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As we celebrate the launch of Rainbow Six Siege X, we were given the opportunity to interview the game's Creative Director, Alexander Karpazis. We discussed many things, including Siege's past, present, and future, and why Siege X can see the series go on for another 10 years. From improved gameplay, a free access system encouraging new players, and much more, Siege X is just what the series needs to continue thriving. So, without further ado, let's hear more about X from the game's Creative Director!
ClutchPoints X Rainbow Six Siege X Interview with Creative Director Alexander Karpazis
We spoke to Alexander Karpazis, Ubisoft Montreal's Creative Director of Rainbow Six Siege. Also joining us was Anthony Acosta, Senior Global Communications Manager at Ubisoft. Since it's launch, Rainbow Six Siege been one of the most popular tactical shooter games in the last decade.
The game originally released on December 1st, 2015, and 2025 marks the game's 10th anniversary. Over the years, Ubisoft has improved the game with new operators, new maps, weapons, equipment, and much more.
Six Siege has gained a lot of popularity since its launch, and there are many reasons why. There's so much exposure with the game, whether it's Twitch streams or memes on the internet, most gamers have become aware of the title. This, in turn, leads to interest, which keeps the game's servers populated with players.
What's impressive is that Siege not only survived the wave of oncoming online shooters like Fortnite and PUBG, as well as other hero-based shooters, but it continues to remain an extremely popular game. How many other 10-year-old FPS games can you think of that still receive this level of updates today?
And that's what brings us here today as we've reached the launch of Siege X.
Massimo: Hope you are doing well. How are we feeling about the launch of [Rainbow Six] Siege X? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: “We're feeling very good. It's super exciting, the entire team is extremely hyped, and we're so looking forward to it.”
Massimo: How long have you been working on Siege, and what are some of your favorite moments leading up to Siege X? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: I've been working on Siege for eight years now. It has been an incredible experience, and we have an amazing team. Mine [favorite moment] was Operation Parabellum with the Italian Operators. It was my very first time I came on, I loved Villa, Maestro, and Alibi. So that holds a special place in my heart.”
And Siege has had many other memorable moments over the last 10 years. “The season of Deimos [Operation Deadly Omen] was such a special time to introduce this first-time villainous character that shakes things up and adds stakes to the game as well for all of our operators.”
When looking back, Alexander has said that he's “Loved every moment of it,” and that he “can't wait” for what's ahead.
But now we look to new horizons. Siege X is an evolution of the game, unlike anything that's come before it.
For those new to Rainbow Six Siege, Siege X is essentially a complete overhaul to the game. While it still offers the Siege experience fans have come to cherish over the years, it brings some massive improvements like:
- Improved Graphics and Lighting along with Modernized Maps (five at launch)
- An improved movement system including an advanced rappelling system
- New Operators, Seasons, and Events
- New destructible ingredients
- A pick-and-ban system
- A brand new, 6v6 mode called “Dual Front”
- Respawns enabled
- Players play both offense and defense (can use offensive and defensive operators)
- More upgrades to Anti-Cheat and Player Toxicity
These are just some of the main things coming with Siege X, but there'll be a lot more on the way. And while Siege X released today, Karpazis and the dev team received a lot of feedback from the community, thanks to the Closed Beta.
Massimo: How has feedback from the Closed Beta been? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: “It was a bit nervy getting it into players hands for the first time. But we actually just had a huge eSports event that we called RE:LO:AD that was played entirely on the new Siege X build, and the pros loved it. The competition was amazing, and the feedback we received has been overwhelmingly positive. So, we couldn't have hoped for a better reception.”
RE:LO:AD is a Brazilian R6 Siege Tournament organized by both Ubisoft and BLAST. As Alexander mentioned, it was the first time Siege X was used for professional play. This year, it brought together the world's top twenty Siege teams in a high-stakes competition with a prize pool of over $500,000.
Making Siege X fun for professional players means a lot to Ubisoft Montreal. But they also want to cater to new players. How did they do that? By making a Free Access version of the game that gives players select access to certain modes and Operators.
Massimo: What was the main reason for making Siege Free Access? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: “It's really important for a game as challenging as Siege – and it is, probably one of the most challenging PvP games you can get into – We wanted to remove that barrier for players to make sure that they can invite their friends over, because the game really is about teamwork, strategy, and tactics. So, if you can play with friends, it is that much more satisfying.
And so free access was just a no brainer. It's a way that they can experience was makes Siege so special. And then if they realy wanted to commit to the competitive mode, then they can actually just invest in the game afterwards.”
Overall, the Free Access provides:
- Standard Mode
- Quick Play Mode
- Dual Front Mode (New-Gen & PC only)
- A selection of Operators
Players who enjoy their experience can also purchase the Elite or Ultimate Edition, which offers more Operators as well as the ranked Siege & Siege Cup mode. Therefore, you can try out the Free-Access to help you decide whether or not you really want to dive in.
Massimo: If I was a first-time Free-Access Player, what mode would you recommend for me? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: “As soon as you boot up the game, you'll go through the tutorial, which I recommend you do not skip. There's some interesting things that make Siege, Siege, like destruction and the lethality of the game. It [the tutorial] moves super quick, but as soon as you do that, you'll quickly unlock our brand new game mode, which we call Dual Front.
“This is a game mode that asks a lot of the player,” says Alex. “It has a lot of objectives at once. In one lane, you're defending your objectives, and in the other lane, your team is attacking. So it's up to you and the team to decide what you do at the same time. But there is respawn, so you learn from your mistakes and can come back in.”
“You can mix and match attackers and defenders,” Alex continued, “and the pool of characters is also smaller, so you don't have as much to learn immediately. It's one map, 35 operators, you jump in, have a bunch of fun, and get into the heart and soul of Siege right away.”
Massimo: Who Are Your Favorite Operators? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: I like the team play and strategy. So I go for Thermite and make sure that I'm working with the team and getting on-site. All of the good things, like making sure we have a way to breach the hard, reinforced walls – that to me, is the core of siege. On defense, I like somebody who's flexible, like Lesion, who can roam, trap set, and get intel.”
Anthony joined in on the fun, stating Ash was his favorite Operator. “I'm basic. I'm so basic,” he joked.
Free-Access players have access to some of these Operators. Meanwhile, Elite Edition receive 16 additional Operators from Year 1-2. Ultimate Edition Owners receive all 52 Operators from Years 1-9. But regardless of which edition you own, Siege X begins with Operation Daybreak. With it, everyone can join in on the action.
Massimo: What are you looking forward to most with Operation Daybreak? Is it the new pick-and-ban system, the modernized maps, or perhaps advanced movement? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
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Alexander: The pick and ban system is a great shout-out, because it's something that we've never really seen before – the ability to ban round after round and strategically make changes based on how the enemy team is approaching the game. The reception has been really positive around that, and we love seeing it.”
The Pick & Ban system, as the name suggests, lets both team ban Operators before choosing their own. It forces players to re-think their strategy if their favorite Operator is taken.
When talking about the new modernized maps, Alexander said “They look beautiful, they play so well. They have new destructible ingredients like fire extinguishers and gas pipes that are littered around and can have really impactful moments mid-match that can change the tides.”
What helps intensify Siege is all the destruction and mayhem that can occur in a game. The new destructible ingredients just adds to all the mayhem. But Alex also mentioned another huge improvement that we didn't even think to mention.
“But I'd be remiss if I didn't shout out to the complete audio overhaul we've done to the game,” Alex continued. “Audio is something that's so special and essential to understand where the enemy team is at, what their strategy is, and how you can adapt and move around it. The audio changes make it very natural and a lot more reliable for players to understand what's going on at a sound level in Siege.”
From the silence to the explosive moments, Siege's audio design elevates the experience for players. That's why it was important for the devs to improve the audio, making it sound better than ever before.
Mr. Karpazis used two words to describe the changes in Siege X and Operation Daybreak – “Game Changers”.
Operation Daybreak is just the first of many Operations coming to Siege X. For newcomers, these Operations act as new Seasons, offering more content and quality-of-life improvements for the player. Players can typically expect things like new Operators, reworked (modernized) maps, new events, and much more.
Massimo: Daybreak will be the first Operation for Siege X. But can you talk a bit about what's coming later in Year 10? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: “Of course, because we've always said that Siege X isn't the end of Siege. It's just the beginning of another 10 years that we want to build up. And we look at it, we do have a lot of promises.”
Alex said they “want to be good on making sure that we modernize all of the maps. So every season we'll have three more modernized maps.” For reference, Siege X comes with five modernized maps at launch.
In addition, Mr. Karpazis said that they'll “have a new operator coming out the next season,” and that they're “starting to revisit” old maps, giving them the “rework treatment that they need. So that's coming in Season 4.”
Overall, Alex stated that the team is focused on “making sure that we still deliver something that's really impactful for the players. Something that can can have a lot of fun and refreshes the experience. That's been the promise, and that's how we survived for the last 10 years. Now, we want to thrive for the next ten.”
Siege X also goes above and beyond to deliver a fun experience for new and experienced players. And with the game being online, Ubisoft Montreal must continually fight the potential threat of cheaters.
Massimo: How important is it to combat Anti-Cheat, especially with new, Free-Access Players on the horizon? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: “It's very close, if not, the number one priority for us. Because we can have the best game in the world, which I truly believe we do, but it means nothing if it's undermined by cheaters.
“So, a big push for Siege X was having our R6 ShieldGuard come online for this moment to make sure that it's the most secure. And we actually set up our future so that we can anticipate what cheat makers are doing, undermine them, make cheats super expensive, and essentially create an economy that doesn't work for them.”
So Ubisoft isn't messing around when it comes to cheaters. Like a game of Siege, they're playing both offense and defense to ensure that Cheaters have a hard time of making trouble in their game. And with each season, R6 ShieldGuard will receive improvements to make things as difficult as possible for cheaters.
Alex, and to a greater whole, Ubisoft's goal is to give players a “safe game that they can compete in and know they're getting the best out of it at the same time.”
Massimo: Any final things you'd like to add? – Rainbow Six Siege X Interview
Alexander: ” I would just say that we're only here because of our community and because of the feedback they've given us. It's one of the reasons why we wanted to do something like veteran rewards, and reward them for time that they've spent. You only get to be a 10 year anniversary game because of everybody who stuck by us, giving us that feedback, and a lot of what we built for Siege X is in response to the community.”
Overall, that concludes our interview with Alexander Karpazis, Ubisoft Montreal's Creative Director for the Rainbow Six Siege. It's insane to see Siege come this far a full decade after its release. But like Alex said, Siege X is only just the beginning. We can expect to see a lot more of Siege in the coming years.
It was nice to speak to Mr. Karpazis, and we want to thank everyone who made this interview possible. With passionate people like Alexander on board, we're confident that Siege X can continue to thrive for years. We look forward to diving into Siege X, where we hope to see you at the end of our sights (…no offense).
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