC Steam: 51.8 GB
  • With HD Texture Pack: 78.2 GB
• Xbox: 50.8 GB
• PS4: 56 GB
• PS5: 55.6 GB

Check out the infographic below to see the before and after of the game size:

[1AM] - Ubisoft has already confirmed that the new season of Rainbow Six Siege, known as Crystal Guard, has a release date set for Tuesday, September 7. However, the Siege dev team have yet to provide a full schedule of the time they're launching Y6S3.

That being said, Ubisoft are pretty reliable when it comes to the times they release new updates.

With past Siege updates we've seen the releae start in the afternoon, normally with a staggered launch on PC, PlayStation [PS4, PS5] and Xbox [All platforms]. So you should expect to see Crystal Guard launch at the following times below:

• PC - 2pm BST
• Xbox - 3pm BST
• PlayStation - 4pm BST

Of course as we mention nothing has been confirmed just yet, but these times seem like the most obvious points when the new update will launch. Likewise, maintenance could be prolonged or run into issues, and each platform can have a knock-on effect.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming hours.

27 August, 2021 -

Fancy a bit of incredible fan art whilst we wait for the release of Osa and Y6S3? Well here you go:

16 August, 2021 -

We've seen Osa in action – check out our full impressions on the link, but here's a little slice to whet your appetite.

The headline addition, as with many of the game's Operations, is Osa. This Croatian Operative is an attacker, but with a more defensive gadget. That's the Talon 8, a clear, bulletproof shield that can be placed on doors or windows. The idea, Ubisoft told us at a recent preview event, is to establish a sort of beachhead.

Players can move up, secure a location with Osa, and then press on. While the shield is bulletproof, it won't survive explosive damage, and can be smashed to obscure the vision of whoever is on the other side – a mechanic added in Operation North Star. She can carry the shield, too, but she won't be able to use a weapon, sprint, or go prone.

Crystal Guard Release Date

Operation Crystal Guard hits the game's test server on August 17th. You can expect a full release for Y6S3 at some stage in September, however a confirmed release date has yet to be confirmed.

Crystal Guard New Operator and Gadget

We've had a new attacker, Flores, and a new defender, Thunderbird, so far this year.

Osa, the game's next Operator, is an attacker but with a defensive gadget - the Talon 8 shield.

This bulletproof shield can be placed on doors or windows, and is used to establish a beachhead.

Players can move up, secure a location with Osa, and then press on. While the shield is bulletproof, it won't survive explosive damage, and can be smashed to obscure the vision of whoever is on the other side – a mechanic added in Operation North Star.

She can carry the shield, too, but she won't be able to use a weapon, sprint, or go prone.

Loadout-wise, Osa can use a 556XI assault rifle or PDW-9 SMG, and her gadget choices are the claymore or a smoke grenade.

Crystal Guard Map Rework

Clubhouse, Coastline, and Bank are all getting refreshes in Operation Crystal Guard.

• Clubhouse will see a pass that improves the lighting and detail throughout, while layout changes make it easier to rotate without needing to climb up and over buildings.
• Coastline will add a breakable wall outside VIP, more barricade options on windows, and the ability to rappel from the DJ deck, among other changes.
• Bank's infamous "banana" balcony will get added cover. Railings will be destructible, and at long last, the bars within the bank vault will be removed.

Operator Reworks

As part of Crystal Guard, players can expect changes for IQ, Fuse, and Twitch.

Twitch will now start matches with a regular drone, but it'll be able to jump (unlike her usual drone option). Her drone will also be able to deal laser damage.

Fuze's charge now works on reinforced surfaces, but the tougher the surface, the longer the activation time. Once activated, smart defenders can spot it and shoot its payload delivery tube to destroy it.

Finally, IQ will be able to use the smart ping system on gadgets.

Playlist Changes

The game's newcomer playlist has recently been changed to help introduce players to new maps more quickly.

Previously a fixed trio of maps, players will now be able to jump into the following:

• Bank
• Oregon
• Club House
• Cafe Dostoyevsky
• Coastline

Gameplay Improvements

Many players have been complaining about the fact that certain operators blend in with the environment while wearing certain skins. This is being dealt with with a new rim lighting technique that subtly highlights a character's silhouette.

Flash grenades will also work differently. While players can still turn away, a flash will always affect players at full intensity, rather than varying degrees of distortion. Henceforth, the severity of the flash will determine the duration of its effects. So, if you're barely flashed at all, you'll shake it off nice and easily. If you catch the full force of it, it'll linger for longer.

Quality of Life Changes

If you have an Elite Skin, you'll now be able to use the headgear and uniform independently of one another, and Ubisoft has promised more customisation in the future – potentially for Y6S4.